Old covenant law permitted divorce where the husband found something indecent. The indecency was meant to be an exceptional matter, 1 and the use of the word elsewhere in the Old Testament suggests that it was related to sexual sin. It is important to realize that the law in Deuteronomy did not require divorce, but only permitted divorce to take place. It is a law which recognized the damage that can be done in personal relationships as a result of human sin (see Matthew 19:7–8). Even in cases of sexual immorality, forgiveness is possible and divorce is not a must.
31 “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’