and the latter husband turns against her, writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand, and sends her away from his house, or if the latter husband who took her to be his wife dies,
Parallel translations
- WEB If the latter husband hates her, and write her a bill of divorce, and puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, who took her to be his wife;
- KJV And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife;
- BSB and the second man hates her, writes her a certificate of divorce, hands it to her, and sends her away from his house, or if he dies,
- NKJV if the latter husband detests her and writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband dies who took her as his wife,
- NLT But if the second husband also turns against her, writes a document of divorce, hands it to her, and sends her away, or if he dies,
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The case continues: the second husband may also divorce her, or he may die. These conditions prepare for the ruling in verse 4.
Overview
Hebrew case law often unfolds in extended 'if' clauses leading to a single ruling. Here the scenario tracks the woman through a second marriage that ends by divorce or death. The accumulation of circumstances sets the stage for the prohibition that the first husband may not take her back, underscoring how a covenant once broken should not be casually reconstituted.
Cross-references & the web
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Christ at the center
Moses promised a Prophet like himself to whom Israel must listen (18:15); Jesus is that Prophet, the one who keeps the covenant we broke and becomes the curse for us by hanging on a tree (Gal 3:13).
How Deuteronomy 24:3 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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