Lexical Summary
kerithuth: Divorce, cutting off
Original Word:כְּרִיתוּת
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:kriythuwth
Pronunciation:keh-ree-thooth
Phonetic Spelling:(ker-ee-thooth')
KJV: divorce(-ment)
NASB:divorce
Word Origin:[fromH3772 (כָּרַת - cut off)]
1. a cutting (of the matrimonial bond), i.e. divorce
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
divorce
Fromkarath; a cutting (of the matrimonial bond), i.e. Divorce -- divorce(-ment).
see HEBREWkarath
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
karathDefinitiondivorcement
NASB Translationdivorce (4).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
; —
Isaiah 50:1;
Deuteronomy 24:1,3; plural suffix
Jeremiah 3:8;
writing (i.e. deed)
of divorcement,
Deuteronomy 24:1,3;
Isaiah 50:1;
Jeremiah 3:8.
Topical Lexicon
Definition and Essenceכְּרִיתוּת denotes the formal “certificate of divorce,” a written document that legally severed a marriage covenant in ancient Israel. It stands as a physical witness that the covenant had been dissolved and the woman released from her husband’s authority.
Canonical Occurrences
•Deuteronomy 24:1 – The certificate is introduced as a regulated safeguard for a dismissed wife: “he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her, and sends her away from his house”.
•Deuteronomy 24:3 – The same document reappears in the case of a second marriage, underscoring its binding authority.
•Isaiah 50:1 – The LORD uses the imagery to challenge Zion: “Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce with which I sent her away?”.
•Jeremiah 3:8 – God issues such a decree metaphorically to faithless Israel: “I gave her a certificate of divorce and sent her away.”.
Legal Framework under Moses
The Law curbed arbitrary repudiation by requiring a written record and witnesses. The certificate verified that the woman was free to marry again (Deuteronomy 24:2) and protected her from accusation of adultery. The Mosaic regulation did not endorse divorce as ideal; it conceded to “the hardness of heart” (compareMatthew 19:8) while limiting further injustice.
Pastoral Implications in the Prophets
Isaiah and Jeremiah adapt the term to portray covenant unfaithfulness. By asking for the nonexistent document (Isaiah 50:1), the LORD affirms that His covenant love remained; exile resulted from sin, not divine abandonment. Conversely,Jeremiah 3:8 depicts a certificate actually issued, dramatizing the gravity of persistent idolatry. Both uses show that human marriage mirrors the larger covenant between God and His people.
Connection to Covenant Fidelity
כְּרִיתוּת highlights the seriousness with which Scripture treats covenant vows. Just as a written decree made the end of a marriage undeniable, the prophets employ the image to underline that apostasy has real, objective consequences. Yet the very passages that mention it also announce hope: the LORD stands ready to restore the repentant (Isaiah 54:5–7;Jeremiah 3:14).
Christ’s Teaching and Apostolic Reflection
Jesus citesDeuteronomy 24 (Matthew 5:31–32; 19:3–9), elevating marriage to its creational intent and limiting divorce to exceptional circumstances. Paul likewise treats marital separation gravely while making pastoral allowance in cases of abandonment (1 Corinthians 7:10–15). Thus the New Testament moves from regulating certificates of divorce to calling believers to covenantal faithfulness empowered by the Spirit.
Contemporary Ministry Considerations
1. Marriage counseling must uphold the sanctity of the covenant, recognizing that divorce, though sometimes permitted, grieves God’s heart (Malachi 2:16).
2. Churches should offer compassionate care for divorced persons, acknowledging the protective intent behind the ancient certificate while directing them toward forgiveness and restoration.
3. Preaching onIsaiah 50 andJeremiah 3 can apply marital imagery to spiritual fidelity, calling congregations to wholehearted devotion to Christ.
Forms and Transliterations
כְּרִית֤וּת כְּרִיתֻת֙ כְּרִיתֻתֶ֖יהָ כריתות כריתת כריתתיה kə·rî·ṯu·ṯe·hā kə·rî·ṯuṯ kə·rî·ṯūṯ keriTut kərîṯuṯ kərîṯūṯ kərîṯuṯehā kerituTeiha
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