“A certificate of divorce”
Matthew 5:31–32
Legal referenceSettledJesus
It has also been said, 'Whoever divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.' (Matthew 5:31–32 BSB)
What it sounds like today
A neutral bit of paperwork.
The cultural key
Refers to the get of Deuteronomy 24:1, granted for 'some indecency,' and that phrase was the hottest legal debate of Jesus' generation. The school of Hillel read it as almost anything (a spoiled dinner qualified, per the Mishnah); the school of Shammai restricted it to sexual immorality. A divorced woman in that economy often faced destitution.
Recovered meaning
Jesus enters a live courtroom debate and shuts the wide door: the certificate was a concession protecting the woman, not a license for men to discard wives at will.
Parallels: Matthew 19:3–9; Mark 10:2–12