It was also said: 'Whoever divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.'
In this saying, Jesus addresses the customs of that time related to divorce. In the Old Testament (Deut. 24:1–4) it was stated that if a man decided to separate from his wife, he had to give her a “certificate of release,” which was a legal document that confirmed the lawfulness of the separation and protected the woman’s rights. In that period, divorce was easily permitted for certain reasons, and this document gave the woman a measure of protection so that she could marry again or safeguard her legal standing. However, in what follows Jesus will speak about divorce with a stricter and deeper approach, urging the preservation of the holiness of marriage and opposing a careless attitude toward divorces.