King James Bible
"It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:"
Jesus introduces a familiar teaching from Jewish law, using this formula throughout the Sermon on the Mount to contrast traditional interpretations with his authoritative teaching. This phrase signals he will address common understanding of Mosaic law before offering deeper insight. References the practice of divorce initiated by husbands in ancient Jewish society, where women had limited rights to dissolve marriage. The casual phrasing suggests divorce had become commonplace, reduced to a simple procedural matter. Refers to the certificate of divorce (Hebrew: get) required by Deuteronomy 24:1-4, which legally freed the woman to remarry. While this document protected divorced women from accusations of adultery, Jesus implies the religious leaders focused on proper procedure while missing God's deeper intention for marriage permanence.