What does the Bible say

What Does the Bible Say About Remarriage?

Remarriage after divorce is a subject Scripture treats with both seriousness and grace, not a simple yes or no answer for every situation. Jesus addressed remarriage most directly in the context of unfaithfulness, and Paul added guidance for cases of abandonment by an unbelieving spouse. Christians who have walked through divorce and remarriage are not beyond God's mercy or a full place in his family.

What Scripture says

Here are real verses on remarriage, each in the King James Version, with a word on what it means.

And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.Matthew 19:9 (KJV)

Jesus addresses remarriage in connection with divorce for sexual immorality.

For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.Romans 7:2 (KJV)

A married woman is bound to her husband by law only while he lives.

The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.1 Corinthians 7:39 (KJV)

A widow is free to remarry, only within the Lord, after her husband's death.

But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.Matthew 5:32 (KJV)

Jesus teaches on divorce and remarriage in the Sermon on the Mount.

But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.1 Corinthians 7:15 (KJV)

If an unbelieving spouse departs, the believer is not bound in such cases.

So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.Romans 7:3 (KJV)

Remarriage while a spouse still lives is described in terms of the marriage bond.

What this means for you today

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The deepest answer is Jesus

Remarriage, like every area of a broken life, finds its deepest hope in Christ, who offers forgiveness for past failures and a fresh start that is not defined by shame. He is near to the brokenhearted, including those grieving a marriage that did not survive, and he writes new chapters, not just endings.

Every one of these Scriptures points beyond itself to a Person. The deepest answer the Bible gives to any human need is not a rule or a technique but Jesus Christ, who came, lived, died, and rose again so that you could be forgiven and brought home to God. He said, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Whatever you are carrying, you do not have to carry it alone, and you do not have to make yourself clean first. You can come to him today, just as you are.

This is the good news the whole Bible is telling. We were made for God, we have all turned from him and gone our own way, and none of us can fix that on our own. But God did not leave us there. Out of love he sent his Son to take our place, bearing our wrong on the cross and rising again to open the way back to the Father. Everyone who turns to Jesus and trusts him is forgiven, given new life, and welcomed as a beloved child of God, held by a love that will never let go. That is why the Bible's answer to every topic on this page finally leads here. You can respond right now, in your own words, simply telling God you need him and asking Jesus to be your Saviour and Lord. He hears the honest prayer of anyone who comes.

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