Divorce is one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. The death of a marriage, the shattering of vows, the loss of dreams you built together. And if you’re a Christian, there’s often an additional layer of shame, guilt, and condemnation that makes the grief even heavier. You feel like a failure. You wonder if God can ever use you again. You’re not sure if you’re forgiven or if you’ve committed some unpardonable sin.
The church has often handled divorce poorly, either being too lenient and treating it as no big deal, or being too harsh and treating divorced people as second-class Christians forever marked by their failure. But God’s heart toward the divorced is neither casual dismissal nor permanent condemnation. He hates divorce because He knows how it destroys people, but He doesn’t hate divorced people.
These verses reveal what Scripture says about divorce, God’s grace for those who’ve experienced it, and the forgiveness available to anyone who’s walked through this devastation. Your past doesn’t disqualify you from God’s love or future.
Bible Verses About Divorce And Forgiveness
1. Malachi 2:16 – The Man Who Hates and Divorces His Wife
“The man who hates and divorces his wife,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “does violence to the one he should protect,” says the Lord Almighty. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful.
New International Version (NIV)
2. Matthew 19:8 – Moses Permitted You to Divorce Your Wives
Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning.”
New International Version (NIV)
3. 1 Corinthians 7:15 – If the Unbeliever Leaves, Let It Be So
But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace.
New International Version (NIV)
4. Matthew 5:32 – Anyone Who Divorces His Wife, Except for Sexual Immorality
But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
New International Version (NIV)
5. 1 John 1:9 – He Will Forgive Us and Purify Us
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
New International Version (NIV)
6. Psalm 34:18 – The Lord Is Close to the Brokenhearted
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
New International Version (NIV)
7. Isaiah 54:4 – You Will Forget the Shame of Your Youth
Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.
New International Version (NIV)
8. Romans 8:1 – No Condemnation for Those in Christ Jesus
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
New International Version (NIV)
9. Joel 2:25 – I Will Repay You for the Years the Locusts Have Eaten
I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm—my great army that I sent among you.
New International Version (NIV)
10. Mark 10:9 – What God Has Joined Together, Let No One Separate
Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.
New International Version (NIV)
11. 2 Corinthians 5:17 – The Old Has Gone, the New Is Here
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
New International Version (NIV)
12. Psalm 147:3 – He Heals the Brokenhearted
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
New International Version (NIV)
13. Isaiah 43:18-19 – Forget the Former Things
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
New International Version (NIV)
14. Matthew 19:6 – They Are No Longer Two, but One Flesh
So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.
New International Version (NIV)
15. Ephesians 4:32 – Forgiving Each Other
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
New International Version (NIV)
16. Psalm 103:12 – As Far as the East Is From the West
As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
New International Version (NIV)
17. 1 Corinthians 7:10-11 – A Wife Must Not Separate From Her Husband
To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.
New International Version (NIV)
18. Jeremiah 3:1 – Yet Return to Me
“If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him and marries another man, should he return to her again? Would not the land be completely defiled? But you have lived as a prostitute with many lovers—would you now return to me?” declares the Lord.
New International Version (NIV)
19. Hebrews 13:4 – Marriage Should Be Honored by All
Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.
New International Version (NIV)
20. Isaiah 61:3 – The Oil of Joy Instead of Mourning
To bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
New International Version (NIV)
21. Philippians 3:13-14 – Forgetting What Is Behind
Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
New International Version (NIV)
22. Luke 16:18 – Anyone Who Divorces His Wife and Marries Another Woman
Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
New International Version (NIV)
23. Colossians 3:13 – Forgive as the Lord Forgave You
Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
New International Version (NIV)
24. Lamentations 3:22-23 – His Compassions Never Fail
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
New International Version (NIV)
25. Deuteronomy 24:1-4 – If a Man Marries a Woman
If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, and if after she leaves his house she becomes the wife of another man, and her second husband dislikes her and writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, or if he dies, then her first husband, who divorced her, is not allowed to marry her again after she has been defiled. That would be detestable in the eyes of the Lord. Do not bring sin upon the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.
New International Version (NIV)
26. 1 Peter 5:10 – God Will Restore You
And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
New International Version (NIV)
27. Psalm 30:11 – You Turned My Wailing Into Dancing
You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.
New International Version (NIV)
28. Romans 8:28 – God Works for the Good
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
New International Version (NIV)
29. Matthew 6:14-15 – If You Forgive Others
For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
New International Version (NIV)
30. Jeremiah 31:3 – I Have Loved You With an Everlasting Love
The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”
New International Version (NIV)
31. Isaiah 54:5-6 – Your Maker Is Your Husband
For your Maker is your husband—the Lord Almighty is his name—the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth. The Lord will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit—a wife who married young, only to be rejected, says your God.
New International Version (NIV)
32. Psalm 51:17 – A Broken and Contrite Heart
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.
New International Version (NIV)
33. John 8:11 – Go Now and Leave Your Life of Sin
“No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
New International Version (NIV)
34. Micah 7:18-19 – Who Is a God Like You?
Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
New International Version (NIV)
35. Revelation 21:5 – I Am Making Everything New
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
New International Version (NIV)
Our Thoughts On What the Bible Says About Divorce And Forgiveness
God hates divorce because He knows how it devastates people, shatters families, and wounds everyone involved. But God doesn’t hate divorced people. There’s a massive difference. Jesus was clear that divorce wasn’t God’s original design and that hardness of heart is what leads to it. But He also showed grace to the woman at the well who’d had five husbands. He didn’t condemn her. He offered her living water.
Scripture acknowledges that divorce happens even among believers and provides some guidance for when it’s permissible, particularly in cases of sexual immorality or abandonment by an unbelieving spouse. But even when divorce happens for other reasons, God’s grace is still available. There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. Your past doesn’t disqualify you from God’s love, His purposes, or His future for you.
If you’ve been through a divorce, you need to forgive, whether you were the one who left or the one who was left. Bitterness will poison your future if you don’t release it. And you need to receive God’s forgiveness and grace for yourself, not living under condemnation that God has already removed.
Say This Prayer
Heavenly Father, I bring the pain, the failure, and the devastation of divorce to You. You know the whole story, every detail, and every wound. I need Your healing, Your grace, and Your forgiveness.
Forgive me for my part in what went wrong, for the ways I contributed to the breakdown, and for the hardness of my heart. Help me to also forgive my former spouse for the ways they hurt me. I release the bitterness, the resentment, and the anger that’s been poisoning my soul.
Help me to believe that there’s no condemnation for those in Christ, that You can make all things new, and that my past doesn’t disqualify me from Your purposes. Heal my broken heart, bind up my wounds, and restore what’s been lost.
Give me wisdom for moving forward, whether that means working toward reconciliation or accepting that the marriage is over. Help me to honor You in how I navigate this season and to trust that You’re working all things for my good.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.