H3748 H3748
divorcement, the legal act of divorce; always in the phrase 'certificate of divorcement'
This noun appears exclusively in the phrase 'certificate of divorcement' (sefer keritut), designating the legal document by which a man formally divorces his wife under Mosaic law. Deuteronomy requires such a written certificate to formalize the divorce, protecting the woman's rights and legal status. The prophets use the metaphor of divorce papers to describe God's relationship with unfaithful Israel—Isaiah asks where the certificate is, implying God hasn't actually divorced Israel, while Jeremiah declares God gave faithless Israel her divorce certificate because of her adultery.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The term appears in legal and prophetic contexts about divorce. Deuteronomy requires that a man who divorces his wife 'write her a certificate of divorcement' and give it to her (Deut 24:1, 3), establishing the legal procedure. Isaiah asks rhetorically, 'Where is your mother's certificate of divorcement by which I sent her away?' (Isa 50:1), implying God hasn't actually divorced Israel. Jeremiah declares that God 'gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorcement' because of her adultery (Jer 3:8), using the divorce metaphor to describe the northern kingdom's exile. Spanish divorcio, French divorce, and German divorce preserve the concept across language families. 4×
AR["طَلَاقٍ", "طَلَاقِ", "طَلَاقِهَا"]·ben["-বিবাহবিচ্ছেদের", "তার-বিচ্ছেদের", "তালাকের"]·DE["[כריתות]", "[כריתתיה]", "divorce"]·EN["divorce", "divorce-of", "of-her-divorce"]·FR["[כריתות]", "[כריתתיה]", "divorce"]·heb["כריתות", "כריתותיה"]·HI["तलाक-का", "तलाक-का-उसका"]·ID["cerai", "cerainya", "perceraian"]·IT["[כריתות]", "[כריתתיה]", "divorce"]·jav["pegatan", "pegatan-nipun"]·KO["그녀의-이혼의", "이혼의"]·PT["divórcio", "divórcio-de", "seu-divórcio"]·RU["развода", "развода-её"]·ES["divorcio", "divorcio-de", "su-divorcio"]·SW["talaka-yake", "ya-talaka"]·TR["bosanmanin", "boşanma-belgesi-onun", "boşanmanın"]·urd["اُس-کا", "طلاق-کی", "علیحدگی-کا"]
Related Senses
H5971a 1. people, nation (1836×)H5973a 1. accompaniment, together with (956×)H0854 1. with (accompaniment) (665×)H1471a 1. nations, peoples (plural/collective) (466×)G3326 1. with (368×)H1285 1. covenant, pact, treaty (284×)G2453 1. Jewish person, Jew (194×)H4150 1. meeting (tent of meeting) (151×)G2992 1. people/nation (an ethnic or political community) (142×)G4862 1. (129×)G1484 1. Gentiles, non-Jewish nations (128×)H1471a 2. nation, people-group (singular) (98×)H3162b 1. together (97×)H1616 1. sojourner, resident alien (92×)H0567 1. Amorite (people group) (87×)H3064 1. Jew, Jewish person (81×)H3669a 1. Canaanite (ethnic designation) (70×)G1122 1. scribe / expert in the Law (63×)H2114a 1. stranger, foreigner (person) (54×)H5608b 1. scribe, royal secretary (48×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† כְּרִיתוּת n.f. divorcement;—כ׳ Is 50:1; כְּרִיתֻת Dt 24:1, 3; pl. sf. כְּרִיתֻתֶיהָ Je 3:8; סֵפֶר כ׳ writing (i.e. deed) of divorcement, Dt 24:1, 3; Is 50:1; Je 3:8.