Malachi 2:16

“For the Lord the God of Israel saith, that he hateth putting away, etc.] The divorcing of wives; for though this was suffered because of the hardness of their hearts, it was not approved of by the Lord; nor was it from the beginning; and it was disagreeable, and even hateful to him, (<401908>Matthew 19:8) in the margin of some Bibles the words are rendered, “if he hate her, put her away”; and so the Targum, “but if thou hatest her, put her away;” to which agree the Vulgate Latin, Septuagint, and Arabic versions; and this sense made mention of in both Talmuds, and is thought to be agreeable to the law in (<052403>Deuteronomy 24:3) though the law there speaks of a fact that might be, and not…”

“putting away--that is, divorce. for one covereth violence with . . . garment--MAURER translates, "And (Jehovah hateth him who) covereth his garment (that is, his wife, in Arabic idiom; compare Gen 20:16, 'He is to thee a covering of thy eyes'; the husband was so to the wife, and the wife to the husband; also Deu 22:30; Rut 3:9; Eze 16:8) with injury." The Hebrew favors "garment," being accusative of the thing covered. Compare with English Version, Psa 73:6, "violence covereth them as a garment." Their "violence" is the putting away of their wives; the "garment" with which they try to cover it is the plea of Moses' permission (Deu 24:1; compare Mat 19:6-9).”

“He hateth putting away - o He had allowed it “for the hardness of their hearts,” yet only in the one case of some extreme bodily foulness discovered upon marriage, and which the woman, knowing the law, concealed at her own peril. Not subsequent illness or any consequences of it, however loathsome (as leprosy), were a ground of divorce, but only this concealed foulness, which the husband “found” upon marriage. The capricious tyrannical divorce, God saith, “He hateth:” a word Naturally used only as to sin, and so stamping such divorce as sin. One covereth violence with his garment - o or, “and violence covereth his garment,” or, it might be, in the same sense, “he covereth his garment with…”

“Putting away - Divorce, such as these petulant Jews used to make way for some new wives, which God hates as much as putting away. Malachi 2:17”

“2:16 hate: God hates a broken covenant (see 1:3; Hos 9:15). This is appropriate because God’s relationship with people is characterized by faithfulness, and he expected no less from Israel (Exod 34:6; Deut 7:9). • To divorce (literally send away) means to expel a marriage partner. Malachi wanted to correct the abuse of the divorce laws (see Deut 24:1-4). • to overwhelm her with cruelty: Cruelty entails acts of violence or wrongdoing. The estrangement of divorce is a violent and cruel social crime. To divorce one’s wife is treachery against her and against the marriage covenant. It breaks the heart, destroys relationships, violates the integrity of the family, damages the children’s…”

“the Lord: Deu 24:1-4; Isa 50:1; Mat 5:31, Mat 5:32, Mat 19:3-9; Mar 10:2-12; Luk 16:18 that he hateth putting away: or, if he hate her, put her away, Heb. to put away covereth: Pro 28:13; Isa 28:20, Isa 59:6; Mic 7:2, Mic 7:3 Malachi 2:17”