Biyn.org -- Deuteronomy 24

"They say, If a man put away his wife and she go from him,
and she go from him, and become another man's,
shall he return unto her again?
shall not that land be greatly polluted?"
Jeremiah 3:1a

This article investigates whether the Deuteronomy 24:4 principle applies to those under the New Covenant. Deuteronomy 24:4 says:

"her former husband, which sent her away,
may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled;
for that is an abomination before the LORD:
and thou shalt not cause the land to sin,
which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance."
Deuteronomy 24:4

The first thing we notice about this verse is, under the law, it applies to the case where a man has put away his wife because he found some uncleanness in her.

the Three examples

This seems to be a violation of Deuteronomy 24:4, or does it? Actually, both David and Hosea never put away their wives according to Deuteronomy 24:1. And although God puts away Israel (in Jeremiah 3:8), He later takes her back. I don't actually understand this, but I think it is a foreshadowing of how much Jesus Christ loves the church that He accepts those who have committed spiritual adultery.

Hebrew word study: "tame"

The word "defile" is translated from the Hebrew word "tame", which is translated as:

This word "defiled" is used 7 times in Numbers chapter 5 in verses 13,14,20,27,28,29 concerning the wife.

Hebrew-to-Greek link

Jeremiah 3:1 word "polluted" comes from a different Hebrew word "chaneph". By looking up the English word "pollute" in the Concordance, we can find that "pollute" in the New Testament is translated from the Greek word "koinoo" by finding the following verse:

"Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all [men] every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place."
Acts 21:28

Greek word study: "koinoo" (2840)

"koinoo" in the New Testament has a very similar meaning to the Hebrew word "tame" from the Old Testament. It is translated as:

By studying each place where "koinoo" is used, we can find the following relevant verses to our original question "should he return unto her again?" from Jeremiah 3:1. I think the following verses answer our question quite simply and clearly:

"And the voice spake unto him again the second time,
What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common."
Acts 10:15

"God hath showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean."
Acts 10:28

Now, I know that the context of this is talking about the Gentiles also being saved. Actually, the same Greek word "koinoo/koinos" is translated in Jude 3 as "common salvation". We could say "unclean salvation" or "polluted salvation" because God has allowed the Gentiles, who were not born under righteous Abraham to becomes Jews spiritually (Romans 2:29). So if a man or woman comes to Christ, and is washed. Please consider the following verse:

"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."
1 Corinthians 6:9-11

If someone has been washed by the blood of Christ, we must not call them unclean. In the book of Jeremiah, the LORD says to unfaithful Israel:

"...but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers;
yet return again to me, saith the LORD."
Jeremiah 3:1b