Der Eine Gott und die Eine Ehe

The New Testament's prohibition of divorce forbids separating from a spouse or remarrying while the first partner is still alive. What accounts for this unique status of marriage compared to other human relationships? The indivisibility of marriage is rooted in its symbolic role as a representation of the covenantal »marriage« between God and his people. This connection is explored through the discourse on adultery and divorce in the Hebrew Bible, the Septuagint, and the New Testament. Additionally, the semantics of adultery are analyzed across the languages in which these discussions occur, highlighting their varying capacities to express a key concept: adultery as an act of »unfaithfulness« and a »breaking of one's own marriage« by the individual.