What does the Bible say about marriage and divorce? The Bible records God consecrating marriage in the Garden of Eden. Under the Old Law, Moses permitted divorce and, at times, the practice of divorce was abused. By the first century, the institution of marriage was in real trouble among the Romans. Divorce was rampant. The Jews in Jesus’s day believed the Bible taught a no-fault divorce. Jesus narrowed the scope significantly, restoring marriage and divorce to their proper place.