Original Word: כְּרִיתוּת
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: kriythuwth
Pronunciation: keh-ree-thooth
Phonetic Spelling: (ker-ee-thooth')
Definition: a cutting, divorce
Meaning: A cutting off; specifically used in the context of divorce.

Word Origin: Derived from the root כָּרַת (karath), meaning "to cut."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: • The Greek equivalent of כְּרִיתוּת is found in Strong's Greek Number G647, ἀποστάσιον (apostasion), which also refers to a "certificate of divorce" or "bill of divorcement." This term appears in the New Testament in passages such as Matthew 5:31 and Matthew 19:7, where Jesus discusses the laws concerning divorce.

Usage: The term כְּרִיתוּת appears in the Hebrew Bible in the context of a formal separation or divorce, particularly in the phrase "sefer kerithuth" (a certificate of divorce).

Context: • The term כְּרִיתוּת is primarily associated with the legal and formal act of divorce in ancient Israelite society. It is used to describe the severing of the marital bond through a written document, known as a "certificate of divorce" or "bill of divorcement." This document served as a legal declaration that a marriage had been dissolved, allowing both parties to remarry.
• The concept of כְּרִיתוּת is found in Deuteronomy 24:1-3, where the law concerning divorce is outlined. The passage describes the conditions under which a man may write a certificate of divorce for his wife, emphasizing the formal and legal nature of the act.
• In the prophetic literature, the term is used metaphorically to describe the broken covenant between God and Israel, as seen in Isaiah 50:1 and Jeremiah 3:8. These passages use the imagery of divorce to illustrate Israel's unfaithfulness and the resulting separation from God.
• The use of כְּרִיתוּת underscores the gravity and finality of divorce in the biblical context, reflecting the serious nature of breaking a covenant relationship.

Word Origin
from karath
Definition
divorcement
NASB Translation
divorce (4).

כְּרִיתוּת noun feminine divorcement; — ׳כ Isaiah 50:1; כְּרִיתֻת Deuteronomy 24:1,3; plural suffix כְּרִיתֻתֶיהָ Jeremiah 3:8; ׳סֵפֶר כ writing (i.e. deed) of divorcement, Deuteronomy 24:1,3; Isaiah 50:1; Jeremiah 3:8.

divorce

From karath; a cutting (of the matrimonial bond), i.e. Divorce -- divorce(-ment).

see HEBREW karath

כְּרִית֤וּת כְּרִיתֻת֙ כְּרִיתֻתֶ֖יהָ כריתות כריתת כריתתיה kə·rî·ṯu·ṯe·hā kə·rî·ṯuṯ kə·rî·ṯūṯ keriTut kərîṯuṯ kərîṯūṯ kərîṯuṯehā kerituTeihaInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts