Jesus' reaction to woman caught in adultery Note how in the Old Testament, stoning was the legal reaction to adultery. Jesus didn't choose that option. For those that believe that the only divorce allowed is in the case of adultery, I applaud you for not demanding stoning for the adultery. God's people were raised with belief in the death penalty for adultery. It was practical, because it freed the cheated person to remarry.
Divorce is more merciful.
It frees the cheated person to remarry without condemning the guilty one to death. It gives them another chance to live, to repent, to confess, and to continue. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion. Note that the Greek word for a never-married woman is not used until later in the same chapter, as shown below. Since both widows and divorced women have lost their spiritual leader, it makes sense to offer them both the same advice.