“Thou shalt not commit adultery” means that God forbids the violation of the marriage covenant through sexual unfaithfulness. The command appears in Exodus 20:14 and Deuteronomy 5:18 as part of the Ten Commandments given to Israel. Its placement among these foundational commandments highlights the importance God places on faithfulness, integrity and covenant relationships.
At its simplest level, adultery means sexual betrayal within marriage. It involves conduct that violates the exclusive covenant bond between husband and wife. In Scripture, marriage is not treated as a temporary arrangement or merely a private agreement. It is a covenant relationship established before God and marked by loyalty, commitment and faithfulness.
The command is not only about avoiding one outward act. It reveals the seriousness with which Scripture treats faithfulness. Throughout the Bible, faithfulness is portrayed as a virtue that reflects God’s own character. Just as God is faithful to His covenant promises, His people are called to demonstrate faithfulness in their relationships.
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The Commandment in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5
The command appears in two major statements of the Ten Commandments:
“Thou shalt not commit adultery.”
In Exodus 20, the command is given at Sinai after God delivered Israel from Egypt. The commandments were given in the context of redemption. God first rescued His people and then instructed them in how they were to live as a covenant nation under His rule.
In Deuteronomy 5, Moses repeats the commandments to Israel before they enter the promised land. A new generation stood on the threshold of the land and Moses reminded them of the covenant obligations that would shape their life as God’s people. The repetition emphasizes the continuing importance of the command and its place within Israel’s covenant relationship with the Lord.
This setting matters. The commandment was not given as a random moral rule. It belonged to God’s covenant instruction for His redeemed people. The Ten Commandments as a whole describe how Israel was to live in response to God’s grace, reflecting His holiness in every area of life.
Israel was called to live differently because they belonged to the Lord. Their worship, speech, family life, truthfulness and sexual conduct all came under God’s authority. The command against adultery therefore stands alongside other commandments that govern relationships both with God and with other people.
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Why Adultery Was Serious in Ancient Israel
In ancient Israel, marriage was not viewed merely as a private emotional arrangement. It was a covenant relationship with spiritual, family and community significance. Marriage created obligations that extended beyond the couple themselves and played an important role in the stability and continuity of Israelite society.
Adultery violated:
- the marriage covenant
- trust between husband and wife
- family order
- inheritance stability
- obedience before God
Because of this, adultery was not treated as a private mistake between two individuals. It was a covenant violation that damaged relationships at several levels. The offense affected not only the husband and wife involved but also children, extended families and the broader community.
The commandment protected marriage because marriage itself carried sacred responsibility. It safeguarded a relationship that God had established and honoured as part of His design for human life. Protecting marriage meant protecting faithfulness, trust, family stability and covenant integrity.
Marriage as Covenant Faithfulness
The Bible often presents marriage in covenant terms. Malachi 2:14 refers to a wife as a man’s “wife by covenant,” showing that marriage involved more than personal affection. It was not simply a social arrangement or emotional partnership but a binding relationship established before God and marked by mutual commitment and faithfulness.
This helps explain why adultery is treated so seriously. It is not only physical unfaithfulness. It is betrayal of a sworn relationship. Adultery violates the trust, loyalty and covenant commitment that marriage is intended to embody. The offense is serious because the relationship itself is sacred.
In Scripture, faithfulness is never a small matter. God is faithful to His covenant and His people are called to reflect faithfulness in their relationships. The Bible repeatedly presents God’s steadfast loyalty as a model for human faithfulness, whether in worship, friendship, family life or marriage.
The Seventh Commandment therefore protects the covenant nature of marriage.
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The Creation Foundation Behind the Command
The commandment also reaches back to Genesis. Before the Law was given at Sinai, God had already established marriage in creation. This is significant because it shows that the biblical understanding of marriage did not begin with the Mosaic Law. The Law later affirmed and protected a pattern that God had already established from the beginning.
Genesis 2:24 says:
“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”
This one-flesh union is foundational to biblical marriage. The verse describes a unique bond in which husband and wife are joined together in a covenant relationship marked by unity, commitment and exclusivity. Throughout Scripture, this creation pattern serves as the framework for understanding marriage and sexual faithfulness.
The commandment therefore does not merely prohibit a behaviour. It guards the meaning of marriage as God created it.
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Jesus’ Interpretation of Adultery
Jesus addressed the commandment in Matthew 5. He said:
“Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery.”
Then He continued by teaching that lustful intent in the heart also matters before God. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus moved beyond a purely external understanding of the commandment and directed attention to the inner life from which actions arise.
Jesus did not cancel the commandment. He deepened the understanding of it. He showed that God’s concern is not limited to outward behaviour. The heart, desires, intentions and inward faithfulness also matter.
This means a person cannot claim true righteousness merely by avoiding the external act while allowing the heart to be ruled by unfaithful desire.
Outward Obedience and the Heart
Jesus’ teaching reveals that the Seventh Commandment points beyond external compliance. The command exposes the deeper issue of faithfulness.
A person may avoid physical adultery while still nurturing desires that violate the spirit of the command. Jesus brings the commandment into the inner life, showing that purity before God includes both conduct and desire.
This does not make every temptation the same as the outward act. But it does show that adultery begins with a heart that moves away from covenant faithfulness.
Adultery as Spiritual Unfaithfulness
The Bible also uses adultery as a picture of spiritual betrayal. The prophets often describe Israel’s idolatry as adultery because Israel had broken covenant loyalty with the Lord. This language reflects the covenant relationship between God and His people, a relationship marked by faithfulness, devotion and exclusive allegiance.
Books such as Hosea, Jeremiah and Ezekiel use marriage imagery to describe God’s relationship with His people. When Israel turned to idols, the prophets portrayed that unfaithfulness as spiritual adultery.
This metaphor is powerful because adultery communicates betrayal, divided loyalty and broken covenant trust. Just as marital adultery violates the exclusive commitment between husband and wife, spiritual adultery represents the violation of Israel’s covenant commitment to the Lord.
The commandment therefore reflects a theme that runs through Scripture: God values faithful covenant love.
What “Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery” Teaches
The commandment teaches that marriage is not casual, faithfulness is sacred and betrayal matters before God. It protects the covenant bond between husband and wife and reflects the larger biblical call to loyalty and holiness.
In the Old Testament, the command guarded the marriage covenant within Israel’s life before God. In the teaching of Jesus, it reached into the heart and exposed the inner roots of unfaithfulness. In the prophets, adultery became a symbol of spiritual betrayal against the Lord.
So the meaning of “Thou shalt not commit adultery” is not limited to avoiding marital infidelity. It is a command rooted in covenant faithfulness, calling God’s people to honor marriage, guard the heart and reflect the faithful character of the Lord.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is “Thou shalt not commit adultery” found in the Bible?
The command appears in Exodus 20:14 and Deuteronomy 5:18 as part of the Ten Commandments given to Israel.
Why is adultery included in the Ten Commandments?
Adultery is included because marriage was viewed as a covenant relationship established by God. The command protects trust, family stability and covenant faithfulness.
What did adultery mean in ancient Israel?
In ancient Israel, adultery was more than a private matter. It violated marriage vows, damaged families, disrupted community life and was considered a sin against God.
How did Jesus explain the Seventh Commandment?
Jesus taught in Matthew 5 that the commandment involves more than outward actions. He emphasized that the heart, desires and intentions also matter before God.
Did Jesus change the commandment against adultery?
No. Jesus did not remove or replace the commandment. He revealed its deeper implications by showing that true obedience includes inward faithfulness.
