Adultery
The Seventh Commandment
The prohibition of adultery stands as one of the Ten Commandments given by God to Israel at Mount Sinai: "You shall not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:14; Deuteronomy 5:18). In its specific biblical usage, adultery designated sexual intercourse with a married or betrothed woman by someone other than her husband. The commandment protected the marriage covenant as a foundational institution of Israelite society and reflected God's design for exclusive, faithful union between husband and wife.
The penalty prescribed in the Mosaic law was severe: death for both the man and the woman involved (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22). For a betrothed virgin, the penalty was stoning for both parties (Deuteronomy 22:23-24). The severity of the punishment underscored how seriously God viewed the violation of the marriage bond. More specific legislation in Leviticus 18:20 states plainly, "You shall not lie sexually with your neighbor's wife and so make yourself unclean with her."
The Trial of Jealousy
The law of Moses made a remarkable provision for cases where a husband suspected his wife of adultery but lacked direct evidence. Numbers 5:11-31 describes a ritual known as the trial of jealousy, or the ordeal of bitter water. The suspected woman was brought before the priest, who prepared a mixture of holy water, dust from the tabernacle floor, and the washed-off ink of a written oath. If the woman was guilty, drinking this water would cause physical affliction; if innocent, she would be cleared and suffer no harm.
This procedure, while foreign to modern sensibilities, served to prevent vigilante justice and rash accusations. It placed the determination of guilt in God's hands rather than leaving it to the husband's suspicion or a mob's anger. According to later Jewish tradition, this ordeal was discontinued after 70 AD by Johanan ben Zakkai, who reasoned that the men of his generation were not themselves above suspicion.
Adultery in the Wisdom Literature
The book of Proverbs devotes extensive attention to warning against adultery. The father's instruction to his son includes vivid portrayals of the adulterous woman's seductive tactics (Proverbs 5:1-23; 6:20-35; 7:1-27). Proverbs 6:32 states bluntly: "He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself." The consequences described are not merely legal but personal and social — disgrace, financial ruin, and the implacable fury of the wronged husband.
The wisdom tradition frames adultery not as a momentary lapse but as the culmination of a process of moral decline. The path to adultery begins with wandering eyes, progresses through entertained fantasies, and ends in devastating action. Proverbs presents the contrast between the adulterous woman and Lady Wisdom (Proverbs 9), making the choice between faithfulness and unfaithfulness a matter of choosing life or death.
Adultery as a Prophetic Metaphor
The prophets employed adultery as their most powerful metaphor for Israel's unfaithfulness to God. Hosea was commanded to marry a woman of unfaithfulness to dramatize how Israel had committed spiritual adultery through idolatry (Hosea 1:2; 2:2-5). Jeremiah accused Judah of committing adultery with stone and tree — that is, worshiping idols (Jeremiah 3:9). Ezekiel presented extended, graphic allegories of Jerusalem and Samaria as adulterous wives who had betrayed their divine husband (Ezekiel 16; 23).
This metaphorical use reveals the depth of the covenant relationship between God and His people. Idolatry is not merely an intellectual error or a ritual preference; it is an intimate betrayal comparable to marital infidelity. The marriage covenant between husband and wife thus becomes a window into the covenant between God and Israel, a connection Paul later develops in Ephesians 5:25-32.
Jesus' Teaching on Adultery
Jesus deepened the understanding of adultery in His Sermon on the Mount. While affirming the seventh commandment, He extended its reach to the inner life: "Everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:27-28). This teaching shifted the focus from the external act to the internal disposition, revealing that God's standard of purity addresses the heart, not merely outward behavior.
When a woman caught in adultery was brought before Jesus, He famously responded, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her" (John 8:7). After her accusers departed, Jesus told her, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more" (John 8:11). This episode perfectly captures the balance of the gospel: sin is taken seriously, but grace is offered to the repentant. Jesus neither minimized the sin nor withheld mercy.
Adultery in the Apostolic Teaching
The New Testament epistles consistently include adultery in lists of sins that characterize life apart from God (Romans 13:9; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:19; Hebrews 13:4). Paul affirmed the sanctity of the marriage bond and warned that "fornicators and adulterers God will judge" (Hebrews 13:4). James used the language of adultery to describe spiritual unfaithfulness: "You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?" (James 4:4).
At the same time, the New Testament holds out the transforming power of the gospel. Paul reminded the Corinthian believers, some of whom had been adulterers, "You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:11). The biblical message on adultery is ultimately not one of condemnation alone but of redemption — a call to faithfulness rooted in the grace that makes new beginnings possible.
Biblical Context
Adultery is addressed throughout Scripture. The Decalogue prohibits it (Exodus 20:14). Leviticus and Deuteronomy prescribe penalties and procedures. Proverbs warns extensively against it. The prophets Hosea, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel use it as the primary metaphor for Israel's idolatry. Jesus deepens the commandment in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:27-28) and extends grace to the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11). The epistles include it in vice lists while affirming forgiveness through Christ.
Theological Significance
Adultery in biblical theology violates the creation order of marriage (Genesis 2:24), breaks the covenant between spouses, and serves as the defining metaphor for spiritual unfaithfulness to God. Jesus' extension of the commandment to the heart reveals that God's standard of holiness addresses internal attitudes as well as external actions. The prophetic use of adultery language shows that the relationship between God and His people is deeply personal and covenantal. The gospel offers both the standard of faithfulness and the grace for restoration.
Historical Background
Adultery was a serious offense throughout the ancient Near East. The Code of Hammurabi prescribed death by drowning for an adulterous woman and her lover. Hittite and Assyrian law codes similarly imposed severe penalties. In Roman law during the New Testament period, adultery became a public crime under Augustus' legislation (Lex Julia de adulteriis, 18 BC), though enforcement was inconsistent. Jewish tradition elaborated extensively on the biblical laws, with the Mishnah tractate Sotah devoted entirely to the trial of the suspected adulteress. The practice of stoning as punishment, referenced in John 8:5, reflects Second Temple period interpretation of Deuteronomy 22:22-24.