Deuteronomy 5:18 kjv
Neither shalt thou commit adultery.
Deuteronomy 5:18 nkjv
'You shall not commit adultery.
Deuteronomy 5:18 niv
"You shall not commit adultery.
Deuteronomy 5:18 esv
"'And you shall not commit adultery.
Deuteronomy 5:18 nlt
"You must not commit adultery.
Deuteronomy 5 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 20:14 | "You shall not commit adultery." | Original statement of the 7th Commandment. |
| Lev 18:20 | "And you shall not lie sexually with your neighbor’s wife..." | Prohibition specific to sexual immorality. |
| Lev 20:10 | "If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife... shall surely be put to death..." | Legal penalty for adultery. |
| Prov 6:32 | "He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself." | Consequences and folly of adultery. |
| Mal 2:14-15 | "...the LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless..." | Betrayal in marriage; God as witness. |
| Matt 5:27-28 | "You have heard that it was said... 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you... everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart." | Jesus broadens the scope to include heart's intent. |
| Matt 19:8-9 | "...whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery." | Jesus' teaching on divorce and remarriage. |
| Mark 10:11-12 | "...whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her..." | Similar teaching to Matthew 19. |
| Luke 16:18 | "Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery..." | Emphasizes strictness regarding divorce. |
| Rom 7:2-3 | "...if she lives with another man while her husband is alive, she is called an adulteress." | Marriage as a binding covenant. |
| Rom 13:9 | "For the commandments... 'You shall not commit adultery...' are summed up in this word: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" | Love as the fulfillment of the law. |
| 1 Cor 6:9-10 | "...nor adulterers... will inherit the kingdom of God." | Excludes adulterers from God's kingdom. |
| Gal 5:19 | "Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry..." | Adultery listed among sins of the flesh. |
| Eph 5:3 | "But sexual immorality and all impurity... must not even be named among you..." | Call to avoid all sexual immorality. |
| Heb 13:4 | "Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous." | Honor marriage and its purity. |
| Jas 2:10-11 | "For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. For he who said, 'Do not commit adultery,' also said, 'Do not murder.'" | All commandments are from one God. |
| Rev 21:8 | "But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars—their portion will be in the lake that burns..." | Judgment for sexually immoral. |
| Jer 23:14 | "And I have seen in the prophets of Jerusalem a horrible thing: they commit adultery and walk in lies..." | Adultery as moral corruption among leaders. |
| Hos 4:2-3 | "...swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery break out..." | Societal decay linked to moral transgression. |
| Ezek 16:32 | "You adulterous wife, who receives strangers instead of her husband!" | Israel’s idolatry likened to spiritual adultery. |
| Ps 50:18 | "If you see a thief, you are pleased with him, and you keep company with adulterers." | Rebuke against those who associate with wickedness. |
| Prov 2:16-17 | "...to deliver you from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words, who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God..." | Warning against unchaste women. |
Deuteronomy 5 verses
Deuteronomy 5 18 Meaning
Deuteronomy 5:18 states, "You shall not commit adultery." This is the seventh commandment in the Decalogue, unequivocally prohibiting sexual intercourse between a married person and someone who is not their spouse. It upholds the sanctity of the marital covenant as established by God, emphasizing faithfulness, sexual purity, and the preservation of family integrity within the covenant community of Israel. This command is foundational for social stability and reflects God's own covenantal faithfulness.
Deuteronomy 5 18 Context
Deuteronomy 5 presents a restatement of the Ten Commandments given by God at Mount Sinai, re-delivered by Moses to the new generation of Israelites on the plains of Moab before entering the Promised Land. This restatement served to reaffirm God's covenant with Israel and to remind them of the moral expectations for a people set apart for His purposes. The command in verse 18, "You shall not commit adultery," is part of the second "tablet" of the Decalogue, which focuses on proper relationships and conduct towards one's fellow human beings. It emphasizes the foundational importance of marital fidelity and family integrity to the overall social and spiritual health of the covenant community. Historically, the law distinguishes Israel from surrounding cultures often marked by promiscuous and idolatrous sexual practices, underscoring God's design for exclusive, pure sexual relationships within the sacred bounds of marriage.
Deuteronomy 5 18 Word analysis
- "You" (implied, from Hebrew תִּנְאָף - tin'af, a second person masculine singular verb form): This refers directly to each individual Israelite, making the command a personal responsibility. The singular form emphasizes individual accountability within the community.
- "shall not" (לֹא - lo): A strong, absolute prohibition in Hebrew. It expresses an unyielding divine imperative, signifying that the act of adultery is strictly forbidden by God and violates His righteous standard.
- "commit adultery" (תִּנְאָף - tin'af, from the root נָאַף - na'af): This specific Hebrew verb denotes the act of sexual intercourse where at least one of the parties is legally married to someone else. It specifically addresses marital infidelity, defining and protecting the exclusive sexual covenant within marriage. The term na'af does not cover all sexual sins but precisely the breach of fidelity within the marital bond. In its ancient Near Eastern context, this command protected legitimate heirs, property lines, and social order. Furthermore, it inherently contrasts with pagan fertility cults that often involved sexual acts outside of and even as part of their worship.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "You shall not commit": This direct, imperative negative construction indicates a divine command that demands absolute obedience. It leaves no room for ambiguity or compromise, setting a clear boundary for ethical and covenantal living. The command highlights a non-negotiable aspect of Israel’s covenant relationship with Yahweh.
- "adultery": The singular focus on "adultery" points to the high value God places on the covenant of marriage. Adultery, as defined in scripture, involves breaking trust, disrupting lineage, threatening community stability, and defiling what God has sanctified. Its specific prohibition ensures the sanctity and fidelity of the marriage union, which itself serves as a metaphor for God's faithful relationship with Israel (and Christ with His Church). The deep damage it inflicts underscores why it's universally condemned in God's law.
Deuteronomy 5 18 Bonus section
The spiritual implication of this commandment is profound; Israel’s idolatry is frequently depicted as "spiritual adultery" by prophets such as Hosea, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah. This strong metaphor emphasizes that breaking marital fidelity is akin to breaking covenant fidelity with God, revealing the depth of betrayal involved in both. It teaches that faithfulness, whether within human marriage or between humanity and God, involves exclusive devotion. This commandment also establishes boundaries around sexual expression that promote individual well-being and collective purity, safeguarding individuals from the immense emotional, psychological, and social pain that adultery inevitably brings. The severity of the historical penalty for adultery in Israelite law (death for both parties in Lev 20:10) underscored its grievous nature, signifying it as a foundational affront to God’s moral order and a direct threat to the very structure of the covenant community.
Deuteronomy 5 18 Commentary
Deuteronomy 5:18, the seventh commandment, is a bedrock principle for human relationships, affirming God's profound respect for the institution of marriage. It goes beyond merely preventing social disorder; it underscores God's call for holiness and faithfulness within the deepest of human covenants. By forbidding adultery, God preserves the sanctity of the marital union, protects family integrity, and ensures legitimate lineage. It is an expression of God’s perfect will for purity in sexual relations, limiting them exclusively to the husband and wife. Moreover, this commandment spiritually reflects God's desire for His people to be faithful to Him, contrasting sharply with the "spiritual adultery" of idolatry often condemned in prophetic literature. Jesus later expanded this command to encompass the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Matt 5:27-28), showing that true adherence to God's law stems from inward purity, not just outward conformity. This underscores that faithfulness to God means faithfulness in all relationships, especially the covenant of marriage.