Exodus 20:14 kjv
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Exodus 20:14 nkjv
"You shall not commit adultery.
Exodus 20:14 niv
"You shall not commit adultery.
Exodus 20:14 esv
"You shall not commit adultery.
Exodus 20:14 nlt
"You must not commit adultery.
Exodus 20 14 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 5:18 | “‘You shall not commit adultery.’” | Repetition of the commandment in the second giving of the Law. |
| Lev 20:10 | “‘If a man commits adultery... both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.’” | Prescribes the severe penalty for adultery under the Mosaic Law. |
| Deut 22:22 | “If a man is found lying with a woman married to a husband, then both of them shall die...” | Reiteration of the death penalty for adultery. |
| Prov 6:32-33 | “He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys his own soul. Wounds and dishonor will be his, and his disgrace will not be wiped away.” | Warns of severe personal consequences and disgrace for adulterers. |
| Mal 3:5 | “Then I will draw near to you for judgment... a swift witness against sorcerers, against adulterers...” | God's direct judgment upon those who commit adultery. |
| Matt 5:27-28 | “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” | Jesus expands the prohibition to include inner lust, revealing the command's spiritual depth. |
| Matt 19:4-6 | “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” | Affirms God's original design for marriage as a lifelong, exclusive union. |
| Mk 7:21-23 | “For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality... adultery...” | Adultery is listed among sins that defile a person, originating from the heart. |
| Lk 16:18 | “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.” | Jesus teaches on the connection between illicit divorce and adultery. |
| Jn 8:4 | “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.” | Shows adultery was a capital offense and a well-known sin. |
| Rom 7:2-3 | “For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives... But if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage.” | Illustrates marriage as a bond ended only by death, else committing adultery. |
| Rom 13:9 | “For the commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,’ and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” | The commandment is reiterated and linked to loving one's neighbor. |
| 1 Cor 6:9-10 | “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?... nor adulterers...” | Adulterers are explicitly stated as not inheriting the Kingdom of God. |
| 1 Cor 6:18 | “Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.” | Warns against sexual sin, including adultery, as uniquely defiling. |
| Gal 5:19-21 | “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry... adultery...” | Adultery is listed among the "works of the flesh" which oppose the Spirit. |
| Eph 5:3 | “But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.” | A call to total purity and abstention from all forms of sexual sin. |
| Col 3:5 | “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” | Links earthly desires to spiritual death and commands believers to mortify them. |
| 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.” | Exhortation to honor marriage and a warning of God's judgment on sexual sin. |
| Jas 4:4 | “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” | Uses "adulterous" metaphorically for spiritual unfaithfulness to God (idolatry). |
| Rev 21:8 | “But as for the cowardly, the faithless... murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars—their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” | Adulterers are among those destined for eternal judgment. |
| Gen 39:9 | “How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” | Joseph's rejection of adultery (with Potiphar's wife) demonstrating fidelity to God's law. |
| 2 Sam 11:4 | “Then David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her...” | An example of David's grievous sin of adultery and its cascading consequences. |
Exodus 20 verses
Exodus 20 14 Meaning
Exodus 20:14 succinctly declares, "Thou shalt not commit adultery." This is the seventh commandment in the Decalogue, an absolute and unreserved prohibition against illicit sexual intercourse between a married person and someone other than their spouse. It serves to protect the sanctity and exclusive nature of the covenant of marriage, upholding its purity, faithfulness, and the social fabric of the community.
Exodus 20 14 Context
Exodus chapter 20 presents the Ten Commandments, given directly by God to Moses on Mount Sinai as a foundation for the covenant relationship between Yahweh and the nation of Israel. These commands delineate both the Israelites' duties towards God (the first four) and their duties towards fellow human beings (the last six), establishing the moral and social framework for the newly formed nation. The seventh commandment, "Thou shalt not commit adultery," stands among those governing interpersonal relationships. In its original historical and cultural context, ancient Near Eastern societies often viewed marriage primarily as a contractual agreement, vital for lineage, property transfer, and social stability. While some cultures had more fluid marital practices or institutionalized cultic prostitution, the Mosaic Law upheld a uniquely high standard of fidelity within marriage. This commandment, therefore, served as a powerful polemic against such practices, establishing God's design for an exclusive, faithful, and holy marital union as a pillar of His covenant community. It safeguarded the integrity of families, legitimate inheritance, and the honor of individuals.
Exodus 20 14 Word analysis
- Thou shalt not: In Hebrew, these are two words: אֲלֹא (loʾ) and the imperfect verb form. לֹא (loʾ) is the strongest form of prohibition in Hebrew, an absolute and unchangeable negative command. It signifies that this is not a suggestion or a temporary guideline, but a definitive divine decree. It conveys absolute divine authority, indicating a boundary that must never be crossed.
- commit adultery: The Hebrew verb is תִּנְאָֽף (tin'āf), derived from the root נָאַף (na'af). This verb specifically refers to sexual intercourse involving a married person who engages in relations with someone other than their legitimate spouse. It encompasses illicit sexual relations where at least one party is married to another. It does not refer to all sexual sins (e.g., fornication, prostitution, incest, bestiality) which are covered by other biblical prohibitions, but strictly to the violation of the marital covenant. This specific focus highlights the high value God places on marital fidelity and the sanctity of the one-flesh union He established (Gen 2:24). It protects the social order, family lines, property rights, and individual honor within the Israelite community, establishing a clear standard for moral purity within the covenant.
Exodus 20 14 Bonus section
The severity with which adultery was treated in ancient Israel, often carrying the death penalty (Lev 20:10, Deut 22:22), underscores the immense value God places on covenant faithfulness. This reflected not only the sin against a spouse and the disruption of the community but also a direct offense against God's holy standard. Beyond the physical act, the concept of "adultery" is often used metaphorically in the Bible to describe Israel's spiritual unfaithfulness to God through idolatry or seeking alliances with pagan nations (e.g., Jer 3:8, Ezek 16:32, Hos 1:2). This theological parallelism emphasizes that just as physical adultery violates a sacred marital covenant, spiritual adultery violates the unique covenant between God and His people, demonstrating His expectation of exclusive devotion. The commandment thus holds deep spiritual implications beyond its literal prohibition, pointing to God's desire for an undivided heart from His people.
Exodus 20 14 Commentary
The seventh commandment is a concise yet profound statement protecting the integrity of marriage, which God established as the foundational human institution. "Thou shalt not commit adultery" goes beyond merely prohibiting an act; it champions faithfulness, exclusivity, and commitment within a marriage covenant. This command secures family stability, protects legitimate inheritance, and ensures the social and moral order of society. It establishes a divine boundary around the 'one-flesh' union, deeming any intrusion as a grave offense. Its New Testament interpretation by Jesus (Matt 5:27-28) broadens its scope from mere outward action to the very desires of the heart, showing that sin begins inwardly. This emphasizes that true obedience involves purity of thought and intention, not just adherence to external rules. Adultery, therefore, is not only a sin against a spouse and society, but fundamentally a sin against God (Ps 51:4), reflecting an unfaithfulness akin to spiritual idolatry where the heart turns from its ultimate allegiance to God. This command serves as a constant reminder for believers to uphold the sanctity of their own marriages and to honor God through their sexual purity.