Adultery is the voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and a person who is not his or her spouse. This also relates to fornication and other sexual behaviors that God has forbidden in His Word. The seventh commandment declares:
“You shall not commit adultery.” (Exodus 20:14)
This commandment is not limited to unfaithfulness to a spouse. The command establishes God’s holy standard for purity in body, mind, heart, and conduct. God commands His people to live in sexual integrity, honoring marriage, guarding their thoughts, and fleeing from every form of immorality. We are to safeguard ourselves against adultery.
God instituted marriage in creation.
In the beginning God said it was not good for man to be alone. God created woman to be a suitable companion for man, establishing marriage as a lifelong union in which a man and woman leave their families, are joined together, and become one flesh in perfect unity and innocence.
“Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him…” So, the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh at that place. And the LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. And the man said, “This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.” For this cause a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.” (Gen 2:18-25 NAS)
God instituted marriage in creation by creating the woman as the only suitable mate for the man. The first marriage was with the man (Adam) and the woman (Eve). Marriage is God’s appointed safeguard against immorality.
“But because of immoralities, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.” (1Co 7:2 NAS)
Within marriage, husband and wife are to express mutual love and intimacy rightly, rejoicing in one another. Husbands and wives belong to one another in marriage, sharing mutual authority over their bodies and fulfilling their marital responsibilities to each other.
“Let the husband fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.” (1Co 7:3-4 NAS)
Wives should display submissive, chaste, and respectful conduct, with a gentle, quiet spirit. Husbands must be honorable, live considerately and honor their wives as fellow heirs of the grace of life.
“In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior. And let not your adornment be merely external– braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands. Thus Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear. You husbands likewise, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker vessel, since she is a woman; and grant her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.” (1Pe 3:1-7 NAS)
The man and woman are two equal parts that make one flesh. The woman is not less than the man and the man is not less than the woman. They both are to treat each other as God has commanded all people to be treated.
“To sum up, let all be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil, or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.” (1Pe 3:8-9 NAS)
The husband and wife have a duty solely to each other. The way married couples treat each other plays a key role in guarding their marriage and preventing adultery. God forbids any husband or wife to seek intimacy outside the marriage covenant.
God calls all people to chastity and self-restraint in heart and life.
The commandment requires chastity and self-restraint in body, mind, affections, words, and behavior. Believers are to use their bodies in sanctification and honor. God’s will for all humanity is sexual purity, not the licentious spirit that throws off God’s restraint.
“For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God.” (1Th 4:3-5 NAS)
The seventh commandment also applies to those who are unmarried, calling them to abstain from sexual relations outside of marriage.
“Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” (Heb 13:4 NAS)
Every part of life should reflect purity. Sexual sin is listed as a work of the flesh and a serious offense against God.
“Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Gal 5:19-21 NAS)
Believers are called to live in such a way that sexual immorality has no place in their lives.
“But do not let immorality or any impurity or greed even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.” (Eph 5:3-5 NAS)
Those who are not married and cannot remain sexually pure are called to marry rather than burn with passion.
“But if they do not have self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn. (1Co 7:9 NAS)
God designed sex as a holy gift to be shared only within marriage. Marriage creates a home for the rearing of children to be brought up in the ways of the Lord. Scripture consistently condemns fornication, adultery, and lust, calling believers to sexual purity as part of their sanctification.
The seventh commandment includes sexual immorality and perversion.
This includes rape, incest, sodomy, and all unnatural sexual acts. God’s Law treats rape as a violent crime equivalent to murder. The woman is innocent, and the man is sentenced to death.
“But if in the field the man finds the girl who is engaged, and the man forces her and lies with her, then only the man who lies with her shall die. “But you shall do nothing to the girl; there is no sin in the girl worthy of death, for just as a man rises against his neighbor and murders him, so is this case. “When he found her in the field, the engaged girl cried out, but there was no one to save her.” (Deut 22:25-27 NAS)
Rape is condemned as a violent, disgraceful, and capital offense in God’s Law. The seventh commandment also prohibits incest also called “uncovering nakedness” which is a biblical expression for sexual relations.
“So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which a man may live if he does them; I am the LORD. ‘None of you shall approach any blood relative of his to uncover nakedness; I am the LORD. ‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, that is, the nakedness of your mother. She is your mother; you are not to uncover her nakedness. ‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife; it is your father’s nakedness. ‘The nakedness of your sister, either your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether born at home or born outside, their nakedness you shall not uncover. ‘The nakedness of your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter, their nakedness you shall not uncover; for their nakedness is yours… they are blood relatives. It is lewdness.” (Lev 18:5-17 NAS)
Incest is consistently treated as a serious moral evil and a violation of God’s created order for the family. Homosexuality breaks the seventh commandment. God explicitly calls homosexual acts “an abomination,” meaning something detestable in His sight.
“You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.” (Lev 18:22 NAS)
Paul identifies homosexual acts as sinful and contrary to God’s created order of male and female.
“For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.” (Rom 1:26-27 NAS)
God calls sexual relations with animals “a perversion.” This command is given as part of the holiness laws to keep Israel separate from the corrupt practices of the nations.
“Cursed is he who lies with any animal.” (Deut 27:21 NAS)
“Also you shall not have intercourse with any animal to be defiled with it, nor shall any woman stand before an animal to mate with it; it is a perversion.” (Lev 18:23 NAS)
God calls such acts perversion and defilement, entirely outside His design for human sexuality.
Corrupting institutions and practices also breaks the seventh commandment.
The seventh commandment is broken when the government or church institutes unlawful marriages such as incestuous, same sex, or those who are unlawfully divorced. This includes prohibiting people to lawfully marry. It is against God’s Law to forbid marriage to a man and a woman who can lawfully marry. Paul calls forbidding marriage a “doctrine of demons.”
“But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage…” (1Ti 4:1-3 NAS)
Permitting unlawful marriages breaks the seventh commandment. Allowing blood relatives to marry or marriages between two who are not able to marry, such as a man and an animal or a person of the same sex is against God’s Law. John the Baptist publicly condemned Herod’s marriage to his brother’s wife as unlawful.
“For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” (Mark 6:18 NAS)
Marrying a blood relatives’ wife is a direct violation of God’s law regarding marriage and incest according to Leviticus 18:16.
Unlawful marriage is any union that violates God’s commands regarding family boundaries, faithfulness to Him, or the created order of one man and one woman in covenant for life. It is also against God’s Law to permit divorce, except in cases of unchastity.
“Yet you say, ‘For what reason?’ Because the LORD has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. “But not one has done so who has a remnant of the Spirit. And what did that one do while he was seeking a godly offspring? Take heed then, to your spirit, and let no one deal treacherously against the wife of your youth. “For I hate divorce,” says the LORD, the God of Israel, “and him who covers his garment with wrong,” says the LORD of hosts. “So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.” (Mal 2:14-16 NAS)
God rebukes those who betray their marriage covenant, declaring that He hates divorce and commands His people to be faithful to the wife of their youth and not deal treacherously with her.
“And it was said, ‘Whoever sends his wife away, let him give her a certificate of divorce’; but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the cause of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” (Matt 5:31-32 NAS)
Jesus affirms that true, lawful marriage is between one man and one woman in a lifelong covenant ordained by God, not according to human ordinances, traditions or sinful desires.
Immoral and lustful lifestyle are contrary to God’s Law.
It is wise to avoid unchaste company, as well as lustful songs, books, images, dances, and performances, since these things stir up and lead to sinful desires and actions.
“But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.” (1Th 5:21-22 NAS)
“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.” (Rom 12:9 NAS)
Even immodest clothing and seductive appearance are condemned as provocations to impurity. All should practice modesty in dress and self-control in daily life.
“Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments.” (1Ti 2:9 NAS)
Jesus taught that to look at a woman with lust is to commit adultery with her in the heart.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; but I say to you, that everyone who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. “And if your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out, and throw it from you; for it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.” (Matt 5:27-29 NAS)
Therefore, every impure imagination, thought, and desire is condemned.
“But do not let immorality or any impurity or greed even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.” (Eph 5:3-4 NAS)
Prostitution and sex workers break the seventh commandment. Tolerating prostitution or visiting houses of immorality such as a strip club is forbidden in the seventh commandment.
“For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, And smoother than oil is her speech; But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death, Her steps lay hold of Sheol. She does not ponder the path of life; Her ways are unstable, she does not know it. Now then, my sons, listen to me, And do not depart from the words of my mouth. Keep your way far from her, And do not go near the door of her house.” (Pro 5:3-8 NAS)
The seventh commandment, “You shall not commit adultery,” upholds the holiness of marriage and God’s design for sexual purity. It calls every person to honor the marriage covenant, flee from every form of sexual sin, and guard the heart, mind, and body in obedience to God’s Word. From creation, God established marriage as a lifelong union between one man and one woman, and His Law condemns every distortion of that design, whether adultery, fornication, lust, or perversion. Believers are called to walk in purity, honor marriage, and glorify God with their bodies.