Neither shalt thou commit adultery.
Parallel translations
- WEB “You shall not commit adultery.
- BSB You shall not commit adultery.
- NKJV ‘You shall not commit adultery.
- NASB ‘You shall not commit adultery.
- NLT “You must not commit adultery.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
You shall not commit adultery. The seventh commandment protects the sanctity of marriage.
Overview
God forbids violating the marriage bond, guarding faithfulness and the covenant of husband and wife. Marriage reflects God's faithful love for his people. Jesus extends the command to lustful intent, and marriage ultimately pictures Christ's covenant love for his church (Matthew 5:27-28, Ephesians 5:31-32).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Exod 20:14Thou shalt not commit adultery.
- Luke 18:20Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.
- Lev 20:10And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
- Matt 5:27–28Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
- Jas 2:10–11For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
- Prov 6:32–33But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Moses promised a Prophet like himself to whom Israel must listen (18:15); Jesus is that Prophet, the one who keeps the covenant we broke and becomes the curse for us by hanging on a tree (Gal 3:13).
How Deuteronomy 5:18 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.