Adultery & the Bible - compiled by Randall F. More

Dec 2014

compiled by Randall F. More, P. Eng.

Adultery & the Bible

For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh (Genesis 2:24 NASB).

"You shall not commit adultery. You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor" (Exodus 20:14,17 NIV).

"'If a man commits adultery with another man's wife--with the wife of his neighbor--both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death"' (Leviticus 20:10 NIV).

"If a man is found sleeping with another man's wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel" (Deuteronomy 22:22 NIV).

Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words, ‎who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God.‎ Surely her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead. ‎None who go to her return or attain the paths of life (Proverbs 2:16-19 NIV).

For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave. She gives no thought to the way of life; her paths wander aimlessly, but she does not know it. Now then, my sons, listen to me; do not turn aside from what I say. Keep to a path far from her, do not go near the door of her house, lest you lose your honor to others and your dignity to one who is cruel, lest strangers feast on your wealth and your toil enrich the house of another. At the end of your life you will groan, when your flesh and body are spent.  You will say, “How I hated discipline! How my heart spurned correction! I would not obey my teachers or turn my ear to my instructors. And I was soon in serious trouble in the assembly of God’s people.” Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well. Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares? Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers. May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful deer— may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love. Why, my son, be intoxicated with another man’s wife? Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman? For your ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all your paths. The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them; the cords of their sins hold them fast. For lack of discipline they will die, led astray by their own great folly (Proverbs 5:3-23 NIV).

For this command is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and correction and instruction are the way to life, keeping you from your neighbor’s wife, from the smooth talk of a wayward woman. Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes. For a prostitute can be had for a loaf of bread, but another man’s wife preys on your very life. Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched? So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished. People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger when he is starving. Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold, though it costs him all the wealth of his house. But a man who commits adultery has no sense; whoever does so destroys himself. Blows and disgrace are his lot, and his shame will never be wiped away. For jealousy arouses a husband’s fury, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge. He will not accept any compensation; he will refuse a bribe, however great it is (Proverbs 6:23-35 NIV).

My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you. Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and to insight, “You are my relative.” They will keep you from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words. At the window of my house I looked down through the lattice. I saw among the simple, I noticed among the young men, a youth who had no sense. He was going down the street near her corner, walking along in the direction of her house at twilight, as the day was fading, as the dark of night set in. Then out came a woman to meet him, dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent. (She is unruly and defiant, her feet never stay at home; now in the street, now in the squares, at every corner she lurks.) She took hold of him and kissed him and with a brazen face she said: “Today I fulfilled my vows, and I have food from my fellowship offering at home. So I came out to meet you; I looked for you and have found you! I have covered my bed with colored linens from Egypt. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon. Come, let’s drink deeply of love till morning; let’s enjoy ourselves with love! My husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey. He took his purse filled with money and will not be home till full moon.” With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk. All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer stepping into a noose till an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare, little knowing it will cost him his life. Now then, my sons, listen to me; pay attention to what I say. Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths. Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng. Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death (Proverbs 7:1-27 NIV).

"The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit; he who is under the Lord's wrath will fall into it" (Proverbs 22:14 NIV).

An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her. And he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil All the days of her life…. Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain. But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised (Proverbs 31:10-12, 30 NASB).

You make vows and break them; you kill and steal and commit adultery (Hosea 4:2 NLT).

“…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” (Malachi 2:15 NASB).

"For I hate divorce!" says the LORD, the God of Israel (Malachi 2:16 NLT).

"I am eager to witness against all sorcerers and adulterers and liars…” (Malachi 3:5 NLT).

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“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:27-28 NIV).

“But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery” (Matthew 5:32 NIV).

“Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person” (Matthew 15:17-20 NIV).

"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate" (Matthew 19:5-6 NIV).

"He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way" (Matthew 19:8 NASB).

“I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery” (Matthew 19:9 NIV).

He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person” (Mark 7:20-23 NIV).

“Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate” (Mark 10:9 NIV).

He answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery” (Mark 10:11-12 NIV).

“You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother’” (Mark 10:19 NIV).

“Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery” (Luke 16:18 NIV).

A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”…. “You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother’” (Luke 18:18,20 NIV).

…by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive… if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress (Romans 7:2-3 NIV).

Let us behave decently, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy (Romans 13:13 NIV).

Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God (I Corinthians 6:9-10 NIV).

Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”…Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body (I Corinthians 6:16,18 NIV). 

But for those who are married, I have a command that comes not from me, but from the Lord. A wife must not leave her husband (I Corinthians 7:10 NLT).

A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives (I Corinthians 7:39 NIV).

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envyings, drunkenness, carousings, 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 (Galatians 5: 19-21 NASB).

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap (Galatians 6:7 NASB).

"No man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter (of sexual immorality) because the Lord is the avenger in all these things" (I Thessalonians 4:6 NIV).

"We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful... for murderers, for adulterers and perverts... and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine" (I Timothy 1:9-10 NIV).

Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral (Hebrews 13:4 NIV).

"You shall not commit adultery" (James 2:11 NIV).

“But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death" (Revelation 21:8 NIV).

Outside the city are the dogs--the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idol worshipers, and all who love to live a lie (Revelation 22:15 NLT).

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ALTERNATE VERSIONS of PROVERBS

For wisdom will enter your heart And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; Discretion will guard you, Understanding will watch over you, To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things; From those who leave the paths of uprightness To walk in the ways of darkness; Who delight in doing evil And rejoice in the perversity of evil; Whose paths are crooked, And who are devious in their ways; To deliver you from the strange woman, From the adulteress who flatters with her words; That leaves the companion of her youth And forgets the covenant of her God; For her house sinks down to death And her tracks lead to the dead; None who go to her return again, Nor do they reach the paths of life (Proverbs 2:10-19 NASB).

Wise friends will rescue you from the Temptress – that smooth-talking Seductress Who’s faithless to the husband she married years ago, never gave a second thought to her promises before God. Her whole way of life is doomed; every step she takes brings her closer to hell. No one who joins her company ever comes back, ever sets foot on the path to real living (Proverbs 2:16-19 MSG).

The lips of a seductive woman are oh so sweet, her soft words are oh so smooth. But it won’t be long before she’s gravel in your mouth, a pain in your gut, a wound in your heart. She’s dancing down the primrose path to Death; she’s headed straight for Hell and taking you with her. She hasn’t a clue about Real Life, about who she is or where she’s going. So, my friend, listen closely; don’t treat my words casually. Keep your distance from such a woman; absolutely stay out of her neighbourhood. You don’t want to squander your wonderful life, to waste your precious life among hardhearted (Proverbs 5:3-9 MSG).

Adultery is a brainless act, soul-destroying, self-destructive (Proverbs 6:32 MSG).

For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; And reproofs of instruction are the way of life: To keep thee from the evil woman, From the flattery of the foreigner's tongue.  Lust not after her beauty in thy heart; Neither let her take thee with her eyelids. For on account of a harlot a man is brought to a piece of bread; And the adulteress hunteth for the precious life. Can a man take fire in his bosom, And his clothes not be burned? Or can one walk upon hot coals, And his feet not be scorched? So he that goeth in to his neighbor's wife; Whosoever toucheth her shall not be unpunished. Men do not despise a thief, if he steal To satisfy himself when he is hungry: But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; He shall give all the substance of his house. He that committeth adultery with a woman is void of understanding: He doeth it who would destroy his own soul. Wounds and dishonor shall he get; And his reproach shall not be wiped away. For jealousy is the rage of a man; And he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He will not regard any ransom; Neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts (Proverbs 6:23-35 ASV).

Because the command is a lamp and the Law a light, rebukes that discipline are a way of life — to protect you from the evil woman, from the words of the seductive woman. Do not focus on her beauty in your mind, nor allow her to take you prisoner with her flirting eyes, because the price of a whore is a loaf of bread, and an adulterous woman stalks a man’s precious life. Can a man scoop fire into his bosom without burning his clothes? Can a man walk on hot coals without scorching his feet? So also is it with someone who has sex with his neighbor’s wife; anyone touching her will not remain unpunished. A thief isn’t despised if he steals to meet his needsl when he is hungry, but when he is discovered, he must restore seven-fold, forfeiting the entire value of his house. Whoever commits adultery with a woman is out of his mind; by doing so he corrupts his own soul. He will receive a beating and dishonor, and his shame won’t disappear, because jealousy incites a strong man’s rage, and he will show no mercy when it’s time for revenge. He will not consider any payment, nor will he be willing to accept it, no matter how large the bribe (Proverbs 6:23-35 ISV).

For sound advice is a beacon, good teaching is a light, moral discipline is a life path. They'll protect you from wanton women, from the seductive talk of some temptress. Don't lustfully fantasize on her beauty, nor be taken in by her bedroom eyes. You can buy an hour with a whore for a loaf of bread, but a wanton woman may well eat you alive. Can you build a fire in your lap and not burn your pants? Can you walk barefoot on hot coals and not get blisters? It's the same when you have sex with your neighbor's wife: Touch her and you'll pay for it. No excuses. Hunger is no excuse for a thief to steal; When he's caught he has to pay it back, even if he has to put his whole house in hock. Adultery is a brainless act, soul-destroying, self-destructive; Expect a bloody nose, a black eye, and a reputation ruined for good. For jealousy detonates rage in a cheated husband; wild for revenge, he won't make allowances. Nothing you say or pay will make it all right; neither bribes nor reason will satisfy him (Proverbs 6:23-35 MSG).