“You Shall Not Commit
Adultery”: The Seventh Commandment and the Sacred Purpose of Marriage
1. Introduction: Much
More Than a Moral Prohibition
The commandment “You shall not
commit adultery” (Exod 20:14; Heb. לֹא תִּנְאָף lo
tin'af) is not merely a cultural restriction or
an external moral rule. It stands as a safeguard of the divine design: marriage
as a covenantal union that reflects the spiritual purpose of God in
forming a holy family in His image.
Scripture uses the concept of adultery to
describe both physical betrayal and spiritual unfaithfulness,
especially in covenantal terms between God and His people.
2. Linguistic Analysis
of the Commandment
The Hebrew verb נָאַף (na’af) means “to commit adultery,” specifically
referring to sexual relations with another’s spouse—a direct
violation of the marital covenant.
·
לֹא (lo): absolute negation (“not”)
·
תִּנְאָף (tin'af): 2nd person singular, imperfect — “you
shall not commit adultery”
(see HALOT, s.v. "נאף")
This commandment is not concerned with
general immorality but with covenantal betrayal.
3. Marriage in the
Hebrew Bible: A Spiritual Union, Not a Ritual
In contrast to modern customs, biblical
marriage did not require a priest, ceremony, or public vow. It was
understood as a commitment recognized by God:
·
לָקַח אִשָּׁה (laqach ishah) — “to take a wife” (Gen 4:19)
·
הָיְתָה לְאִשָּׁה (vehayetá le’ishah) — “and she became his wife” (Deut 24:1)
·
תִּהְיֶה לְאִשָּׁה (tihye le’ishah) — “shall be to him as wife” (Num 36:6)
These expressions describe a
life-union built on consent, faithfulness, and shared life—not on
ceremony.
4. Marriage as
Covenant (בְּרִית berit)
In Mal 2:14, marriage is explicitly
called a covenant:
“She
is your companion and your wife by covenant” (Mal 2:14, NRSV).
This covenant was not established by
formal vows, but by mutual responsibility before God. Breaking this covenant is
seen as a violation of God’s name (cf. Exod 20:7; Eccl 5:4–5; Matt 5:34–37).
5. The Spiritual
Purpose of Marriage
Marriage was instituted by God as a living
image of His own relational nature:
“So
God created humankind in his image... male and female he created them” (Gen
1:27, NRSV).
“The two shall become one flesh” (Gen 2:24; Heb. וְהָיוּ לְבָשָׂר אֶחָד vehayu levasar 'echad).
Marriage reflects divine unity and
creative power. The human couple images God’s own desire to form a
family—Father, Son, and children born by His Spirit (cf. Rom 8:29).
6. Jesus Deepens the
Commandment
Jesus extends the commandment beyond
external behavior to internal intention:
“Everyone
who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his
heart” (Matt 5:28, NRSV).
He also reiterates marriage’s permanence:
“What
God has joined together, let no one separate” (Matt 19:6, NRSV).
Here Jesus reaffirms Genesis 2:24,
elevating marriage from a legal matter to a spiritual covenant.
7. Divorce in the Old
Testament: Tolerated, Not Approved
The Law of Moses permitted divorce via a
certificate (Deut 24:1–4), yet Jesus made it clear this was due to human
failure:
“Because
of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce... but from the
beginning it was not so” (Matt 19:8, NRSV).
“Hardness of heart” (sklērokardía,
σκληροκαρδία) reflects the absence of the indwelling Spirit and capacity for
divine love.
8. The New Covenant:
Empowered Love through the Spirit
In John 7:39, Jesus declares that the
Holy Spirit had not yet been given. But under the New Covenant, the Spirit now
enables believers to love as God loves:
“The
fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity,
faithfulness...” (Gal 5:22–23, NRSV).
Thus, believers now have the power
to persevere in love and uphold covenantal faithfulness.
9. Marriage between
Believers: No Room for Separation
Paul affirms Jesus’ teaching in 1 Cor
7:10–11:
“To
the married I give this command... that the wife should not separate from her
husband... and that the husband should not divorce his wife.”
When both are believers, Paul commands reconciliation
or celibacy, never divorce and remarriage.
10. If the Unbelieving
Spouse Departs (1 Cor 7:15)
In cases where one spouse is not a
believer, Paul says:
“But
if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so; in such a case the brother
or sister is not bound. God has called you to peace” (1 Cor 7:15, NRSV).
The Greek phrase οὐ δεδούλωται (ou
dedoulōtai) means “not enslaved” or “not under
bondage.” Most interpreters understand this to mean freedom from the
marital bond, particularly if the abandonment is final and unprovoked.
Later, Paul affirms:
“A
wife is bound as long as her husband lives. But if the husband dies, she is
free to marry anyone she wishes, only in the Lord” (1 Cor 7:39, NRSV).
This supports the pastoral conclusion: if
the unbeliever departs, the believer is free to remarry,
provided it is “in the Lord.”
11. Adultery as
Spiritual Betrayal
Scripture often uses adultery
metaphorically for idolatry and apostasy:
·
Jer
3:9, 20 – Israel “played the harlot” with stone
and wood; “like a woman unfaithful to her lover.”
·
Ezek
16; 23 – Jerusalem is portrayed as an
unfaithful wife.
·
Jas
4:4 – “You adulterers! Do you not know that
friendship with the world is enmity with God?”
Covenant with God is marital in
nature. Spiritual unfaithfulness is therefore adultery of the
soul.
12. Dimensions of the
Seventh Commandment
|
Dimension |
Application |
|
Literal |
Prohibition of sexual relations with
another’s spouse (Exod 20:14) |
|
Moral |
Condemnation of lust, desire, and betrayal
of trust (Matt 5:28) |
|
Spiritual |
Call to faithfulness in covenant with God
(Jer 3; Jas 4:4) |
|
Prophetic |
The Church is Christ’s Bride, called to
purity (2 Cor 11:2; Eph 5:25–27) |
|
Eschatological |
Adulterers, without repentance, face the
second death (Rev 21:8) |
13. Conclusion: A
Commandment That Guards God’s Eternal Plan
“You shall not commit adultery” is more
than a rule about morality or sexuality. It is a divine safeguard for:
·
The sanctity
of covenant love,
·
The image
of God reflected in human union,
·
The formation
of a faithful family, both physical and spiritual.
To commit adultery—literally or
spiritually—is to fracture the divine image, to betray the
sacred covenant, and to step out of alignment with God’s redemptive purpose.
“Blessed
are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matt 5:8)
Bibliography
·
The Holy
Bible, New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).
·
Brown, F.,
Driver, S. R., & Briggs, C. A. The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and
English Lexicon. Hendrickson, 1996.
·
Bauer, W.,
Arndt, W. F., Gingrich, F. W., & Danker, F. W. A Greek-English Lexicon
of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. 3rd ed.
University of Chicago Press, 2000.
·
SBL
Handbook of Style. Society of Biblical Literature, 2014.
Addendum: Sexual Union and
Cleaving in Marital Covenant Theology
1. Introduction: The Embodied Theology of “One Flesh”
Genesis 2:24 establishes a foundational
truth of biblical anthropology and covenantal theology:
“Therefore
a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife, and
they shall become one flesh.”
The phrase “one flesh” (אֶחָד בָּשָׂר) is both literal and symbolic. In the
context of biblical Hebrew, IT IMPLIES A PHYSICAL UNION THROUGH SEXUAL
INTIMACY, BUT ALSO A METAPHYSICAL UNITY THAT BINDS TWO PERSONS INTO A SINGLE RELATIONAL,
EMOTIONAL, AND SPIRITUAL ENTITY. The marital act
is thus not merely biological; it is sacramental in nature, reflecting the
mystery of union between Christ and His Church (Eph. 5:31–32).
2.
Sexual Union as Covenant Adhesion
Theological tradition recognizes that
sexual pleasure, orgasm, climax, and ejaculatory union serve a divinely
purposed role: TO FORGE AND REINFORCE MUTUAL SELF-GIVING AND CLEAVING
BETWEEN SPOUSES. These elements are not evolutionary accidents but are part
of the Creator’s design to make marital permanence possible and desirable.
In this way, sex functions as a divine
adhesive, maintaining and deepening the marital bond with each act of love: -
It reaffirms unity. - It regenerates affection. - It protects against division.
This aligns with Pauline teaching that:
> “THE HUSBAND MUST FULFILL HIS DUTY TO HIS WIFE, AND LIKEWISE ALSO THE WIFE
TO HER HUSBAND” (1 Cor. 7:3, NASB).
3. Paul’s Warning and Satan’s Strategy: 1 Corinthians 7:5
In one of the clearest New Testament
teachings on the covenantal function of sex, the Apostle Paul writes: > “DO NOT
DEPRIVE ONE ANOTHER, EXCEPT BY AGREEMENT FOR A TIME, SO THAT YOU MAY DEVOTE
YOURSELVES TO PRAYER, AND COME TOGETHER AGAIN SO THAT SATAN DOES NOT TEMPT YOU
BECAUSE OF YOUR LACK OF SELF-CONTROL.” (1 Cor. 7:5, LSB)
This verse functions as both doctrinal
instruction and practical safeguard:
- Sexual abstinence is only permitted temporarily and mutually agreed upon.
- Its purpose must be spiritual (fasting, prayer), not punitive or
manipulative. - Prolonged deprivation invites satanic temptation and exposes
the marriage to spiritual breach.
Thus, Paul presents sexual unity as armor
within marriage—fortifying both husband and wife against temptation and
fragmentation.
4. Christ and the Pre-Flood Marital Ideal
Jesus Christ refers to “the beginning”
(ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς) in Matthew 19:4–6 to emphasize the original pattern of indissoluble
union, stating: > “FROM THE BEGINNING IT WAS NOT SO” (Matt. 19:8).
This “beginning” precedes the Mosaic
concession of divorce. In pre-flood society, when
humans lived uncorrupted by systemic evil, it was unthinkable to separate
what had been united through sexual joy, shared purpose, and divine image-bearing.
Separation only entered when: - Human selfishness distorted
love - Men became negligent or abusive in the marriage bed - And Satan
exploited the cracks left by a lack of due benevolence (1 Cor. 7:3–5)
As families fractured, society collapsed
(Gen. 6:1–6; Luke 17:27).
5. The Image of God and Marital Sexual Ethics
The marital bond was designed to reflect
the oneness of the Godhead: - Unity in diversity - Joy in mutual
giving - Generative love that brings forth life
Adultery, divorce, and neglect—especially
in the sexual realm—violate that image. Conversely, mutual sexual love within
marriage sustains that image and reaffirms the covenant.
To abstain from this union without cause
is to reject the very means of cleaving that God instituted in Eden.
6.
Conclusion
Sex is not optional in marriage—it
is essential to the covenantal structure. It serves: - AS THE
SPIRITUAL CEMENT THAT MAKES “ONE FLESH” REALITY - AS A DEFENSIVE WALL AGAINST
THE TEMPTER - AND AS A SACRAMENT OF DAILY RECOMMITMENT TO LOVE
The Seventh Commandment, “You shall not
commit adultery,” does not merely prohibit betrayal; it calls the couple to
daily faithfulness, including sexual faithfulness, as a reflection of God’s
covenant fidelity to His own family.
References
Pauline
theology of marriage in Ephesians 5:31–32 reflects the “one flesh” union
as a mystery (μυστήριον) that echoes the divine union between Christ and the
Church. See also Craig S. Keener, Paul, Women & Wives: Marriage and
Women’s Ministry in the Letters of Paul (Baker Academic, 1992),
pp. 61–65.
Gordon
J. Wenham, Genesis 1–15, Word Biblical Commentary Vol. 1 (Zondervan,
1987), notes on Gen. 2:24.
David
Instone-Brewer, Divorce and Remarriage in the Bible (Eerdmans, 2002),
especially ch. 4 on Pauline pastoral ethics.
Philip
Payne, Man and Woman, One in Christ (Zondervan, 2009), explores sexual
mutuality in 1 Corinthians 7.
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