Exodus 20:14
New International Version
“You shall not commit adultery.

New Living Translation
“You must not commit adultery.

English Standard Version
“You shall not commit adultery.

Berean Standard Bible
You shall not commit adultery.

King James Bible
Thou shalt not commit adultery.

New King James Version
“You shall not commit adultery.

New American Standard Bible
“You shall not commit adultery.

NASB 1995
“You shall not commit adultery.

NASB 1977
“You shall not commit adultery.

Legacy Standard Bible
“You shall not commit adultery.

Amplified Bible
“You shall not commit adultery.

Christian Standard Bible
Do not commit adultery.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Do not commit adultery.

American Standard Version
Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Contemporary English Version
Be faithful in marriage.

English Revised Version
Thou shalt not commit adultery.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Never commit adultery.

Good News Translation
"Do not commit adultery.

International Standard Version
"You are not to commit adultery.

Majority Standard Bible
You shall not commit adultery.

NET Bible
"You shall not commit adultery.

New Heart English Bible
"Do not murder.

Webster's Bible Translation
Thou shalt not commit adultery.

World English Bible
“You shall not commit adultery.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
You do not commit adultery.

Young's Literal Translation
'Thou dost not commit adultery.

Smith's Literal Translation
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Catholic Public Domain Version
You shall not commit adultery.

New American Bible
You shall not commit adultery.

New Revised Standard Version
You shall not commit adultery.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
You shall not commit adultery.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
You shall not commit adultery.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917


Brenton Septuagint Translation
Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Ten Commandments
13You shall not murder. 14You shall not commit adultery. 15You shall not steal.…

Cross References
Matthew 5:27-28
You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ / But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Proverbs 6:32
He who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, / nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

Hebrews 13:4
Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.

Leviticus 18:20
You must not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife and thus defile yourself with her.

Deuteronomy 5:18
You shall not commit adultery.

Matthew 19:9
Now I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

Romans 13:9
The commandments “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and any other commandments, are summed up in this one decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

1 Thessalonians 4:3-5
For it is God’s will that you should be holy: You must abstain from sexual immorality; / each of you must know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, / not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God;

Mark 10:11-12
So He told them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. / And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”

Job 31:1
“I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then could I gaze with desire at a virgin?

Galatians 5:19
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery;

Luke 16:18
Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

1 Corinthians 7:2
But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband.

Proverbs 5:18-20
May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth: / A loving doe, a graceful fawn—may her breasts satisfy you always; may you be captivated by her love forever. / Why be captivated, my son, by an adulteress, or embrace the bosom of a stranger?


Treasury of Scripture

You shall not commit adultery.

Exodus 18:20
And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.

Exodus 20:10
But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

2 Samuel 11:4,5,27
And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house…

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Exodus 20
1. The ten commandments are spoken by Jehovah
18. The people are afraid, but Moses comforts them
21. Idolatry is forbidden
23. Of what sort the altar should be














You shall not commit adultery
You
The commandment begins with a direct address, emphasizing personal responsibility. In Hebrew, the word used is "אַתָּה" (atah), which is singular, indicating that this command is directed to each individual personally. This personal address underscores the importance of personal accountability before God. It reminds believers that God's laws are not just for the community as a whole but for each person to uphold in their own life.

shall not
This phrase is a clear prohibition. The Hebrew "לֹא" (lo) is a strong negative, indicating an absolute prohibition. It is not a suggestion or a guideline but a command. This reflects the seriousness with which God views the sanctity of marriage and the faithfulness required within it. The use of "shall not" conveys the timeless and unchanging nature of God's moral law.

commit
The verb "commit" in Hebrew is "תִּנְאָף" (tin'af), which is in the imperfect tense, suggesting an ongoing or repeated action. This highlights that the commandment is not just against a one-time act but against any ongoing behavior or lifestyle that involves adultery. It calls for a continuous commitment to purity and faithfulness in marriage.

adultery
The term "adultery" in Hebrew is "נָאַף" (na'af), which specifically refers to a married person engaging in sexual relations with someone other than their spouse. In the ancient Near Eastern context, adultery was seen as a serious offense, not only against one's spouse but also against the social order and, most importantly, against God. Adultery undermines the covenant relationship that marriage represents, which is a reflection of God's covenant with His people. In the broader biblical narrative, adultery is often used metaphorically to describe unfaithfulness to God, highlighting the spiritual implications of this commandment. The prohibition against adultery is a call to uphold the sanctity of marriage, reflecting God's design for human relationships and His desire for faithfulness and integrity.

(14) Thou shalt not commit adultery.--Next to the duty of respecting a man's life is placed that of respecting his domestic peace and honour. Adultery is an invasion of the household, a destruction of the bond which unites the family, a dissolution of that contract which is the main basis of social order. It was forbidden by all civilised communities, and in uncivilised ones frequently punished with death. The Mosaic enactments on the subject are peculiar chiefly in the absolute equality on which they place the man and the woman. Adulterers are as hateful as adulteresses, and are as surely to be put to death (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22-24, &c.). The man who acts treacherously against "the wife of his covenant" is as great a sinner as the woman who breaks the marriage bond (Malachi 2:14-16). There is "no respect of persons" and no respect of sexes with God.

Verse 14. - Thou shalt not commit adultery. Our second duty towards our neighbour is to respect the bond on which the family is based, and that conjugal honour which to the true man is dearer than life. Marriage, according to the original institution, made the husband and wife "one flesh" (Genesis 2:24); and to break in upon this sacramental union was at once a crime and a profanity. Adulteresses and their paramours were in most ancient nations liable to be punished with death by the injured party; but the adultery of a married man with an unmarried woman was thought lightly cf. The precept of the Decalogue binds both man and woman equally. Our Lord's expansion of this commandment (Matthew 5:27-32) is parallel to his expansion of the preceding one (ib, 21-26). He shows that there are adulterous marriages in countries where the law gives a facility of divorce, and that without any overt act adultery may be committed in the heart.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
You shall not
לֹ֣֖א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

commit adultery.
תִּֿנְאָֽ֑ף׃ (tnə·’āp̄)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5003: To commit adultery, to apostatize


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OT Law: Exodus 20:14 You shall not commit adultery (Exo. Ex)
Exodus 20:13
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