A paramour, in the context of biblical literature and Christian theology, refers to a lover or illicit partner, particularly in an adulterous relationship. The term is often associated with relationships that are outside the bounds of marriage, which are consistently condemned in the Bible as sinful and contrary to God's design for human relationships.

Biblical Context

The concept of a paramour is closely related to the biblical understanding of adultery and sexual immorality. The Bible explicitly prohibits adultery in the Ten Commandments: "You shall not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:14). This commandment underscores the sanctity of marriage and the importance of fidelity between spouses.

Throughout the Scriptures, the consequences of engaging in relationships with a paramour are depicted as severe, both spiritually and socially. In the Old Testament, the account of David and Bathsheba serves as a poignant example. King David's adulterous relationship with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, led to a series of tragic events, including the death of their child and ongoing strife within David's household (2 Samuel 11-12).

The prophets frequently used the imagery of adultery and unfaithfulness to describe Israel's spiritual infidelity to God. For instance, the prophet Hosea's marriage to an unfaithful wife symbolizes Israel's unfaithfulness to the Lord through idolatry and alliances with foreign nations (Hosea 1-3).

New Testament Teachings

In the New Testament, Jesus expands on the understanding of adultery, emphasizing the importance of purity not only in actions but also in thoughts and intentions. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches, "But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:28). This teaching highlights the seriousness of lust and the internal nature of sin.

The Apostle Paul also addresses issues related to paramours and sexual immorality in his epistles. In 1 Corinthians 6:18-20, Paul exhorts believers to flee from sexual immorality, reminding them that their bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and that they are to honor God with their bodies. He writes, "Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a man can commit is outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body" (1 Corinthians 6:18).

Moral and Theological Implications

From a theological perspective, relationships with a paramour are seen as violations of the covenantal nature of marriage, which is intended to reflect the faithful and exclusive relationship between Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:25-32). Adultery and illicit relationships undermine the trust and unity that are foundational to the marital bond.

The Bible calls believers to a standard of holiness and purity, urging them to avoid relationships that lead to sin and to seek forgiveness and restoration through repentance. The account of the woman caught in adultery, whom Jesus forgives and instructs to "go and sin no more" (John 8:11), exemplifies the possibility of redemption and the call to a transformed life.

Cultural and Historical Considerations

In biblical times, the consequences of being involved with a paramour were often severe, including social ostracism and legal penalties. The Mosaic Law prescribed harsh punishments for adultery, reflecting the gravity with which such acts were viewed in ancient Israelite society (Leviticus 20:10).

The cultural context of the biblical world, with its emphasis on family honor and community integrity, further underscores the disruptive nature of relationships with a paramour. These relationships not only affected the individuals involved but also had broader implications for families and communities.

In summary, the concept of a paramour in the Bible is intricately linked to the themes of fidelity, purity, and the sanctity of marriage. The biblical narrative consistently calls believers to uphold these values, recognizing the profound spiritual and relational consequences of straying from them.1. (n.) A lover in an unlawful or adulterous relationship; one who takes the place, without possessing the rights, of a husband or wife; -- used of a man or a woman.

2. (n.) Love; gallantry.

3. (adv.) Alt. of Paramours.

PARAMOUR

par'-a-moor (pilleghesh, "a concubine," masculine or feminine): A term applied in Ezekiel 23:20 to the male lover, but elsewhere translated "concubine."

3432. moichos -- an adulterer
... adulterer. Perhaps a primary word; a (male) paramour; figuratively, apostate --
adulterer. (moichoi) -- 2 Occurrences. (moichous) -- 1 Occurrence. 3431, 3432 ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3432.htm - 6k6370. pilegesh -- concubine
... concubine, paramour. Or pilegesh {pee-leh'-ghesh}; of uncertain derivation; a concubine;
also (masculine) a paramour -- concubine, paramour. 6369, 6370. ...
/hebrew/6370.htm - 6k

John Chapter iv. Jan-42
... Thou mayest understand that woman really to have had at that time no husband; she
was living with some man, not a lawful husband, rather a paramour than a ...
/.../augustine/homilies on the gospel of john/tractate xv john chapter iv.htm

The Absurdity and Shamefulness of the Images by which the Gods are ...
... the statue of Aphrodite of Cnidus, made it like the form of Cratine, of whom he
was enamoured, that the miserable people might have the paramour of Praxiteles ...
/.../exhortation to the heathen/chapter iv the absurdity and shamefulness.htm

The Historical Situation
... His unscrupulous tyranny and his gross disregard of common righteousness appear
in his relations with John the Baptist and with Herodias, his paramour. ...
/.../rhees/the life of jesus of nazareth/i the historical situation.htm

Hosea
... bore him three children, to whom he gave names symbolic of the impending fate[1]
of Israel, i.1-9. The faithless Gomer abandons Hosea for a paramour, but he is ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/hosea.htm

"Cast a Stone at Her!" John viii. 7
... did not bring him. It is so easy to punish the woman, and yet it is not
proved that she was worse than her paramour. But is it not ...
//christianbookshelf.org/champness/broken bread/xxvii cast a stone at.htm

On the Morning of Christ's Nativity
... Nature in awe to Him Had doff'd her gaudy trim, With her great Master so to sympathize:
It was no season then for her To wanton with the sun, her lusty paramour ...
/.../wells/bible stories and religious classics/on the morning of christs.htm

Imprisonment and Death of John
... was eating at the tables of the publicans, while every day the Roman yoke rested
more heavily upon Israel, while King Herod and his vile paramour worked their ...
/.../white/the desire of ages/chapter 22 imprisonment and death.htm

The Life, as Amplified by Mediaeval Biographers.
... When pregnancy ensued and her frailty was detected, she at the instance of her paramour
charged Ephraim the pious Catechumen as being the author of her shame. ...
/.../hymns and homilies of ephraim the syrian/iii the life as amplified by.htm

Why Jesus Called them an Adulterous Generation. The Law as Husband ...
... by God as wife, that is, to the man who is law, according to what is written, "A
wife is married to a man by God;" [5573] but the other is a paramour of the ...
/.../origen/origens commentary on the gospel of matthew/4 why jesus called them.htm

Of the Fact that the False Gods do not Forbid Others to be ...
... the primal mind favours the mind that springs from it: yet Vulcan at least might
[be expected to] put under the ban the worship of Mars, the paramour of his ...
/.../augustine/the harmony of the gospels/chapter xxv of the fact that.htm

Paramour (1 Occurrence)
... 2. (n.) Love; gallantry. 3. (adv.) Alt. of Paramours. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
PARAMOUR. ... Multi-Version Concordance Paramour (1 Occurrence). ...
/p/paramour.htm - 7k

Paralyzed (11 Occurrences)

/p/paralyzed.htm - 9k

Gomer (7 Occurrences)
... She seems to have left him and become the slave of her paramour (Hosea 3:1). Hosea
is now commanded by Yahweh to buy her back, paying the price of the ordinary ...
/g/gomer.htm - 11k

Friend (139 Occurrences)
... They are popularly called Quakers. 5. (n.) A paramour of either sex. 6. (vt) To
act as the friend of; to favor; to countenance; to befriend. Int. ...
/f/friend.htm - 40k

Paint (3 Occurrences)
... Ezekiel says to Oholah-Oholibah (Judah-Israel), "didst wash thyself, paint (kachal)
thine eyes," as the adulteress prepares herself for her paramour (Ezekiel 23 ...
/p/paint.htm - 10k

Paramours (1 Occurrence)

/p/paramours.htm - 6k

Concubine (21 Occurrences)
... Corinthians 7:2). Noah Webster's Dictionary. 1. (n.) A woman who cohabits
with a man without being his wife; a paramour. 2. (n.) A ...
/c/concubine.htm - 15k

Adultery (49 Occurrences)
... the woman may have been a virgin betrothed unto a husband, the law (in Deuteronomy
22:23) providing that such a person together with her paramour be stoned to ...
/a/adultery.htm - 32k

Hosea (6 Occurrences)
... after the marriage, she finally left him and sank deeper and deeper into sin, until,
at some future time, the prophet bought her from her paramour and brought ...
/h/hosea.htm - 43k

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