What does the Bible say about committing adultery?
Bible Topic · WEB
The Bible teaches that adultery is a serious sin against God’s holy design for marriage, involving both outward unfaithfulness and sinful desire of the heart. Jesus says in Matthew 5:27-28 that lustful looking is adultery in the heart, and Luke 16:18 upholds the covenant faithfulness of marriage. Proverbs 6:32 warns of its self-destructive folly, while Leviticus 20:10 shows how gravely God judged it under the old covenant. Hebrews 13:4 calls believers to honor marriage and keep the marriage bed pure. Yet Christ receives repentant sinners, calling them to forsake sexual immorality and live by the Spirit rather than the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19).
Top passages, ranked by readers
Rankings: OpenBible.info Topical Bible (CC BY) · Scripture: World English Bible
- Matthew 5:27-28 6 votes
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery;’ but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.
- Luke 16:18 4 votes
“Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery. He who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery.
- Proverbs 6:32 4 votes
He who commits adultery with a woman is void of understanding. He who does it destroys his own soul.
- Hebrews 13:4 4 votes
Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the bed be undefiled; but God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.
- Leviticus 20:10 3 votes
“‘The man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, even he who commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
- Matthew 19:9 3 votes
I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and he who marries her when she is divorced commits adultery.”
- Revelation 21:8 3 votes
But for the cowardly, unbelieving, sinners, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their part is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
- Matthew 5:28 3 votes
but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.
- Galatians 5:19 3 votes
Now the deeds of the flesh are obvious, which are: adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness,
- Hebrews 10:26 2 votes
For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more a sacrifice for sins,
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