Adultery is defined as voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and someone other than their lawful spouse. It is considered a sin in the Bible and has serious spiritual and practical consequences. Here is an overview of what the Bible says about adultery:
Adultery is prohibited by God
The Seventh Commandment given to Moses states plainly: “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14). This principle is repeated numerous times throughout Scripture (Leviticus 18:20, Deuteronomy 5:18, Matthew 5:27, Romans 13:9, etc.). God created marriage and expressly forbids adultery as a violation of the marriage covenant.
Adultery is a sin against your own body
The New Testament describes adultery as a sin against your own body due to the sexual immorality it involves: “Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body” (1 Corinthians 6:18). When you commit adultery, you are sinning against the one flesh union you have with your spouse (Genesis 2:24).
Adultery defiles the marital bed
The sanctity of marriage is polluted by acts of adultery. Hebrews 13:4 declares, “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” Adultery brings disgrace and judgment in place of honor and purity.
Adultery often begins in the heart and mind
While the physical act consummates adultery, the seeds are often planted through lustful thoughts and intentions first. Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:27-28). Guarding your heart is crucial to avoiding adultery.
Adultery has destructive consequences
Adultery never leads to positive long-term results. It destroys trust and intimacy in marriage. “Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned? Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched?” (Proverbs 6:27-28). The fallout from adultery is painful for all involved.
Adultery is grounds for divorce
Jesus taught that adultery basically dissolves the oneness of marriage, giving the offended spouse grounds to end the marriage if they choose: “I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery” (Matthew 5:32). However, forgiveness and reconciliation are possible with repentance.
God promises to judge adulterers
Hebrews 13:4 warns that “God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” Those who commit adultery and refuse to repent will face eternal consequences. But 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 also notes that some former adulterers in Corinth had been washed, sanctified and justified by Christ. Through sincere repentance, adulterers can receive God’s forgiveness.
Examples of adultery in the Bible
Several prominent accounts of adultery, and the shame and ruin it brings, are recorded in Scripture as warnings to us:
– David’s adultery with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11) led to the death of her husband Uriah as well as the death of David’s newborn son.
– Samson’s relations with Delilah (Judges 16) led to the loss of his strength, his eyesight, and ultimately his life.
– Solomon’s many wives (1 Kings 11:1-3) turned his heart from the Lord, for which God tore the kingdom from his son Rehoboam.
Overcoming the temptation of adultery
The Bible lays out many antidotes to adultery which believers are wise to heed:
– Job 31:1 – “I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin?” Guard your eyes and thoughts. Don’t entertain lustful thinking.
– Proverbs 5:18 – “Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth.” Cultivate satisfaction and joy in your spouse.
– Proverbs 7:24-27 – Avoid temptation and isolation with members of the opposite sex. Don’t flirt with disaster.
– 1 Corinthians 7:2 – “But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.” Marry to preclude burning with passion.
– Ephesians 5:25 – “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” Sacrificial love opposes selfish lust.
Forgiveness and hope for repentant adulterers
Adultery is a grievous sin, but through genuine repentance and faith in Christ, forgiveness and reconciliation are possible.
– Adulterers must humble themselves and confess (James 4:7-10) rather than cover up their sin.
– They must seek cleansing and restoration through Christ’s redemptive work (1 John 1:9) rather than wallow in condemnation.
– With support, counseling, and accountability, adulterers can rebuild broken trust and intimacy with their spouse.
– God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16), so believers are called to extend grace and forgiveness to penitent adulterers whenever possible (Ephesians 4:32).
– However, repeated unrepentance may necessitate divorce for the protection of the innocent spouse (Matthew 19:9).
The good news of the gospel is that sinners like all of us, including adulterers, can receive new life in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). By God’s grace, adultery does not have to be a life sentence. When brought into the light, it can catalyze deeper healing, humility, and wholeness in relationships with God and others.
Key Bible verses about adultery
Here is a summary of some of the major Bible verses about adultery:
Exodus 20:14 – “You shall not commit adultery.” (Part of the Ten Commandments)
Leviticus 20:10 – “If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.”
Proverbs 6:32 – “He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself.”
Matthew 5:28 – “Everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
Hebrews 13:4 – “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.”
James 4:4 – “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?”
Final thoughts on adultery and the Bible
Adultery is a serious sin, destructive to individuals and relationships. However, through God’s grace, forgiveness, and transformative power, it does not have to be a life sentence for either the adulterer or the one who was wronged.
When discovered and confronted, adultery provides opportunity for honesty, vulnerability, and growth as sinners are reminded of their need for Christ. For believers who stumble into this sin, God’s mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). As painful as it is, adultery can catalyze deeper intimacy with God and one’s spouse in the long run, producing greater humility, openness, and commitment.
Though intensely personal, adultery is not an unforgivable sin. Supporting and counseling an adulterer back to spiritual and relational health reflects Christ’s reconciling love. However, repeated unrepentance necessitates firm boundaries, godly correction, and sometimes divorce for the protection of the innocent spouse and as a witness to the gravity of the sin.
By God’s grace and with loving communal support, hearts scarred by adultery can be healed, and its tendency purged. Adultery does not have to be any believer’s story—only a chapter through which God redeems. His mercies are endless for all who repent and look to Christ (Psalm 103:11-12).