Adultery is defined in the Bible as a married person having sexual relations with someone other than their spouse. The Bible speaks extensively about adultery and its consequences. Here is an in-depth look at what the Bible says about the punishment for adultery:
In the Old Testament, adultery was seen as a grievous sin. The seventh of the Ten Commandments states “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14). Adultery was punishable by death: “If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death” (Leviticus 20:10). This applied to both parties who engaged in the act of adultery, whether it was a married man sleeping with another man’s wife or a married woman sleeping with another woman’s husband.
The prescribed method of execution was stoning, as described in Deuteronomy 22:22-24: “If a man is found lying with the wife of another man, both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman. So you shall purge the evil from Israel. If there is a betrothed virgin, and a man meets her in the city and lies with her, then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones.”
However, the law did make a distinction between a woman who committed adultery in the city versus in the countryside. Deuteronomy 22:25-27 states: “But if in the open country a man meets a young woman who is betrothed, and the man seizes her and lies with her, then only the man who lay with her shall die. But you shall do nothing to the young woman; she has committed no offense punishable by death. For this case is like that of a man attacking and murdering his neighbor.” The idea was that if she was in the city, she could have cried out for help, but not if she was in an isolated area.
Adultery was seen as a grievous violation of the marriage covenant. The shame and disgrace that accompanied adultery served as a deterrent against it. An adulteress risked being rejected by her community and in some cases killed by her husband or his family.
However, the law did not punish the adulterer if there was no evidence or if the woman did not cry out: “If a man is found lying with the wife of another man, but both of them say ‘It was consensual; there was no rape involved,’ the man who committed adultery with his neighbor’s wife shall be put to death, but the adulteress herself shall be spared. But if a woman is raped out in the country, away from town, and does not cry out, she shall not be punished for not crying out” (Deuteronomy 22:23-26).
In the New Testament, Jesus affirmed the gravity of adultery but challenged the notion that it should be punishable by death. When Jewish leaders brought a woman caught in adultery to Jesus to be stoned, he proclaimed “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7). Jesus forgave the woman and told her to “go and sin no more” (John 8:11).
Jesus emphasized looking at one’s own heart first before condemning others. He said that lustful thoughts can be adulterous too: “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).
The apostle Paul described adulterers as people who will face judgment from God: “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality… will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). However, he also preached forgiveness for sinners who repent.
While adultery is clearly considered a sin, the Bible does not prescribe a specific earthly punishment for it in the New Testament. Adulterers are warned that they will face divine judgment, but the response is to preach repentance and restoration through Christ rather than condemnation.
Several key points emerge about the biblical perspective on the punishment for adultery:
- Adultery was punishable by death in the Old Testament, per the Mosaic law.
- Both parties who engaged in adultery were to be put to death.
- Stoning was the prescribed method of execution.
- Adultery deeply violated the marriage covenant.
- Jesus affirmed the sinfulness of adultery but not the death penalty.
- Lust is equated to adultery of the heart.
- Adulterers face judgment but forgiveness is possible through repentance.
- No specific earthly punishment is mandated in the New Testament.
In summary, adultery is consistently condemned in both the Old and New Testaments. According to Mosaic law, the penalty was death for both parties involved. However, Jesus emphasized forgiveness, restoration, and allowing God to pass final judgment on unrepentant sinners. The focus shifted from punishment to redemption, though adultery remained a grievous sin. While the violation of marriage through adultery has not changed, God’s desired response appears to be repentance and forgiveness whenever possible, while ultimately leaving judgment to God.
Although adultery irrevocably damages relationships and has devastating emotional consequences, the Bible’s prescription centers on redemption through Christ. Adulterers are urged to repent and turn to God for forgiveness. Spouses are exhorted to guard their hearts and minds, fulfill their marital duties, and seek reconciliation if possible. The church is called to preach faithfulness within marriage and offer guidance to those struggling with adultery. And God promises to restore those who humbly repent, even such serious sins as adultery.