The Seventh Commandment: Do Not Commit Adultery¶

Question¶

What does the Bible say about the seventh commandment? Trace the creation foundation of marriage (Gen 2:24 -- "one flesh," pre-Sinai). What does Leviticus 18 say about sexual ethics, and how does its introduction (Lev 18:24-30 -- the Canaanites judged for the same violations) establish the scope? How does Jesus deepen this to lust (Mat 5:27-28) and address divorce (Mat 19:3-9)? What do Paul (1 Cor 6:18-20; Rom 1:26-27), the author of Hebrews (13:4), and Revelation (21:8; 22:15) say?

Summary Answer¶

The seventh commandment, "Thou shalt not commit adultery" (Exo 20:14), uses the Hebrew verb naaph (H5003), which specifically denotes violation of the marriage covenant. This commandment rests on the creation foundation of Gen 2:24, where God established the one-flesh union of husband and wife before Sinai. Leviticus 18 expands the scope to 12+ categories of sexual sin and states that the Canaanites were judged for these same violations (Lev 18:24-30), establishing the sexual ethic as universal. Jesus deepens the commandment to the heart level -- lustful intent constitutes adultery (Mat 5:27-28) -- and restricts divorce to the ground of porneia (Mat 19:9), appealing to the creation standard ("from the beginning it was not so"). Paul grounds sexual purity in the body-as-temple theology (1 Cor 6:19-20), identifies homosexual acts as "against nature" (Rom 1:26-27), and states that the sexually immoral will not inherit the kingdom (1 Cor 6:9-10; Gal 5:19-21). Hebrews affirms marriage as honorable and the bed undefiled, but declares that "whoremongers and adulterers God will judge" (Heb 13:4). Revelation places the sexually immoral in the lake of fire (21:8) and outside the New Jerusalem (22:15).

Key Verses¶

Exodus 20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Genesis 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Leviticus 18:24-25 Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.

Matthew 5:27-28 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

Matthew 19:4-6,8-9 Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. ... Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery.

1 Corinthians 6:18-20 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

Romans 1:26-27 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

Hebrews 13:4 Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.

Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Evidence Classification¶

1. Explicit Statements¶

#	Explicit Statement	Reference	Category
E407	"Thou shalt not commit adultery" -- the seventh commandment uses lo tinaaph (H5003), a Qal Imperfect prohibitive specifically denoting violation of the marriage covenant	Exo 20:14	Commandment Scope
E408	"Neither shalt thou commit adultery" -- Deuteronomic parallel, identical verb form (tinaaph) with waw-conjunction	Deu 5:18	Commandment Scope
E409	"Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh" -- the creation institution of marriage, pre-Sinai	Gen 2:24	Theological Significance
E410	God told Abimelech: "Thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife" and "I also withheld thee from sinning against me" -- taking another man's wife is sin against God, recognized pre-Sinai by a non-Israelite	Gen 20:3,6	Biblical Application
E411	Abimelech said: "One of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us" and decreed death for touching Isaac's wife -- pre-Sinai moral awareness among Philistines	Gen 26:10-11	Biblical Application
E412	Joseph refused Potiphar's wife, saying: "how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" -- adultery identified as "great wickedness" and "sin against God" before Sinai	Gen 39:9	Biblical Application
E413	Leviticus 18 prohibits incest (vv.6-18), adultery (v.20), homosexual acts -- "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination" (v.22), and bestiality -- "it is confusion" (v.23)	Lev 18:6-23	Commandment Scope
E414	"Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you" -- the Canaanites were judged for the same sexual violations, applying to "any of your own nation, nor any stranger"	Lev 18:24-26	Commandment Scope
E415	"The man that committeth adultery with another man's wife...the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death"	Lev 20:10	Biblical Application
E416	"If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death"	Lev 20:13	Biblical Application
E417	"If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die" -- betrothed women treated with same gravity as married	Deu 22:22-24	Biblical Application
E418	Moses regulated divorce: "When a man hath taken a wife...and he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement" -- Deu 24:1-4 permits but does not command divorce	Deu 24:1-4	Biblical Application
E419	"Lust not after her beauty in thine heart" -- OT anticipation of Jesus' heart-level teaching	Pro 6:25	Commandment Scope
E420	"Whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul"	Pro 6:32	Commandment Scope
E421	"Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death" -- adultery leads to death	Pro 7:27	Commandment Scope
E422	"The LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously (bagad): yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant" and "he hateth putting away"	Mal 2:14,16	Theological Significance
E423	Jesus quotes the seventh commandment and extends it: "whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her (pros to epithumesai, G1937) hath committed adultery with her already in his heart"	Mat 5:27-28	NT Treatment
E424	Jesus states: "whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication (porneia, G4202), causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery"	Mat 5:32	NT Treatment
E425	Jesus appeals to creation: "He which made them at the beginning made them male and female" and quotes Gen 2:24, concluding "What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder"	Mat 19:4-6	NT Treatment
E426	Jesus states: "Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so" -- the Mosaic divorce provision was a concession, not the creation ideal	Mat 19:8	NT Treatment
E427	Jesus rules: "Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication (porneia), and shall marry another, committeth adultery (moichatai, G3429)"	Mat 19:9	NT Treatment
E428	Mark records: "Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery" -- no exception clause in Mark	Mrk 10:11-12	NT Treatment
E429	Luke records: "Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery" -- no exception clause in Luke	Luk 16:18	NT Treatment
E430	"Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries (moicheia), fornications (porneia)" -- both originate from the heart	Mat 15:19; Mrk 7:21	NT Treatment
E431	Jesus tells the woman caught in adultery: "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more" -- adultery is called sin, and cessation is commanded	Jhn 8:11	NT Treatment
E432	"God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use (phusiken chresin) into that which is against nature (para phusin): And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly"	Rom 1:26-27	NT Treatment
E433	"The woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed...if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress (moichalis)"	Rom 7:2-3	NT Treatment
E434	Paul quotes the seventh commandment first among five Decalogue commands: "Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal...it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself"	Rom 13:9	NT Treatment
E435	"There is fornication (porneia) among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife" -- Paul commands excommunication for incest (a Lev 18 violation)	1 Cor 5:1	NT Treatment
E436	"Neither fornicators (pornoi), nor idolaters, nor adulterers (moichoi), nor effeminate (malakoi), nor abusers of themselves with mankind (arsenokoitai)...shall inherit the kingdom of God"	1 Cor 6:9-10	NT Treatment
E437	"And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified" -- transformation from sexual sin is possible through grace	1 Cor 6:11	NT Treatment
E438	"The body is not for fornication (porneia), but for the Lord"	1 Cor 6:13	NT Treatment
E439	"Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot?" and Paul quotes Gen 2:24: "two...shall be one flesh" (1 Cor 6:16)	1 Cor 6:15-16	NT Treatment
E440	"Flee fornication (porneia)...he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body" -- sexual sin uniquely sins against one's own body	1 Cor 6:18	NT Treatment
E441	"Your body is the temple (naos) of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own. For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body"	1 Cor 6:19-20	Theological Significance
E442	"To avoid fornication (porneia), let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband" -- marriage as remedy against porneia	1 Cor 7:2	NT Treatment
E443	"The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife" -- mutual bodily authority in marriage	1 Cor 7:4	NT Treatment
E444	Paul commands: "Let not the wife depart from her husband...and let not the husband put away his wife" and "If the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases"	1 Cor 7:10-11,15	NT Treatment
E445	"The works of the flesh are manifest...Adultery (moicheia), fornication (porneia), uncleanness, lasciviousness...they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God"	Gal 5:19,21	NT Treatment
E446	"Fornication (porneia), and all uncleanness...let it not be once named among you" and "no whoremonger (pornos), nor unclean person...hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God"	Eph 5:3,5	NT Treatment
E447	"This is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication (porneia)...God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness"	1 Th 4:3,7	NT Treatment
E448	"The law is...for whoremongers (pornoi), for them that defile themselves with mankind (arsenokoitai)" -- the law addresses sexual sin	1 Tim 1:9-10	NT Treatment
E449	"Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed (koite) undefiled: but whoremongers (pornous, G4205) and adulterers (moichous, G3432) God will judge (krinei, Future Active)"	Heb 13:4	NT Treatment
E450	"He that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law" -- the law's unity demonstrated by pairing 7th and 6th commandments	Jas 2:11	NT Treatment
E451	"Having eyes full of adultery (moichalis), and that cannot cease from sin" -- persistent lustful looking described as adultery	2 Pe 2:14	NT Treatment
E452	"Sodom and Gomorrha...giving themselves over to fornication (ekporneuo), and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire"	Jude 1:7	NT Treatment
E453	Christ threatens the church at Thyatira: "I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent"	Rev 2:22	NT Treatment
E454	"Whoremongers (pornoi)...shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death"	Rev 21:8	NT Treatment
E455	"Without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers (pornoi), and murderers, and idolaters" -- the sexually immoral permanently excluded from the New Jerusalem	Rev 22:15	NT Treatment
E456	"Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication (porneia), uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry"	Col 3:5	NT Treatment
E457	"Backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce" and "I am married unto you" -- God describes Himself as Israel's husband and Israel's idolatry as adultery	Jer 3:8,14	Biblical Application
E458	Ezekiel describes the just man as one who "hath not...defiled his neighbour's wife" -- sexual purity is a marker of righteousness	Ezk 18:5-6	Biblical Application
E459	Judah sentenced Tamar: "Bring her forth, and let her be burnt" -- pre-Sinai capital treatment of sexual immorality	Gen 38:24	Biblical Application
E460	God created humanity "male and female" and commanded "Be fruitful, and multiply" -- the male-female distinction and reproductive union established at creation	Gen 1:27-28	Theological Significance

2. Necessary Implications¶

#	Necessary Implication	Based on	Why it is unavoidable
N061	The seventh commandment's moral content existed before Sinai. God called taking another man's wife "sinning against me" (E410), a Philistine king recognized adultery as guilt-bringing (E411), Joseph called it "great wickedness and sin against God" (E412), and Judah sentenced Tamar to death for sexual immorality (E459) -- all before Sinai.	E410, E411, E412, E459	Four independent pre-Sinai incidents, involving both Israelites and non-Israelites, identify sexual immorality as sin. No reader could deny that the text presents this moral awareness as existing before Sinai.
N062	The sexual ethic of Leviticus 18 is universal in scope, not limited to Israel. The text states the Canaanites (who had no Mosaic code) were expelled for the same violations (E414), and the prohibitions apply to "any stranger that sojourneth among you" (Lev 18:26).	E414	The text explicitly states the Canaanites committed these acts and were judged for them. It explicitly applies the standard to foreigners. The universality is stated in the text.
N063	Jesus treats the creation standard of Gen 2:24 as the governing norm for marriage, subordinating the Mosaic divorce provision to it. He quotes Gen 2:24 (E425), calls the Mosaic rule a concession to "hardness of heart" (E426), and states "from the beginning it was not so."	E409, E425, E426	Jesus explicitly contrasts creation ("from the beginning") with Moses ("because of the hardness of your hearts") and assigns priority to creation. The subordination of Moses to creation is stated in the text.
N064	Jesus extends the seventh commandment from the outward act to the inward disposition. He quotes Exo 20:14 and states that lustful looking "hath committed adultery...already in his heart" (E423).	E407, E423	Jesus explicitly connects the commandment text (E407) to heart-level intent (E423). The extension is stated in his own words.
N065	The marriage bond is permanent until death. Paul states the woman is "bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth" and that remarriage while the husband lives makes her "an adulteress" (E433). Jesus states "What God hath joined together, let not man put asunder" (E425).	E425, E433	Both Jesus and Paul explicitly state that the marriage bond endures as long as both spouses live. No reader could deny that the text presents marriage as a lifelong covenant.
N066	Paul treats the seventh commandment as continuing and binding on NT believers. He quotes it first among five Decalogue commands summarized in love (E434), and commands believers to "flee fornication" (E440) grounded in body-temple theology (E441).	E434, E440, E441	Paul's quotation of the commandment (E434) within an instruction to believers, and his command to flee fornication with theological grounding (E440, E441), constitute explicit treatment of the commandment as currently operative.
N067	Unrepentant sexual immorality excludes from the kingdom of God and the new creation. Paul states fornicators, adulterers, and arsenokoitai shall not inherit the kingdom (E436, E445, E446). Revelation places whoremongers (pornoi) in the lake of fire (E454) and outside the New Jerusalem (E455).	E436, E445, E446, E454, E455	Multiple independent NT witnesses (Paul, John) state the same exclusion. The consistency across authors and the explicit language of exclusion leave no alternative reading.
N068	Paul identifies homosexual acts as contrary to the created order. He describes women exchanging "the natural use" for that which is "against nature" (para phusin) and men "leaving the natural use of the woman" (E432). Leviticus calls the same acts "abomination" (E413, E416).	E413, E416, E432	Paul's language of "natural use" and "against nature" explicitly invokes a creation-based standard. Leviticus uses "abomination." Both address the same acts. The text identifies these acts as departures from a normative order.

3. Inferences¶

#	Claim	Type	What the Bible actually says	Why this is an inference	Criteria
I036-A	The seventh commandment, though using the narrow term naaph (adultery proper), implies a comprehensive sexual ethic covering all forms of sexual sin outside the one-flesh marriage of Gen 2:24.	I-A	E407 uses naaph (marital infidelity). E413-E414 expand to 12+ categories (Lev 18). E423 extends to lustful intent (Mat 5:28). E432 addresses homosexual acts (Rom 1:26-27). E440 commands flight from all porneia (1 Cor 6:18). E449 names both pornoi and moichoi under judgment (Heb 13:4).	Each individual expansion is explicit in the text. The claim that the narrow commandment "implies a comprehensive sexual ethic" systematizes all these expansions into a single doctrine. All components are in the E/N tables.	#5 (systematizing)
I037-A	The sexual ethic traces a consistent arc from creation (Gen 2:24) through the Decalogue (Exo 20:14), Mosaic legislation (Lev 18), Proverbs (chs. 5-7), the Prophets (Jer, Ezk, Hos, Mal), Jesus' teaching (Mat 5; 19), the apostolic writings (Rom, 1 Cor, Gal, Eph, Col, 1 Th, 1 Tim, Heb, Jas, 1-2 Pe, Jude), to Revelation (21:8; 22:15) -- with no biblical author departing from this trajectory.	I-A	E409 (creation), E407-E408 (Decalogue), E413-E414 (Lev 18), E419-E421 (Proverbs), E422 (Malachi), E457 (Jeremiah), E458 (Ezekiel), E423-E431 (Jesus), E432-E448 (Paul), E449-E451 (other NT), E452 (Jude), E453-E455 (Revelation).	Each passage is individually explicit. The claim of a "consistent arc with no departure" synthesizes data points from across the entire canon into a unified trajectory. All components are in E/N tables; the synthesis is systematization.	#5 (systematizing)
I038-A	Marriage is presented as a divine covenant institution, not merely a social contract. God established it at creation (E409), calls Himself Israel's husband (E457), calls it a "covenant" through Malachi (E422), Jesus says "God hath joined together" (E425), and Paul grounds the body in divine ownership (E441).	I-A	E409, E422, E425, E441, E457 each state an aspect of marriage's divine character. The claim that marriage is a "divine covenant institution, not merely a social contract" synthesizes these into a unified theological framework. All vocabulary comes from the E/N tables.	#5 (systematizing)
I039-A	The body-temple theology provides the theological foundation for the seventh commandment in the NT era. The body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (E441), joined to Christ as members (E439), bought with a price (E441), and therefore must flee fornication (E440) because fornication uniquely sins against one's own body (E440).	I-A	E439, E440, E441 each state a distinct theological truth. The claim that these form "the theological foundation" for the seventh commandment in the NT era systematizes them into a doctrinal framework. All components are in E/N tables.	#5 (systematizing)
I040-A	The prophetic use of adultery/whoredom as a metaphor for Israel's spiritual unfaithfulness presupposes and reinforces the literal seventh commandment. Jeremiah describes God as Israel's husband and idolatry as adultery (E457). Hosea lists literal and figurative adultery together (E379/Hos 4:2). The figurative usage derives its force from the literal prohibition.	I-A	E457, E379, and the Ezekiel/Hosea passages each use the metaphor. The claim that the figurative use "presupposes and reinforces" the literal commandment connects multiple figurative usages with the literal prohibition to form a doctrinal statement. All vocabulary is in E/N tables.	#5 (systematizing)
I041-B	The porneia exception clause in Mat 19:9 (E427) permits divorce and remarriage on the ground of sexual immorality, while the parallel accounts in Mark (E428) and Luke (E429) record no exception, presenting the teaching as absolute.	I-B	FOR the exception: E424 and E427 state "except it be for fornication/porneia." AGAINST: E428 and E429 contain no exception clause. E425 states "let not man put asunder" without qualification.	E/N items exist on both sides. Matthew records an exception; Mark and Luke do not. This requires choosing between possible readings: either the exception is understood in Mark/Luke, or Matthew adds a qualification not present in the other accounts.	#2 (choosing between possible readings)

I-B Resolution: I041 -- Porneia Exception Clause¶

Step 1: Identify tension. - FOR the exception clause: E424 (Mat 5:32 -- "saving for the cause of fornication"), E427 (Mat 19:9 -- "except it be for fornication"). - AGAINST (no exception): E428 (Mrk 10:11-12 -- no exception stated), E429 (Luk 16:18 -- no exception stated), E425 (Mat 19:6 -- "let not man put asunder" without qualification).

Step 2: Assess clarity. - E424, E427 -- Plain: Jesus explicitly states an exception ("except/saving for porneia"). The exception clause is present in the text. - E428 -- Contextually Clear: Mark records the teaching without an exception clause. The absence of a clause does not necessarily deny its existence; it may reflect a different emphasis or audience. - E429 -- Contextually Clear: Luke likewise records no exception. Same consideration as Mark. - E425 -- Contextually Clear: "Let not man put asunder" is a general principle stated in the same discourse as E427. The exception in v.9 qualifies the general principle in v.6.

Step 3: Count and weigh. - Plain statements affirming an exception: E424, E427 (2 items, both from Jesus' own words in Matthew's Gospel). - Contextually Clear statements without exception: E428, E429 (2 items). These do not contradict the exception; they omit it. - E425 is part of the same passage as E427 and is qualified by it.

Step 4: Apply SIS. The plain statements (E424, E427) contain the exception. The contextually clear statements (E428, E429) omit it but do not deny it. In the same Matthew 19 discourse, Jesus states both the general principle (E425, "let not man put asunder") and the specific exception (E427, "except it be for porneia"). The exception qualifies the general principle within the same passage. Mark and Luke's omission is consistent with a condensed account rather than a denial. However, the precise scope of porneia in the exception clause (whether it covers only pre-marital unfaithfulness, adultery, or broader sexual immorality) is not specified in the text.

Step 5: Resolution -- Moderate. The text states an exception clause in Matthew (twice). Mark and Luke omit it but do not contradict it. The existence of an exception on the ground of porneia is stated in the text; its precise scope is not fully specified.

Verification Phase¶

Step A: Verify Explicit Statements¶

E407-E460: Each statement directly quotes or closely paraphrases actual verse text. Each represents the plain lexical meaning of the words in the cited passage.
Spot checks: E407 quotes Exo 20:14 with lexical annotation; E423 quotes Mat 5:27-28; E432 quotes Rom 1:26-27; E449 quotes Heb 13:4; E454 quotes Rev 21:8.
Verified: All E items are genuine explicit statements.

Step B: Verify Necessary Implications¶

N061 (pre-Sinai moral awareness): Four independent texts (E410, E411, E412, E459) record pre-Sinai recognition. Pass all three N-tier tests: universally acknowledged from the texts, no interpretation required, no concept added.
N062 (universal scope of Lev 18): E414 states Canaanites judged for same violations and applies to strangers. Pass.
N063 (creation standard governs): Jesus explicitly contrasts creation with Moses (E425, E426). Pass.
N064 (extension to heart): Jesus explicitly states it (E423). Pass.
N065 (marriage permanent until death): Paul (E433) and Jesus (E425) both state it. Pass.
N066 (commandment continues): Paul quotes it to believers (E434) and grounds sexual purity theologically (E440, E441). Pass.
N067 (eschatological exclusion): Multiple witnesses state the same exclusion (E436, E445, E446, E454, E455). Pass.
N068 (homosexual acts contrary to created order): Paul explicitly uses "natural use" and "against nature" (E432); Leviticus calls it "abomination" (E413, E416). Pass.

Step C: Verify Inference Classifications (Source Test)¶

I036-A through I040-A: Each claim's components are found in the E/N tables. Stripped of systematization, all vocabulary and concepts come from E/N items. Text-derived.
I041-B: Components from E/N tables on both sides (E424/E427 FOR; E428/E429 AGAINST). Text-derived.

Step D: Verify Inference Classifications (Direction Test)¶

I036-A through I040-A: None require any E/N statement to mean something other than its plain lexical value. They only systematize multiple E/N items. I-A confirmed.
I041-B: The tension between Matthew's exception clause and Mark/Luke's omission means both sides cite E/N items. I-B confirmed.

Step E: Consistency Checks¶

Every I-A (I036-A through I040-A): Each requires only criterion #5 (systematizing). Pass.
I-B (I041-B): E/N items on BOTH sides (E424/E427 FOR the exception; E428/E429 without it). Pass.
No I-C or I-D items present.

Tally Summary¶

Explicit statements: 54 (E407-E460)
Necessary implications: 8 (N061-N068)
Inferences: 6
I-A (Evidence-Extending): 5
I-B (Competing-Evidence): 1 (resolved: Moderate)
I-C (Compatible External): 0
I-D (Counter-Evidence External): 0

What CAN Be Said (Scripture explicitly states or necessarily implies)¶

The seventh commandment states "Thou shalt not commit adultery" (Exo 20:14), using the Hebrew verb naaph (H5003), which specifically denotes violation of the marriage covenant (E407, E408).
Marriage is a creation institution established by God before Sinai: "a man shall leave his father and mother, and cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh" (Gen 2:24) (E409).
The moral content of the seventh commandment existed before Sinai. Non-Israelites recognized adultery as sinful and punishable by death (E410, E411, E412, E459, N061).
Leviticus 18 expands the seventh commandment's scope to 12+ categories of sexual sin: incest, adultery, homosexual acts, bestiality (E413).
The Canaanites were judged for the same sexual violations, establishing the sexual ethic as universal in scope (E414, N062).
Homosexual acts are called "abomination" in the OT (E413, E416) and "against nature" in the NT (E432, N068).
Jesus extends the seventh commandment from the outward act to the inward disposition: lustful intent constitutes adultery in the heart (E423, N064).
Jesus appeals to the creation standard (Gen 2:24) as the governing norm for marriage, subordinating the Mosaic divorce provision to it (E425, E426, N063).
Divorce and remarriage constitute adultery except on the ground of porneia (E424, E427). Mark and Luke record the teaching without the exception clause (E428, E429).
The marriage bond endures as long as both spouses live. Remarriage while the spouse lives is adultery (E433, N065).
Marriage is called a "covenant" (berith), and divorce is called "treachery" (bagad) (E422).
Paul treats the seventh commandment as continuing and binding. He quotes it among the Decalogue commands summarized in love (E434, N066).
The body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, bought with a price (E441). Sexual sin uniquely sins against one's own body (E440).
Paul commands believers to "flee fornication" (E440).
Fornicators, adulterers, and arsenokoitai will not inherit the kingdom of God (E436, E445, E446, N067).
Marriage is honorable and the marriage bed is undefiled, but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge (E449).
Whoremongers (pornoi) are placed in the lake of fire (E454) and excluded from the New Jerusalem (E455).
Repentance and transformation from sexual sin are possible: "such were some of you: but ye are washed" (E437).
God describes Himself as Israel's husband, and Israel's idolatry as adultery (E457).
The just man is described as one who has not defiled his neighbor's wife (E458).

What CANNOT Be Said (not explicitly stated or necessarily implied by Scripture)¶

The text does not specify the precise scope of porneia in the exception clause of Mat 19:9 -- whether it refers to pre-marital sexual sin, adultery, or a broader category of sexual immorality.
The text does not explicitly state whether the "not under bondage" clause of 1 Cor 7:15 permits remarriage after abandonment by an unbelieving spouse, or only releases from the obligation to maintain the marriage.
The text does not address the modern concept of sexual orientation as a category; it addresses sexual acts and desires.
The text does not provide a single systematic definition of porneia that resolves all its contextual uses into one meaning.
The text does not state whether the absence of the exception clause in Mark and Luke means those authors denied the exception or simply did not include it.
The text does not specify the mechanism by which the pre-Sinai moral awareness of sexual ethics was transmitted (whether by oral tradition, direct revelation, or conscience).
The text does not state that adultery is the unforgivable sin -- 1 Cor 6:11 states transformation is possible, and Jhn 8:11 calls for cessation of sin.

Word Studies¶

Hebrew Terms¶

naaph (H5003): "To commit adultery" -- the verb in Exo 20:14. Specifically denotes violation of the marriage covenant. Narrower than zanah. 31 occurrences. Used both literally (Lev 20:10; Jer 7:9; Hos 4:2) and figuratively for spiritual apostasy (Jer 3:8-9; Ezk 16:32; Hos 3:1).
zanah (H2181): "To commit fornication, play the harlot" -- broader than naaph. 93 occurrences. Covers prostitution, harlotry, and sexual immorality generally. Dominant in prophetic literature for idolatry as spiritual prostitution.
bagad (H898): "To deal treacherously" -- used in Mal 2:14-16 for divorce as covenant betrayal. 49 occurrences. Elevates the marriage bond to covenant status.

Greek Terms¶

moicheuo (G3431): "To commit adultery" -- Greek equivalent of naaph via LXX. 14 occurrences. Used in Mat 5:27 (quoting the commandment), Mat 5:28 (lustful intent), Rom 13:9, Jas 2:11.
moichao (G3429): "To commit adultery" (middle voice) -- appears specifically in divorce/remarriage contexts (Mat 5:32; 19:9; Mrk 10:11-12). 6 occurrences.
porneia (G4202): "Fornication, sexual immorality" -- broader than moicheia. 26 occurrences. Includes adultery, pre-marital sex, incest (1 Cor 5:1), prostitution. Used in Mat 19:9 exception clause.
pornos (G4205): "Fornicator, whoremonger" -- 10 occurrences. Used in eschatological exclusion lists (1 Cor 6:9; Eph 5:5; Heb 13:4; Rev 21:8; 22:15).
arsenokoitai (G733): Compound of arsen ("male") + koite ("bed"), echoing LXX of Lev 18:22 and 20:13. Used in 1 Cor 6:9 and 1 Tim 1:10. The word's formation directly links the NT prohibition to Levitical legislation.
epithumeo (G1937): "To set the heart upon, desire" -- not inherently negative (Luk 22:15; 1 Tim 3:1). In Mat 5:28, the purpose clause (pros to + infinitive) specifies sinful intent.
koite (G2845): "Bed, cohabitation" -- positive in Heb 13:4 ("bed undefiled"), negative in Rom 13:13 ("chambering"). Context determines moral valence.
apostasion (G647): "Certificate of divorce" -- 3 occurrences (Mat 5:31; 19:7; Mrk 10:4). Translates the Hebrew concept of Deu 24:1.

Final Synthesis¶

The seventh commandment, "Thou shalt not commit adultery" (Exo 20:14), protects the one-flesh union that God established at creation (Gen 2:24). The Hebrew verb naaph (H5003) specifically targets violation of the marriage covenant, but the commandment's application extends far beyond adultery proper.

Creation Foundation. The sexual ethic begins in Genesis 2:24, where God establishes the pattern: leave, cleave, one flesh. This predates Sinai by centuries. Jesus appeals directly to this creation baseline when addressing divorce (Mat 19:4-6), stating "from the beginning it was not so" (Mat 19:8) and thereby subordinating the Mosaic divorce concession to the creation standard. Paul quotes Gen 2:24 in 1 Cor 6:16 to demonstrate that sexual union creates a one-flesh bond even in illicit contexts, and in Eph 5:31 as a type of Christ and the church.

Pre-Sinai Universality. The commandment's moral content was recognized before Sinai. God warned Abimelech that taking another man's wife was "sinning against me" (Gen 20:6). A Philistine king recognized that adultery brings "guiltiness" (Gen 26:10-11). Joseph called it "great wickedness, and sin against God" (Gen 39:9). Judah sentenced Tamar to death for sexual immorality (Gen 38:24). These incidents demonstrate that the prohibition was not a new revelation at Sinai but the formalization of an existing moral standard recognized by Israelites and non-Israelites alike.

Leviticus 18: Comprehensive Scope. The seventh commandment is the gateway to the comprehensive sexual ethic of Leviticus 18, which prohibits incest (13 specific relationships, vv.6-18), adultery (v.20), homosexual acts ("abomination," v.22), and bestiality ("confusion," v.23). The chapter's conclusion (vv.24-30) states that the Canaanites -- who had no access to the Mosaic code -- were expelled from the land for these same violations. The prohibitions apply to "any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you" (v.26). This establishes the sexual ethic as universal in scope, not limited to Israel.

Jesus' Two-fold Deepening. Jesus addresses the seventh commandment twice in Matthew 5. First, he extends it to the heart: "whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart" (Mat 5:28). The Greek construction (pros to epithumesai -- "for the purpose of lusting") identifies the deliberate cultivation of sexual desire as the point of guilt. Second, he restricts divorce: putting away one's wife "causeth her to commit adultery," with porneia as the sole stated ground for exception (Mat 5:32). In Matthew 19:3-9, Jesus grounds marriage in creation (Gen 2:24), identifies the Mosaic provision as a concession, and rules that divorce and remarriage constitute adultery "except for porneia."

The Porneia Exception. Jesus uses porneia (G4202), not moicheia (G3430), in the exception clause. Porneia's broader semantic range covers all forms of sexual immorality, not only adultery. Mark 10:11-12 and Luke 16:18 record the same teaching without the exception clause. The text states that the exception exists (in Matthew, twice); it does not specify the precise scope of porneia in this context, and the other Synoptics do not include it.

Paul's Body-Temple Theology. Paul provides the theological foundation for the commandment's continuing force. The believer's body is the temple (naos -- the inner sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19). The body is "not for fornication, but for the Lord" (1 Cor 6:13). Sexual union with a prostitute creates a one-flesh bond that desecrates Christ's members (1 Cor 6:15-16). Fornication uniquely "sinneth against his own body" (1 Cor 6:18). The command is emphatic: "Flee fornication" (1 Cor 6:18) -- not resist, not negotiate, but flee. The theological basis is divine ownership: "ye are not your own...ye are bought with a price" (1 Cor 6:19-20).

Romans 1:26-27. Paul identifies homosexual acts as "against nature" (para phusin), describing women exchanging "the natural use" and men "leaving the natural use of the woman." The language of exchange and abandonment implies a departure from a normative created order. This connects to Leviticus 18:22 ("abomination") and 20:13 (death penalty). The compound arsenokoitai in 1 Cor 6:9 and 1 Tim 1:10, formed from arsen ("male") + koite ("bed"), echoes the LXX vocabulary of the Levitical prohibitions.

Marriage Permanence and Divorce. The marriage bond endures as long as both spouses live (Rom 7:2-3). Paul commands married couples not to divorce (1 Cor 7:10-11). For mixed marriages, the believing spouse should not initiate divorce (1 Cor 7:12-13). If the unbelieving spouse departs, the believer is "not under bondage" (1 Cor 7:15). Malachi frames divorce as "treachery" (bagad) against "the wife of thy covenant" and states God "hateth putting away" (Mal 2:14-16).

Hebrews 13:4. This verse provides the fullest single-verse summary: the positive affirmation ("Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled") paired with the negative warning ("but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge"). The marriage bed (koite) is "undefiled" (amiantos) when within God's design. Both pornous (fornicators, broader) and moichous (adulterers, specific) face certain divine judgment.

Eschatological Exclusion. The sexually immoral face ultimate exclusion. Paul states that fornicators, adulterers, and arsenokoitai "shall not inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor 6:9-10; Gal 5:19-21). Revelation places "whoremongers" in the lake of fire (Rev 21:8) and outside the New Jerusalem (Rev 22:15). Jude presents Sodom and Gomorrah as "an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire" for fornication and "going after strange flesh" (Jude 1:7).

Repentance and Grace. Despite the gravity of sexual sin, restoration is possible. Paul states: "And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified" (1 Cor 6:11). Jesus tells the adulterous woman: "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more" (Jhn 8:11). Christ offers "space to repent" to the church at Thyatira (Rev 2:21-22). The eschatological exclusion applies to those who do not repent.

The Prophetic Metaphor. The prophets consistently use adultery and whoredom as the primary metaphor for Israel's spiritual unfaithfulness to God. Jeremiah describes God as Israel's husband (Jer 3:14) and Israel's idolatry as adultery (Jer 3:8-9). Ezekiel 16 and 23 present Jerusalem as an unfaithful wife. Hosea's marriage to Gomer embodies the metaphor. This figurative usage presupposes the literal seventh commandment and extends its logic: as adultery betrays the marriage covenant, so idolatry betrays the covenant with God.

The gathered evidence -- 54 explicit statements, 8 necessary implications, and 6 inferences (5 I-A, 1 I-B resolved Moderate) -- traces the seventh commandment from creation through the Decalogue, Mosaic legislation, Proverbs, the Prophets, Jesus' teaching, the apostolic writings, and Revelation. The commandment protects the one-flesh marriage institution, addresses both act and intent, applies universally (not only to Israel), and carries consequences that extend into eternity. No biblical author departs from this trajectory.

Evidence items registered in D:/bible/bible-studies/cmd-evidence.db

Study completed: 2026-02-27 Series: Ten Commandments Deep Dive (cmd-08) Files: 01-topics.md, 02-verses.md, 03-analysis.md, 04-word-studies.md, CONCLUSION.md

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