Adultery is a betrayal of the marriage commitment between two people, when one has a romantic relationship often involved in physical sex, with somebody else.

Definition:

The sin of adultery has several aspects. At its core, God created man in His own image, therefore what a person does to other people is a direct assault on the person of God. Matthew 25:40-45 So adultery is a sexual sin. Sex is not a sin in and of itself, but sexual relations can become a sin if it is done with someone to whom one is first legally married. But sexual sins are always against one’s own body. The sin of adultery can include romantic relationships, even without the actual act of sexual relations.

See also Fornication, Lasciviousness.

Adultery and fornication are sister sins, sexual sins. The difference is that in adultery, one of the two sex partners is married, and adultery is a betrayal of the sacred vow in marriage. Fornication on the other hand is not necessarily two humans of the opposite sex. Two men who are homosexuals commit fornication as two women (lesbians), and there are fornication sins of sex with animals, sex with one’s own self, etc. The contamination of one’s self with sexual sins is ultimately a misuse of the body and mind that God has given to each person, and it is a sin against God.

• General references,

Gen. 20:3; 2 Sam. 12:14; Job. 24:15-18; 31:1, 9-12; Pro. 2:16-19; 5:3-22; 6:24-29, 32-33; Pro. 7:5-23; 9:13-18; 22:14; 23:27-28; 29:3; 30:18-20; 31:3; Isa. 57:3-4; Jer. 3:1; 5:7-8; 7:9-10; 23:10; Eze. 18:5-6; 18:9; Hos. 4:1-2, 11; Mat. 5:28, 32; 15:19; 19:9; Mark. 7:21; 10:11-12; 10:19; Luk. 16:18; Jas. 2:11; Act. 15:20, 29; Rom. 1:28-29, 1:32; 7:3; 1Cor. 5:9-10; 6:15-16, 18; 10:8; 2Co. 12:21; Gal. 5:19, 21; 1Ti. 1:9-10; 2Ti. 3:6; 1Pet. 4:3-4; 2Pet. 2:9-10; 2:14; Jude. 1:7; Rev. 2:20-22; 9:21.

See Lasciviousness; Rape; Sensuality; Sodomy; Whore; Whoredom.

• Forbidden

Exo 20:14; Deu 5:18; Mat. 5:27; 19:18; Luk. 18:20; Rom. 13:9; Jas. 2:11; Lev 18:20; 19:29; Deu 23:17; Act. 15:20; Rom. 13:13; 1Cor. 5:9-11; 6:13, 15, 18; 10:8; Eph. 4:17; 4:19-20; 5:3, 11-12; Col. 3:5; 1Th. 4:3-5, 7.

• Forgiveness of, instances of

Jdg. 19:1-4; Joh. 8:10-11.

• Penalties for

Gen. 20:7; 26:11; 38:24; Exo 22:16-17; Lev 19:20-22; 20:10-12; 21:9; Num 5:11-30; Deu 22:13-29; 27:20, 22-23; 2 Sam. 12:10-12; Jer. 29:22-23; Eze. 16:38; 16:40-41; 23:45; 23:47-48; Mal. 2:5; Joh. 8:4-5; 1Cor. 5:1-13; 6:9-10; 10:8; Gal. 5:19; 5:21; Eph. 5:5-6; Heb. 13:4; Rev. 18:9-10; 21:8; 22:15.

• Figurative

– General references

Jer. 3:2; Eze. 16:15-16; Hos. 1:1-11

See Whoredom; Idolatry

• Instances of adultery:

– Instances of adultery: Gen. 19:5-8
– Lot Gen. 19:31-38
– Shechem Gean. 34:2
– Reuben Gen. 35:22
– Judah Gen. 38:1-24
– Potiphar’s wife, Gen. 39:7-12
– The Levite’s concubine, Jdg. 19:2
– The Gibeahites Jdg. 19:22-25
– Gilead Jdg. 11:1
– Samson Jdg. 16:1
– Sons of Eli 1 Sam. 2:22
– David 2 Sam. 11:1-5
– Amnon 2 Sam. 13:1-20
– Absalom 2 Sam. 16:22
– Israelites Exo 32:6; 32:25; Jer. 29:23; Eze. 22:9-11; 33:26; Hos. 7:4
– Herod Mat. 14:3-4; Mark. 6:17-18; Luk. 3:19
– Samaritan woman Joh. 4:17-18
– The woman brought to Jesus in the temple Joh. 8:4-11
– Corinthians 1Cor. 5:1-5
– Heathen Eph. 4:17-19; 1Pet. 4:3

Sexual Sins

• Adultery - Violation of Marital Vows
• Fornication - Any sexual sin.
• Homosexuality - A romantic relationship between two people of the same sex.
• Beastiality - Sexual involvement between a human with an animal.