Thou shalt not commit adultery.
לֹ֣֖א תִּֿנְאָ֑͏ֽף׃
11 Church Fathers comment on this verse
All that God instructs, such as “Thou shalt not commit adultery,” as well as the counsel provided, such as “It is good for a man not to touch a woman” (1 Corinthians 7:1), is truly realized when it is aimed at loving God and one's neighbor for the sake of God.
You shall not engage in adultery with your neighbor's spouse, or else you may face the same consequences in your own marriage.
The Scripture declares: You shall not commit adultery. For a person still ensnared by the desires of fleshly impurity, this command is meaningful in its literal sense. However, for one who has turned away from such sinful behaviors and impure desires, it becomes essential to interpret this command in a spiritual manner. This means that not only should one distance themselves from idolatry, but also from all forms of pagan superstition, including reliance on fortune-tellers and following signs, days, and seasons. Additionally, one must refrain from engaging in divination through specific words or names, as such practices compromise the sanctity of our faith.
This directive addresses bodily transgressions, yet our Savior also chastises unapproved thoughts (Matt. 5:28). Thus, if people disregard the messages of Moses and the prophets, even the miraculous event of someone rising from the dead would not persuade them to believe (Luke 16:31). Those who find it unnecessary to adhere to the basic teachings of the Law are unlikely to follow the greater commandments issued by our Lord. In fact, it is true that those who resist the commands of men will likewise reject true belief.
You shall not engage in adultery, for by doing so you risk becoming a member of immorality and severing your connection with the divine body of Christ, ultimately leading to your condemnation in Gehenna. If the daughter of a priest, who commits adultery, is punished according to the law by being burned for dishonoring her father, how much more severed from eternal life is the one who sullies the body of Christ with such impurity. But if you are able, pursue a life of chastity, for through it you will be wholly devoted to God, united with Him in perfect love, continually dwelling in His presence, and seeking the life to come, living on earth in a manner akin to an angel of God.
Virginity is specifically theirs, and the one who ardently embraces it is likened to them and, more significantly, to the Father, who before all time birthed the Son from a virgin, miraculously and incorruptibly born of His Mother in the later ages, and who eternally proceeds from the Father, not by birth, but in a way that transcends comprehension. Those who attain true virginity — in both spirit and body — and who adorn their thoughts, words, and feelings with the graces of purity are similarly united to this divine essence in a sacred union. However, if you do not aspire to virginity and have not made a commitment to God, you are permitted to have one wife in the Lord, to live with her in holiness, and to cherish her as your own vessel. It is essential to completely refrain from the wives of others. You can achieve true abstinence if you avoid inappropriate encounters, refuse to engage in tempting words and allurements, and turn your gaze from the physical beauty of others to preserve your purity. For it is written, "whoever looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Thus, you remain unclean in the eyes of Christ, who discerns the heart, and this can lead to a propensity for physical infidelity. Yet, what can be said about adultery and other forms of immorality? From a mere glance at physical beauty, a person can fall into various kinds of sin. Therefore, it is imperative to eradicate any deep-seated temptations that could lead to spiritual death, allowing instead the growth of purity and holiness, "without which no one will see the Lord."
What does the seventh commandment entail? The commandment states, ‘Thou shalt not commit adultery’ (Exodus 20:14). What is the interpretation of this commandment? Our Lord Christ emphasized the importance of adhering to this command when He declared, ‘Whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her hath already committed adultery with her in his heart’ (Matthew 5:28). There are two forms of adultery: spiritual and carnal. Spiritual adultery refers to those who, having forsaken the true and Orthodox Faith of the Catholic Church, succumb to various divisions; of such individuals, Scripture remarks, ‘You have consumed every one who loves You’ (Psalm 72:27). Carnal adultery involves a sinful relationship with another man's wife.
This commandment prohibits not only such adulterous actions but also any form of lewdness; it denounces flirtation, pandering, suggestive songs, indecent dances, and immodest games, as the Apostle affirms, saying, ‘But fornication, and all uncleanness and licentiousness below, let it not be named among you, as is fitting for the Saints: and profanity, and licentiousness, or scurrility, or greed, which is not becoming’ (Ephesians 5:3-4).
Do not commit adultery. This commandment is not limited to those who engage in adultery with a married neighbor’s spouse; it also encompasses those who engage in sexual relations with unmarried individuals. According to the fourth principle established by St. Gregory of Nyssa, fornication is considered equivalent to adultery. Monks who indulge in fornication or enter into marriage are likewise in violation. Those who partake in spiritual adultery—meaning they embrace heresy and immorality—also fall under this sin. This includes excessive indulgence in eating, music, inappropriate and seductive displays, and all activities associated with adultery.
It is sinful for a husband or wife to adorn themselves or to use cosmetics and scents with ill intentions and lead another into temptation. Anyone who entices another into carnal sin or facilitates it through letters, messages, gifts, or similar means is also in violation of this commandment.
In the seventh commandment, referred to broadly as adultery, all forms of sinful sexual immorality are prohibited, thereby commanding us to lead our lives either in faithful marriage or in sacred celibacy.
What does the seventh commandment prohibit? The seventh commandment forbids adultery. What transgressions fall under the term adultery? The Apostle Paul cautions against exposing Christians to these immoral acts (see Eph. 5:3). It is only necessary to mention some of them as a means of protection against such sins: fornication, which refers to unlawful sexual relations between individuals who are unmarried; adultery, which occurs when married individuals engage in sexual relations with others; and incest, which involves intimate relationships between close relatives as if they were married. How do we understand adultery? Our Lord instructs us to regard adultery in this manner: Anyone who gazes at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:28).
How can we guard against internal adultery? To avoid the subtle dangers of inner adultery, we must refrain from anything that might incite the heart toward sinful desires: licentious songs, provocative dances, coarse language, trivial games and jesting, intoxication, indecent displays, and literature that portrays immoral love. The Gospel advises us to turn away from anything that tempts us. If your right eye causes you to stumble, tear it out and cast it away; for it is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into hell (Matthew 5:29). What does it mean to remove the tempting eye? To remove the tempting eye signifies doing so not with the hand but through the strength of will. A person who refrains from looking at what entices has already removed the alluring eye. What virtue opposes the sin of adultery? In contrast to the prohibition against adultery, virtues such as marital love and fidelity are encouraged, as well as, for those who are called to it, the ideals of perfect purity and chastity. What should the relationship be like between husband and wife? The Scriptures outline the roles of husband and wife in this manner: Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her (Eph. 5:25). Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord; for the husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the church, and He is also the Savior of the body (Eph. 5:22-23). How can fornication be avoided? To evade fornication and to lead a life of purity, Holy Scripture instructs us to keep our bodies pure (both spiritually and physically), for they are members of Christ and temples of the Holy Spirit; conversely, the fornicator sins against his own body, harming it, exposing it to illnesses, and impairing even the faculties of the mind: imagination and memory (see 1 Corinthians 6:15, 18-19).
The text advises studying the Commentary on Deuteronomy 5:18 as well as the Catechetical Teachings that elucidate the Doctrine of the Orthodox Church, which include biblical and historical appendices.
The Seventh Commandment emphasizes that it was previously proclaimed to the ancients, "You shall not commit adultery." However, I say to you that anyone who gazes at a woman with desire has already transgressed against her in his heart (Matthew 5:27-28). Our Lord Jesus Christ did not introduce new regulations but rather unveiled, in the presence of the Pharisees and their followers who were entrenched in the strict interpretation of the law, the profound spiritual significance of these divine words. These teachings encompass the entire moral evolution of humanity and its ascension from a base existence to the sacred realm of spiritual and moral excellence.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS