“You shall not commit adultery.
Exodus 20:14, NKJV
We have come to the seventh of the ten commandments. It is interesting to note that the number 7 denotes perfection. In a sense, this holds true in this, the seventh commandment, “You shall not commit adultery”.
As in our last commandment, this one seems very simple. And rightly so. The act of adultery is well understood, and is a concept that relates to cultures around the world. Regardless of how prevalent is the breaking of this commandment, it is a simple concept. At least, that’s what most of us think. Perhaps we should study this term – and concept a little more deeply.
Before digging into the act of adultery, we should recognize its severity. In the book of Leviticus, we are told that committing the act of adultery is a crime punishable by death:
“The man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, he who commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress, shall surely be put to death.”
Leviticus 20:10, NKJV
This is an exceedingly harsh punishment. But Scripture goes even farther. In Proverbs, we are told that there is, in essence, an element of spiritual suicide in the act of adultery:
Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding;
He who does so destroys his own soul.
Proverbs 6:32, NKJV
Destroying the soul is a tremendous price to pay for something that our current culture believes is a relatively innocuous issue! In fact, our Lord expanded on the physical act, bringing it into the realm of the mind and intent in His sermon on the mount:
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
Matthew 5:27-30, NKJV
Do you see the theme? Adultery is so important that Jesus not only maintained the proverbial judgement of destroying the soul (the body being cast into hell), but included thought and intent in the definition of the act itself. Adultery is a serious act! And this should be no surprise to us, in that God chose to include it in His Ten Commandments.
Adultery is an interesting act. It has no meaning at all in one context, and has profound meaning in another. What context makes the difference? Marriage. Adultery can ONLY happen in the context of marriage. In order for us to really understand this commandment, we must look at it through the lens of marriage.
Marriage is an institution as old as mankind. In fact, it is the first relational institution recorded between humans. The only institution that is older is the relationship between Man (Adam) and God. We have examined the origin of marriage before, but it will serve us well to do so again.
And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.
And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.
And Adam said:
“This is now bone of my bones
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man.”
Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
Genesis 2:18-24, NKJV
Do you see it? Marriage has been defined for us in this passage: “a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” This is marriage. Within this definition, we see four individuals: Father, Mother, Man and Wife. In this picture, the man first must leave, and then be “joined to”. It is interesting to note that the woman came “out of man” and, in the context of marriage and as his wife, she rejoins him as “one flesh”. So, regardless of the contemporary thoughts regarding “marriage”. There is but one true and holy definition – one man joining to one woman and becoming one flesh.
Marriage: one man and one woman. One husband and one bride. If this were all that the Scripture had to say about marriage, then our current commandment would indeed be simple. You shall not commit adultery. Simply put, you shall not have relations with, or join yourself to the wife of another man (or for the wife, you shall not have intimate relations with a man other than your husband). But the Bible has much to say about the husband and wife. Is it possible that marriage is really about something much bigger – and higher than the relationship between a man and his wife? We can answer this question by examining some of God’s metaphorical passages related to the institution of marriage, the bride and groom and the act of adultery. Let’s explore one such passage:
The Lord said also to me in the days of Josiah the king: “Have you seen what backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there played the harlot. And I said, after she had done all these things, ‘Return to Me.’ But she did not return. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. Then I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also. So it came to pass, through her casual harlotry, that she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees. And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not turned to Me with her whole heart, but in pretense,” says the Lord.
Jeremiah 3:6-10, NKJV
This is a very interesting (and sad) passage. It relates to the relationship that God had with His people – the Jews. At this time, the Jewish people had broken into two groups. These groups were called “Israel” and “Judah”. And this passage shows us that both Israel and Judah had broken faith with God. In fact, God called their actions “harlotry” and “adultery”. But notice how Israel and Judah committed adultery. It was not the physical act of marriage that they broke, it was their spiritual relationship with their God. Do you see it?
“So it came to pass, through her casual harlotry, that she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees.”
What does it mean to commit adultery with stones and trees? Can a person join their body to a stone or a tree? Of course not! But can they join their soul to such an object? Yes – through the act of idolatry! In essence, God was saying that His people had left their beautiful relationship with Him for a relationship with idols that could neither see nor hear nor act. These were “husbands” of stone and wood! What does this say about God’s view of the institution of marriage? It is meant to picture the holy relationship that He desires to have with His people! And this relationship is at the core of our very existence – it is for this relationship that we were created. No wonder the act of adultery is so deadly!
Now, having this perspective, let us go a little deeper into the relationship itself. Consider, with me, the fact that God already had a wonderful relationship with His creation, Adam. Why would He need, or want, to create a third relational character? Why the woman? We don’t need to wonder, God has recorded the reason for us in the very passage that defines marriage:
And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”
Genesis 2:18, NKJV
You see, God created Eve, the woman, to be a helper “comparable” to Adam. A “comparable helper”. We will examine each of these words.
The word used for “helper” is עֵ֖זֶר (Ezer). My readers may remember the name of Abraham’s servant – Eliezer. Eliezer means “the God who helps”. Ezer can also be translated as “support”. So Eve was meant to be a helper and supporter of Adam. The word translated “comparable” is נֶגְדּֽ (Neged). Neged is a very interesting term. It means “in front of”, or “facing”, and can mean “a part opposite”. In essence, a counterpart. So Eve was meant to be a counterpart in support of her husband, Adam. She was meant to balance Adam out, providing help and support, working together as a cohesive team. Eve (the wife) was meant to “complete” (or – “perfect”) Adam, the husband.
If this is the expectation of a wife in the marriage relationship, and if marriage is a picture of the relationship that God wishes to have with His people, then this is also the desire that God has of His bride. She is meant to be a supportive counterpart in His efforts. Any act that would break that relationship is clearly against God’s will. And any attempt to escape that relationship by joining to another (or false) god through idolatry is a heinous sin. Similarly, if marriage is meant to represent God’s part in the covenantal relationship, then any act of a husband to join with another man’s wife goes completely counter to the nature of God and also represents a heinous sin. The covenant of marriage MUST be approached with complete holiness and solemnity. God’s people are meant to, in a sense, “complete” God. Is it any wonder that this is the seventh commandment – the commandment that signifies completion and perfection?
Having a basic understanding of the holy institution of marriage, let us now look at the Hebrew word for adultery, נְאָֽ֑ף (nâ’ap̱). We will examine this word in similar fashion as we did “murder” in our last blog.
We have already seen that the bent nun can represent God on His throne, bending down toward mankind. We have also seen that it can mean the seed or offspring. The word itself means fish, and as such represents fertility and abundance. From the human perspective, nun represents faithfulness.
The aleph is representative of God Himself, and of the relationship between Heaven and creation. The combination of these two (from a holy perspective) shows a beautiful relationship between God and His creation, denoting fertility and abundant life. However, pei now enters the picture.
Pei is a picture of an open mouth. Pei represents an opening, or a breach. As such, the pei shows a breach in the holy union between God and His people. It represents an unholy opening between the bond of God and Man. It is very interesting to note that the pei looks like a mouth. And it is from the mouth that adultery often starts. The mouth is where sin so often originates. And it is the indicator of the heart. Without the mouth, getting in the way, our relational bonds can remain strong. But so often, the mouth provides an opening through which adultery originates. And this adultery destroys the sacred marriage relationship.
There is a dark side to the nun-aleph relationship when we leave the one true God. It is interesting to note that both aleph-nun and nun-aleph have idolatrous pasts. While אן (On) can mean sorrow, and נא (No) is an entreaty or an exhortation [“I (we) pray…”], both are also names of ancient Egyptian cities that were significant centers for idol worship. אן was the center of worship of the sun god, Ra, and נא (also known as Thebes) was the center of worship for the god Amon. So taken out of the holy context, our relationship with the true God degrades into certain idolatry.
Now having an understanding of the truth of marriage and adultery, how does Jesus fulfill the seventh commandment, you shall not commit adultery? Let’s examine Jesus’ metaphoric teachings regarding marriage.
And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.”’ But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
“For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Matthew 22:1-14, NKJV
In this passage, Jesus was teaching about His own marriage to His people. How do we know this? Let’s examine some other passages that lead us to this understanding:
Then there arose a dispute between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purification. And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified—behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!”
John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’ He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.
John 3:25-30, NKJVThen the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?”
And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.
Matthew 9:14-15, NKJV
Both of these passages point to Jesus as a bridegroom. In the first passage, John calls Jesus the bridegroom, and in the second, Jesus speaks of Himself as the bridegroom. Who, then, is the bride? We get a wonderful hint from Paul in his famous passage to the Ephesians regarding the Husband-Wife relationship:
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
Ephesians 5:25-32, NKJV
Who is the bride of Christ? It is the church! His church! And anyone that is a member of Jesus’ church is also considered His bride. In essence, Jesus left His Father’s house (Heaven) and came to the earth in order to pay the dowry (His very life) to purchase His bride. So – Jesus actually embodies the exact opposite of adultery; He has purchased us as His bride and we have been joined to Him. Did you notice the beautiful picture in Paul’s passage above?
“For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”
We have been joined to Christ as part of His body. And in Christ’s own words,
“Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
Matthew 19:4b-6, NKJV
And so, we have been joined together with Christ as His bride. Could Jesus, as the bridegroom, commit adultery? In Paul’s words, “May it never be!” Paul speaks of this in his second letter to the Corinthians:
For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
“I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.” Therefore
“Come out from among them
And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean,
And I will receive you.”
“I will be a Father to you,
And you shall be My sons and daughters,
Says the Lord Almighty.”
2 Corinthians 6:14b-18, NKJV
Jesus came to wed us and make us His holy bride so that we could be sons and daughters of the Living God, our Father. Praise be to His Holy Name! Jesus did indeed come to fulfill the commandment “You shall not commit adultery.” And for that, I am truly thankful!
In our next session, we will examine the eighth commandment: “You shall not steal.” Until then, may God richly bless your study of His Holy Word!
YouJi