What does 'Thou shalt not commit adultery' mean?

[Sonnet]

Exodus 20:14
Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Is it definable?

 

[beameup]

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 5:28

 

[Angel4Truth]

It means to have relations with someone who isnt your spouse

It means to lust after someone who isnt your spouse

It can also mean something spiritual:

What is spiritual adultery in the Bible? Worshipping other gods, idols, and in ways God hasn't called for. It's in the Bible, Ezekiel 23:37, NKJV. "For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols, and even sacrificed their sons whom they bore to Me, passing them through the fire, to devour them"

 

[Sonnet]

It means to have relations with someone who isnt your spouse

Why, then, wasn't David stoned to death?

 

[Angel4Truth]

Why, then, wasn't David stoned to death?

Haven't you read the bible on it? It says what happened there.

 

[Sonnet]

Haven't you read the bible on it? It says what happened there.

I have yes. He wasn't stoned but no reason is given.

 

[Sonnet]

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 5:28

...but the original use (Exodus 2014) would require a definition before Christ's wouldn't it?

 

[jamie]

Exodus 20:14
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Is it definable?

David didn't commit adultery according to the law of the land in his day.

Bathsheba was no longer married when David had relations with her. Her husband died in battle and she was free to take a a new husband.

 

[Sonnet]

David didn't commit adultery according to the law of the land in his day.

Bathsheba was no longer married when David had relations with her. Her husband died in battle and she was free to take a a new husband.

So having sex with someone other than your spouse isn't adultery?

So your definition of adultery is...what?

 

[Evil.Eye.<(I)>]

The only reason that the morality of biblical humanity such as David would be defended in its utter failure as unfailing would be to defend that mankind is moral. We are not. Without guidelines and assistance, mankind divides into three main groups.

Group one: Those that believe all humanity to be equal.
Group two: Those that believe all humanity to be unequal.
Group III: Those that are uncertain and continually evaluating the matter.

Jesus distinguished these groups extremely clearly. He was among the first group. The second group persecuted Him for expressing the ideas of the first group. His presence divided group III like a sword into the first or second group.

His words still do divide the third group. People from group two still try to claim Jesus was part of group two and speak with His words on His behalf.

The bottom line is that all humanity is bound in equality by imperfection. It either admits so, or ravenously denies it and comes up with complex systems to deny equality.

In the eyes of God, it all comes down to Love and Hate.

Which only leaves several questions...

Does God swing a sword of Love or a sword of Hate?

Is God a God of inequality and oppression, or a God of equality and Love?

Is God a God of Saccrifice or a God of Mercy?

Is the Justice of God blind to the heart, or illuminated with omniscience?

Does God distinguish by what we see, or what is within the heart, soul and mind?

Did He die for all people, or simply a small "elite" group?

Is salvation based on what we do and know, or what God has done and accomplished?

 

[Angel4Truth]

I have yes. He wasn't stoned but no reason is given.

You mean no one brought charges against Him (2 witnesses) which is what was required by the law.

Mosaic regulations specifically stated that a person could be executed only if there were two or more witnesses to the crime (Deuteronomy 19:15). One witness was insufficient to invoke the death penalty (Deuteronomy 17:6). When we look at the situation between David and Bathsheba, we do not find that even one eyewitness was present to verify the adultery. In fact, it seems that the entire adulterous affair was quite hidden from the general populace. Only with the arrival of Nathan, the prophet, who was sent by God, did the details surface concerning David’s adultery. Nathan, however, could not be a witness against David, since there is no record of his having been at the scene of the crime. And even though he apparently got the information directly from God, that still would not fall under the ordinance mentioned in Deuteronomy 19:15. Furthermore, he still would need one more witness in order for David to be stoned.

In truth, if those under the Law of Moses were condemned based on whether or not God knew of their crimes, then far more deaths would have occurred, since “the eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3). We find, then, that the Mosaic Law was not ignored in David’s case; nor is this an instance of God showing partiality. Yet, even if there had been witnesses, and the Israelites had not properly followed the judicial procedures as set forth in the Law of Moses, it would not have been God’s fault, but the fault of the Israelites who failed to obey God’s commandments.

http://apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=6&article=652

And before you object again, see Jesus and the woman brought in adultery, the same thing happened, no witnesses left and both people (the man as well as the woman) wasnt charged- only one was. The law also required both be charged as well as there being 2 witnesses.

Did you miss what the law actually says on it when you read the bible on it?

 

[jamie]

So having sex with someone other than your spouse isn't adultery?

So your definition of adultery is...what?

I'll repeat, "David didn't commit adultery according to the law of the land in his day."

God's very first instruction to Adam was to be fruitful and increase. A king could afford to have more than one wife in David's day and time.

David was not the first or only man to have more than one wife and Bathsheba's husband was dead. She was not married. Neither David nor Bathsheba committed adultery according to the law at that time.

A man could have more than one wife but a woman could only have one husband at a time.

In the NT a man could not serve in an ordained office if he had more than one wife.

Times change.

 

[marhig]

I'll repeat, "David didn't commit adultery according to the law of the land in his day."

God's very first instruction to Adam was to be fruitful and increase. A king could afford to have more than one wife in David's day and time.

David was not the first or only man to have more than one wife and Bathsheba's husband was dead. She was not married. Neither David nor Bathsheba committed adultery according to the law at that time.

A man could have more than one wife but a woman could only have one husband at a time.

In the NT a man could not serve in an ordained office if he had more than one wife.

Times change.

I think David did commit adultery, he was sleeping with Bathsheba whilst uriah was still alive. What is that if it's not adultery? And not only did he commit adultery, but after doing it, he then contrived to get her husband killed my putting him at the front of the battle when he was weak. Uriah's heart was right before God and he was loyal to David yet he was treated so badly.

God did forgive Davids sins when he repented, but he did still suffer terribly for committing those sins, including losing his first born son!

2 Samuel 12

And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.

And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.


David was the king, he had a responsibly to show the right way to live before others. And God's people have that responsibility too. We have to live right before God and others, and follow Jesus showing the right example. The stronger we are in God, the more we know and the more responsibility we have.

Once we know the truth and we know God, and when we carry on sinning wilfully, God will punish us because we're not ignorant and we know right from wrong.

 

[Crucible]

Why, then, wasn't David stoned to death?

David was of the elect, with a preordained purpose- instead of the penalty of death, God killed his son.

In reality, they wouldn't have stoned him to death anyway, as he was too precious to the Jews. David rather was ashamed, and tried to conceal it by having Bathsheba's husband sent to die in the front lines of battle.

But even with that, God spared him to continue his kingship.

 

[Crucible]

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 5:28

The only adultery that breaks the marriage covenant is physical adultery. That was the case all through biblical history, and did not change with Jesus.

What Jesus is illustrating is that one has betrayed their heart in looking upon another with lust, which doesn't desecrate one's marriage but rather one's soul.

St. Augustine edifies this, teaching ultimately that when a person lusts, the soul loses control of the body and, being separated, is literally plunged by demons.
In marriage, however, two are made into one flesh, so the volition of sex is holy.

 

[chair]

David didn't commit adultery according to the law of the land in his day.

Bathsheba was no longer married when David had relations with her. Her husband died in battle and she was free to take a a new husband.

Please read the story again.

 

[Sonnet]

You mean no one brought charges against Him (2 witnesses) which is what was required by the law.

http://apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=6&article=652

And before you object again, see Jesus and the woman brought in adultery, the same thing happened, no witnesses left and both people (the man as well as the woman) wasnt charged- only one was. The law also required both be charged as well as there being 2 witnesses.

Did you miss what the law actually says on it when you read the bible on it?

Really interesting thanks Angel4Truth -but David had multiple wives which would have been known.

 

[Sonnet]

I'll repeat, "David didn't commit adultery according to the law of the land in his day."

God's very first instruction to Adam was to be fruitful and increase. A king could afford to have more than one wife in David's day and time.

David was not the first or only man to have more than one wife and Bathsheba's husband was dead. She was not married. Neither David nor Bathsheba committed adultery according to the law at that time.

A man could have more than one wife but a woman could only have one husband at a time.

In the NT a man could not serve in an ordained office if he had more than one wife.

Times change.

So this leaves 'adultery' meaning what exactly?

 

[Sonnet]

I've always been under the belief that sin is done through the thoughts and intentions of your heart. Emotions and actions can be sin as well.

Adultery is lusting after someone who's not your wife or husband
Murder is hating someone
AN evil eye is seeking to do evil
Thievery is conspiring to take what doesn't belong to you
idolatry is putting something in your heart that's not god
lying is to with hold the truth
slander is doing something to defame another person

the best medicine to live holy is to live justly and to keep these evil thoughts out of your heart. people who have hearts filled with these all the time have yet to repent.

So David committed adultery when he took his second wife and was never reproved for doing so?

 

[Sonnet]

It's not recommended having more than one wife because it would take away from the duty of your office. I don't believe it's a sin or anything to have more than one wife and hold such an office. Though it would be a lot of unnecessary work

so don't commit adultery but have sex with with more than one spouse?