Matthew 5:27

Law of adultery

27 “You have heard that it was said, Don't commit adultery.

Matthew 5:27 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 5:27

Ye have heard that it was said
These forms of speech, as well as what follows,

by them of old time,
have been explained, in ver. 21. The law here mentioned,

thou shalt not commit adultery,
is recorded in ( Exodus 20:14 ) and the meaning of our Lord is, not that the then present Jews had heard that such a law had been delivered "to the ancients", their fathers, at Mount Sinai; for that they could read in their Bibles: but they had received it by tradition, that the sense of it, which had been given to their ancestors, by the ancient doctors of the church, was, that this law is to be taken strictly, as it lies, and only regards the sin of uncleanness in married persons; or, what was strictly adultery, and that actual; so that it had no respect to fornication, or unchaste thoughts, words, or actions, but that single act only.

Matthew 5:27 In-Context

25 Be sure to make friends quickly with your opponents while you are with them on the way to court. Otherwise, they will haul you before the judge, the judge will turn you over to the officer of the court, and you will be thrown into prison.

26 I say to you in all seriousness that you won't get out of there until you've paid the very last penny.

27 “You have heard that it was said, Don't commit adultery.

28 But I say to you that every man who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery in his heart.

29 And if your right eye causes you to fall into sin, tear it out and throw it away. It's better that you lose a part of your body than that your whole body be thrown into hell.

Footnotes

• [a]. Exod 20:14; Deut 5:18