The Bible treats adultery as a serious violation of covenant faithfulness, rooted in God’s design for marriage and moral purity. Here’s a concise guide to what the Bible says, with key verses and themes. Core commands

• Prohibition of adultery: The sixth commandment states, “You shall not commit adultery.” This sets the baseline for marital fidelity within the Bible’s moral framework.

• Sexual purity within heart and behavior: Jesus expands the boundary beyond action to intent, teaching that lustful looking is equivalent to adultery of the heart. This elevates the standard to purity of thought as well as action.

Marriage and consequences

• Marriage as sacred and to be honored: Scripture emphasizes that marriage should be respected and protected, with the marriage bed kept pure. There are warnings about judgment for those who commit adultery.

• Warnings about consequences: Adultery is associated with personal harm and divine judgment, though forgiveness is available through repentance and faith in Christ. Several passages underscore that wrongdoing can be forgiven and transformed by grace.

Examples and perspectives across books

• Old Testament foundations: The commandment against adultery appears in Exodus as part of the Decalogue, reflecting its fundamental status in the law. Levitical and wisdom literature also warn about the dangers and consequences of adultery.

• Wisdom literature warns about the temptations and outcomes of pursuing another’s spouse, often using strong imagery to illustrate folly and ruin.

• New Testament emphases: Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount and his clarifications about divorce and sexual ethics deepen the understanding of faithfulness in marriage. The Apostles likewise discuss adultery within the broader context of holiness and community ethics.

Key verses you might consider

• Exodus 20:14: “You shall not commit adultery.”

• Matthew 5:27-28: “You have heard that it was said, you shall not commit adultery. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

• Hebrews 13:4: “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.”

• Proverbs 6:32: “A man who commits adultery has no sense; whoever does so destroys himself.”

• Matthew 19:9: Jesus’ teaching on divorce and sexual immorality as grounds for separation and remarriage.

Practical takeaways

• Adultery is portrayed as a breach of covenant faithfulness with serious consequences, but not beyond redemption. The Biblical path is to pursue integrity, repentance, and restoration within God’s design for marriage.
• The standard extends from outward acts to inner desires and intentions, urging believers toward purity of heart as well as conduct.

If you’d like, I can tailor this to a particular Christian denomination’s interpretation or pull out additional verses related to forgiveness, reconciliation, or divorce in relation to adultery.