The Bible says a lot of interesting things about adultery, fornication, and divorce. Following are scriptures from both the Old and New Testaments that teach us about these three critical topics:
Exodus 20:14 (NKJV)
“You shall not commit adultery.”
Leviticus 20:10 (NKJV)
“If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death.”
Numbers 5:11–31 (NKJV)
“And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘If any man’s wife goes astray and behaves unfaithfully toward him, and a man lies with her carnally, and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband, and it is concealed that she has defiled herself, and there was no witness against her, nor was she caught—if the spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he becomes jealous of his wife, who has defiled herself; or if the spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he becomes jealous of his wife, although she has not defiled herself—then the man shall bring his wife to the priest.
He shall bring the offering required for her, one-tenth of an ephah of barley meal; he shall pour no oil on it and put no frankincense on it because it is a grain offering of jealousy, an offering for remembering, for bringing iniquity to remembrance.
And the priest shall bring her near and set her before the LORD. The priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel and take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water. Then the priest shall stand the woman before the LORD, uncover the woman’s head, and put the offering for remembering in her hands, which is the grain offering of jealousy. And the priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that brings a curse.
And the priest shall put her under oath and say to the woman, ‘If no man has lain with you, and if you have not gone astray to uncleanliness while under your husband’s authority, be free from this bitter water that brings a curse. But if you have gone astray while under your husband’s authority, and if you have defiled yourself and some man other than your husband has lain with you’ – then the priest shall put the woman under the oath of the curse, and he shall say to the woman, ‘the LORD make you a curse, and an oath among your people, when the LORD makes your thigh rot and your belly swell; and may this water that causes the curse go into your stomach, and make your belly swell and your thigh rot.’ Then the woman shall say, ‘Amen, so be it.’
Then the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall scrape them off into the bitter water. And he shall make the woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse, and the water that brings the curse shall enter her to become bitter. Then the priest shall take the grain offering of jealousy from the woman’s hand, shall wave the offering before the LORD, and bring it to the altar; and the priest shall take a handful of the offering as its memorial portion, burn it on the altar, and afterward make the woman drink the water.
When he has made her drink the water, then it shall be, if she has defiled herself and behaved unfaithfully toward her husband, that the water that brings a curse will enter her and become bitter, and her belly will swell, her thigh will rot, and the woman will become a curse among her people. But if the woman has not defiled herself and is clean, then she shall be free and may conceive children.’’
This is the law of jealousy: when a wife, while under her husband’s authority, goes astray and defiles herself, or when the spirit of jealousy comes upon a man and he becomes jealous of his wife, then he shall stand the woman before the LORD, and the priest shall execute all this law upon her. Then the man shall be free from iniquity, but that woman shall bear her guilt.”
Proverbs 5:1-21 (NIV)
“My son, pay attention to my wisdom; turn your ear to my words of insight, so that you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge. For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil, but in the end she is bitter as gall and sharp as a double-edged sword.
Her feet go down to death, and her steps lead straight to the grave. She gives no thought to the way of life; her paths wander aimlessly, but she does not know it.
Now then, my sons, listen to me; do not turn aside from what I say. Keep to a path far from her; do not go near the door of her house, lest you lose your honor to others and your dignity to one who is cruel; lest strangers feast on your wealth and your toil enrich the house of another.
At the end of your life, you will groan when your flesh and body are spent. You will say, ‘How I hated discipline! How my heart spurned correction! I would not obey my teachers or turn my ear to my instructors. And I was soon in serious trouble in the assembly of God’s people.
Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well. Should your springs overflow in the streets and your streams of water in the public squares? Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers. May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.
A loving doe, a graceful deer—may her breasts satisfy you always, and may you ever be intoxicated with her love. Why would my son be intoxicated with another man’s wife? Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman?
Your ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all your paths.’”
Proverbs 6:23–29 (NKJV)
“For the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light; reproofs of instruction are the way of life, to keep you from the evil woman, from the flattering tongue of a seductress. Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, nor let her allure you with her eyelids. For by means of a harlot, a man is reduced to a crust of bread, and an adulteress will prey upon his precious life.
Can a man take fire to his bosom and his clothes not be burned? Can one walk on hot coals and have his feet not be seared? So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife; whoever touches her shall not be innocent.”
Proverbs 6:32–35 (NKJV)
“Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; he who does so destroys his own soul. Wounds and dishonor he will get, and his reproach will not be wiped away. For jealousy is a husband’s fury; therefore, he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He will accept no recompense, nor will he be appeased, though you give many gifts.”
Malachi 2:16 (MEV)
“For the LORD, the God of Israel, says that He hates divorce; for it covers one’s garment with violence, says the LORD of Hosts. Therefore, take heed to your spirit that you do not deal treacherously.”
Matthew 5:28 (NKJV)
“But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
Matthew 19:19 (MEV)
“But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery. And whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.”
Luke 16:18 (CSB)
“Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and everyone who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.”
1 Corinthians 5:11–13 (JUB)
“But now I have written unto you not to associate with anyone calling himself a brother if he is a fornicator or covetous or an idolater or a railer or a drunkard or an extortioner; with such a one do not even eat.”
1 Corinthians 6:9 (NKJV)
“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.”
1 Corinthians 6:18 (RGT)
“Flee fornication. Every sin that a man commits is outside the body. But the one who commits fornication sins against his own body.”
1 Corinthians 7:2 (KJ21)
“Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.”
Ephesians 5:3-5 (NKJV)
“But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this, you know that no fornicator, unclean person, or covetous man who is an idolater has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things, the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore, do not be partakers with them.”
Colossians 3:5 (NKJV)
“Therefore put to death your members which are on earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”
1 Thessalonians 4:3 (DRA)
“For this is the will of God, your sanctification, that you should abstain from fornication.”
Hebrews 13:4 (NKJV)
“Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.”
James 2:11 (AMPC)
“For he who said, You shall not commit adultery, also said, You shall not kill. If you do not commit adultery but do kill, you have become guilty of transgressing the whole law.”
James 4:4 (NKJV)
“Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
I hope this is helpful. Thank you.
Related Post: What are the scriptures for marriage? Old and New Testament Bible verses
Also Read: What does the Bible say about a seductive woman?
Dear friend,
Life without Jesus Christ is difficult, if not impossible. That is why it is important to receive Him as your personal savior so that He can help you navigate through life’s challenges successfully.
If right now you are willing to receive Jesus Christ as your savior, that is, to be born again, pray sincerely as follows:
“Lord Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner and hereby ask for your forgiveness.
I believe in my heart and confess with my mouth that you are the only begotten Son of the living God.
I believe that you were sent by your Father to the earth to save sinners like me.
I now accept you as my personal Lord and Savior.
Come into my heart and baptize me with the Holy Spirit.
Thank you for saving me.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
Amen!”
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My name is Nicodemus. I'm a Kenyan by birth. I got saved over 30 years ago while in high school.
I love studying scriptures in order to enhance my comprehension of God and His plan for mankind.
I have an MBA degree in strategic management and a BSc degree in botany and zoology.
I’m married to a loving lady called Leah. God has gifted us three sons: Wayne, Salem, and Michael.
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