Deuteronomy 22:22
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This verse highlights that the punishment for adultery wasn't just about the act itself, but about purging "evil" from the community. The focus on "both" parties dying underscores that both the tempter and the one who yielded were seen as equally responsible for the profound breach of trust and the damage to the covenant of marriage.
“If a man is found lying with the wife of another man, both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman. So you shall purge the evil from Israel.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse is part of a series of laws detailing how Israel was to live as a holy nation, specifically addressing sexual purity. It immediately follows regulations about how a man should treat a captive woman he takes as a wife and comes before laws concerning rape and fornication. The core concern is upholding the sanctity of marriage and family within the community.
This verse lays out a stark penalty for adultery. But why such severity? It wasn't just about breaking a social rule; it was about shattering something sacred.
In ancient Israel, marriage was far more than a personal arrangement. It was a covenant, a solemn promise before God and community, mirroring God's own covenant faithfulness.
While Deuteronomy 22:22 prescribes death for adultery, the surrounding verses reveal important nuances, especially when consent is absent.
The law's application wasn't always a blanket punishment. The distinction between consensual adultery and sexual assault is crucial.
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This passage directly parallels Deuteronomy 22:22, stating the same penalty for adultery: 'If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall be put to death.' It underscores the severity with which God viewed this offense in ancient Israel.
John 8:3-11This New Testament account shows Jesus interacting with a woman caught in adultery. While the accusers presented her for condemnation under the Law (implying the penalty described in Deuteronomy), Jesus challenged their own sin and ultimately showed mercy, saying, 'Go, and sin no more.' This offers a profound contrast in how grace intersects with the Law's judgment.
Romans 7:2-3Paul uses the analogy of marriage laws to explain the relationship between believers and the Law, and then Christ. He states that a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage and may marry another. This highlights the sacred, binding nature of marital vows, which Deuteronomy 22:22 fiercely protects.
1 Corinthians 6:18-20This passage calls believers to flee sexual immorality, emphasizing that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and belong to God. It shifts the focus from a national, capital punishment perspective to a personal, spiritual one, urging believers to honor God with their bodies, acknowledging the inherent sanctity of relationships that adultery violates.
clarkeDeuteronomy 22:22: "If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel."
Shall both of them die - Thus we find that in the most ancient of all laws adultery was punished with death in both the parties.
calvinDeuteronomy 22:22-27: "If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel."
Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbor's wife: so thou shalt put away evil from among you.
Adducetis…
This verse highlights that the punishment for adultery wasn't just about the act itself, but about purging "evil" from the community. The focus on "both" parties dying underscores that both the tempter and the one who yielded were seen as equally responsible for the profound breach of trust and the damage to the covenant of marriage.
This verse is part of a series of laws detailing how Israel was to live as a holy nation, specifically addressing sexual purity. It immediately follows regulations about how a man should treat a captive woman he takes as a wife and comes before laws concerning rape and fornication. The core concern is upholding the sanctity of marriage and family within the community.
This verse is part of a series of laws detailing how Israel was to live as a holy nation, specifically addressing sexual purity. It immediately follows regulations about how a man should treat a captive woman he takes as a wife and comes before laws concerning rape and fornication. The core concern is upholding the sanctity of marriage and family within the community.
"“If a man is found lying with the wife of another man, both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman. So you shall purge the evil from Israel." — This verse highlights that the punishment for adultery wasn't just about the act itself, but about purging "evil" from the community. The focus on "both" parties dying underscores that both the tempt…
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Last reviewed October 2026
