Matthew 5:27-28
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Jesus isn't just reminding them of the Ten Commandments; he's calling out the narrow way they'd been taught to understand it. The common teaching focused only on the outward act, missing the law's deeper call to purity of heart.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is continuing his Sermon on the Mount, moving from the commandment against murder to the one against adultery. He's directly addressing the common understanding of this law, which had been narrowed by religious leaders to simply prohibit the outward act of infidelity. Jesus intends to reveal the deeper, heart-level intent of God's command, contrasting the superficial interpretation with his own more profound teaching.
Jesus starts this section of the Sermon on the Mount by quoting the Ten Commandments. But He’s not just repeating them. He’s addressing a common, but dangerous, misunderstanding.
A Narrow View of Righteousness
The religious leaders of Jesus’ day, like the Pharisees, had reduced God's commands to outward actions. For adultery, they focused solely on the physical act. If you didn't technically sleep with someone else's spouse, you were 'good.' This interpretation missed the whole point of God's law, which is designed to shape our hearts and minds, not just our behavior.
Jesus Expands the Definition
Jesus immediately corrects this narrow view. He explains that the commandment against adultery is not just about what you do, but also about what you desire and think. The law is 'exceeding broad,' as one commentator put it, reaching into the hidden parts of our lives.
Why did Jesus dig so deep into this commandment? Because God's law wasn't meant to be a checklist of outward behaviors. It was designed to reveal and cultivate a heart devoted to Him.
Beyond Legalism
The teachers of the law had turned God’s commands into a legalistic system – a way to appear righteous without actually being righteous. They allowed for lustful thoughts and desires as long as they didn't lead to outward action.
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God Seeks the Heart
Jesus reveals that God’s standard is purity of heart. The commandment against adultery is meant to protect not just marriages and families, but the inner sanctity of our own minds and affections. He’s showing us that true obedience flows from a heart that cherishes God's ways, not just follows rules.
Understand the original words
moicheuō · Greek Verb
The violation of the marriage covenant through sexual unfaithfulness. In Scripture, it is also frequently used as a metaphor for Israel or the Church's spiritual unfaithfulness to God.
epithymeō · Greek Verb
To set one's desire upon or to long for something forbidden. It describes the internal movement of the soul toward sin, emphasizing that moral accountability begins in the mind and heart.
kardia · Greek Noun
The inner man; the seat of physical, spiritual, and mental life. In biblical thought, it is the center of the personality where decisions are made and where one's true character is revealed to God.
This is the direct citation of the commandment Jesus is referencing, providing the foundational Old Testament law against adultery.
Deuteronomy 5:18This passage reiterates the Ten Commandments, showing the enduring importance of the prohibition against adultery throughout Israel's history.
2 Samuel 11:1-27The story of David and Bathsheba powerfully illustrates the devastating consequences of adultery, showing how even a 'look' can lead to profound sin and ruin, as mentioned by Barnes.
Romans 7:7Paul grapples with the law's intent, echoing Jesus' point that the law is not just about outward actions but also about the sinfulness of inner desires, like coveting.
1 Corinthians 6:18-20This passage urges believers to flee sexual immorality and honor God with their bodies, underscoring that purity extends to thoughts and actions, a core idea Jesus develops from the seventh commandment.
bensonMatthew 5:27: "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:"
Matthew 5:27-28 . Ye have heard, &c. — Jesus now proceeds in his sermon to the seventh commandment, the true interpretation of which he gives us. Thou shalt not commit adultery — This, as well as the sixth commandment, the scribes and Pharisees interpreted barely of the outward act. But I say unto you, &c. — The command extends not only to unchaste actions and words, but even to looks, and the ve…
calvinMatthew 5:27-30: "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:"
- You have heard that it was said to the ancients, Thou shalt not commit adultery. 28. But I say to you, That whoever shall look upon a woman to lust after her, hath already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29. And if thy right eye shall be a stumbling block [405] to thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is better for thee that one of thy members perish, and that thy who…
Jesus isn't just reminding them of the Ten Commandments; he's calling out the narrow way they'd been taught to understand it. The common teaching focused only on the outward act, missing the law's deeper call to purity of heart.
Jesus is continuing his Sermon on the Mount, moving from the commandment against murder to the one against adultery. He's directly addressing the common understanding of this law, which had been narrowed by religious leaders to simply prohibit the outward act of infidelity. Jesus intends to reveal the deeper, heart-level intent of God's command, contrasting the superficial interpretation with his own more profound teaching.
Jesus is continuing his Sermon on the Mount, moving from the commandment against murder to the one against adultery. He's directly addressing the common understanding of this law, which had been narrowed by religious leaders to simply prohibit the outward act of infidelity. Jesus intends to reveal the deeper, heart-level intent of God's command, contrasting the superficial interpretation with his own more profound teaching.
"“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart." — Jesus isn't just reminding them of the Ten Commandments; he's calling out the narrow way they'd been taught to understand it. The common teaching focused only on the outward act, missing the law's…
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Last reviewed October 2026
