Leviticus 18:20 · Bible study
Leviticus 18:20 Commentary: The Defilement of Adultery
Hebrew · 7 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Examine Leviticus 18:20: how adultery defiles both parties, its connection to the seventh commandment, and the gravity of violating a neighbor's marriage.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Adultery is a defiling sin against God, the neighbor, and the community.
- Key words: “neighbor’s wife” (H802, H5997), “give your seed” (H5414, H2233), “defile” (H2930).
- Main debate: The nature of defilement, whether primarily ritual (temporary impurity requiring cleansing) or moral (a stain on the soul that requires repentance).
- Theological theme: Holiness extends to the most intimate areas of life; God’s people are called to a distinctive sexual ethic.
- Best use: A sermon on the sanctity of marriage, paired with the gospel’s offer of cleansing and restoration.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
You must not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife and thus defile yourself with her.
WEB World English Bible 2000
“‘You shall not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife, and defile yourself with her.
KJV King James Version 1769
Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour’s wife, to defile thyself with her.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbor’s wife, to defile thyself with her.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
`And unto the wife of thy fellow thou dost not give thy seed of copulation, for uncleanness with her.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour's wife, to become unclean with her.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Thou shalt not lie with thy neighbour's wife: nor be defiled with mingling of seed.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Además, no tendrás acto carnal con la mujer de tu prójimo, contaminándote en ella.
Além disso, não terás ato carnal com a mulher de teu próximo, contaminando-te nela.
Tu n’ auras point commerce avec la femme de ton prochain, pour te souiller avec elle.
Du sollst auch nicht bei deines Nächsten Weibe liegen, dadurch du dich an ihr verunreinigst.
En gij zult niet liggen bij uws naasten huisvrouw ter bezading, om met haar onrein te worden.
Non avrai relazioni carnali con la moglie del tuo prossimo per contaminarti con lei.
Z żoną bliźniego twego obcować nie będziesz, bo byś się splugawił z nią,
И с женою ближнего твоего не ложись, чтобы излить семя и оскверниться с нею.
不可 與 鄰舍 的妻 行 淫，玷污自己。
And you may not have sex relations with your neighbour's wife, making yourself unclean with her.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Leviticus 18:20
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
The gathered commentators agree: Leviticus 18:20 restates the seventh commandment (Exodus 20:14) with the added dimension of personal and communal defilement. Calvin notes that although all fornication pollutes a man, adultery carries a grosser impurity because it violates the sanctity of marriage and produces a spurious offspring. Gill underscores that the adulterer defiles himself, a stain on both soul and character that is not easily wiped away (Proverbs 6:32). Keil and Delitzsch comment on the Hebrew idiom “give your copulation for seed,” pointing to the act of emission as the source of defilement. Matthew Henry places the verse within a section designed to uphold the honor of the marriage bed. The common thread: adultery is not merely a private sin but a defiling act that corrupts the individual, damages the neighbor’s union, and profanes the community called to be holy.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Adultery with a neighbor’s wife is forbidden and identified as a defiling act that violates the sanctity of marriage.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The sinfulness of adultery | All Christian traditions affirm that adultery is a serious sin prohibited by the seventh commandment. | There is disagreement over whether adultery is always grounds for divorce, and whether remarriage is permitted after such a divorce. |
| The meaning of 'defilement' | Commentators agree that adultery defiles the person who commits it. | Some interpret defilement as ritual impurity removed by offerings (the ceremonial law); others see it as moral corruption that requires repentance and forgiveness through Christ. |
| Application of the penalty | The Old Testament prescribes death for adultery (Leviticus 20:10). | Most Christians today do not advocate capital punishment for adultery, citing the shift to church discipline and civil law under the new covenant; a minority argue the moral principle of justice still applies. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Leviticus 18 belongs to the Holiness Code (chapters 17, 26), addressed to Israel as a people set apart for Yahweh. The chapter opens with a sharp contrast: “You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt … nor as they do in the land of Canaan” (v. 3). Israel is to be different because their God is different. The surrounding verses (vv. 19, 23) list other sexual offenses, intercourse during menstruation, same-sex relations, bestiality, and vv. 24, 30 warn that the land itself vomits out inhabitants who practice such abominations. Adultery is presented not as a private failing but as a public defilement with territorial consequences.
In the ancient Near East, marriage established a household’s line and inheritance. To lie with a neighbor’s wife was to steal his potential offspring, to poison trust within the community, and to invite divine judgment. Keil and Delitzsch note that the Hebrew verb for “give” (H5414 natan) used with “your copulation for seed” treats the act as a deliberate giving of one’s reproductive power to a forbidden woman. The penalty, death by stoning for both parties (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22), reflects the gravity of the violation. Matthew Henry summarizes: “a law to preserve the honour of the marriage-bed.” The defilement language (H2930 tame) ties adultery to the same ritual-moral sphere as contact with corpses or unclean animals: it renders a person unfit to stand before God until cleansed.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no variant readings for Leviticus 18:20. Keil and Delitzsch discuss the Hebrew wording “thy pouring as seed” (שְׁכָבְתְּ/ךָ֖ לְ/זָ֑רַע) but do not indicate textual uncertainty. The verse is stable across manuscripts and translations.
Reception History
In early Christian teaching, Leviticus 18:20 was read as a direct application of the seventh commandment and was cited in catechetical instruction on marriage. The Church Fathers, including Augustine, used the verse to argue that adultery defiles both the body and the soul. Medieval commentators such as Thomas Aquinas included it under the precepts of natural law, noting that adultery violates the order of human procreation. During the Reformation, both Calvin and Luther emphasized the public character of the sin, it damages the neighbor, the community, and the name of God. In modern times, the verse continues to be a key text for Christian sexual ethics, often paired with Jesus’ expansion of adultery to include lust (Matthew 5:27-28).
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Adultery is a defiling sin. Gill says “all sin is of a defiling nature, but especially this”, it stains the soul and body, and leaves a permanent mark on reputation (Proverbs 6:32).
- Adultery violates a neighbor’s covenant. Calvin stresses that adultery is grosser impurity because it “violates the sanctity of marriage.” It is a direct assault on the bond God established.
- Adultery threatens the holy community. Matthew Henry places the verse among laws that preserve the honor of marriage and prevent Israel from becoming like the defiled nations around them.
Five-point outline
- The command: “You shall not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife”, a clear prohibition.
- The consequence: “and defile yourself with her”, the act produces moral and ritual impurity.
- The community dimension: the neighbor is your fellow citizen (amit, H5997), the sin is against someone you know and live among.
- The connection to the land: as vv. 24, 25 show, such defilement causes the land to vomit out its inhabitants.
- The hope of holiness: the repeated refrain “I am the LORD” reminds Israel that obedience is rooted in God’s character, not merely in law.
Illustration hooks
- A person finds a loaded gun and decides to fire it into a neighbor’s house, the act is not private; it shatters trust and safety. Adultery is that kind of weapon.
- Imagine being invited to a friend’s home and then using that access to steal something precious from them. Adultery steals not an object but an exclusive bond.
- A small crack in a dam can eventually break the whole structure. A single act of adultery fractures a marriage, but it also weakens the fabric of the community.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Is this verse only about the literal act, or does it warn against other forms of marital unfaithfulness?
- How does the defilement described here apply to believers today, when we are not under the ceremonial law?
- Does the command apply the same way to a married person who is attracted to someone else but never acts?
Leading a Discussion
Leviticus 18:20 appears in a section where God is drawing a clear line between the practices of the surrounding nations and the life of His people. The verse zeroes in on one specific violation: adultery with a neighbor's wife, and it emphasizes that the act defiles the offender. As you discuss, keep in mind that the same chapter also commands love for the stranger and care for the poor, holiness touches every area of life.
Discussion questions
- What does the phrase “defile yourself” add to the simple command not to commit adultery?
- Why do you think the verse uses the term “neighbor” rather than just “another man’s wife”? How does that change the relational scope of the sin?
- Gill says adultery brings “a blot and stain upon his character, which shall not be wiped off.” Do you agree that some sins have lasting visible consequences? Is there room for restoration?
- Calvin wrote that adultery produces “a spurious and illegitimate offspring.” How does the potential of children reshape our view of the severity of adultery?
- The chapter links sexual sin to the defilement of the land (v. 25). How does private sin affect the wider community, even today?
- How does Jesus’ teaching on adultery (Matthew 5:27-28) connect to the “defilement” idea in Leviticus 18:20?
- What practical steps can your group take to protect marriages and support those who are struggling with temptation?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 20:14 | “You shall not commit adultery. |
| Leviticus 20:10 | “‘The man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, even he who commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. |
| Deuteronomy 5:18 | “You shall not commit adultery. |
| Deuteronomy 22:22 | If a man is found lying with a woman married to a husband, then they shall both die, the man who lay with the woman and the woman. So you shall remove the evil from Israel. |
| Deuteronomy 22:25 | But if the man finds the lady who is pledged to be married in the field, and the man forces her and lies with her, then only the man who lay with her shall die; |
| II Samuel 11:3 | David sent and inquired after the woman. One said, “Isn’t this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, Uriah the Hittite’s wife?” |
| II Samuel 11:4 | David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in to him, and he lay with her (for she was purified from her uncleanness); and she returned to her house. |
| II Samuel 11:27 | When the mourning was past, David sent and took her home to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased Yahweh. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
6 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke offers no direct comment on this verse. Instead he points readers to his note on the commandment against adultery in Exodus 20:14, implying that the same principles apply and that the earlier passage provides the needed explanation.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin argues that adultery is especially sinful because it violates the sanctity of marriage and produces illegitimate offspring. He sees these acts as abominations that defiled the Canaanites, causing the land itself to vomit them out. For Calvin, sexual sins pollute the land and bring God's judgment.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva annotators stress that adultery involves deliberately giving oneself to a neighbor's wife, not merely a physical act. They warn that such a union defiles the person who engages in it, highlighting personal responsibility and the moral corruption that follows.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that adultery defiles not only the married woman but also the man himself, staining both his soul and body. He argues that while all sin corrupts, this sin leaves a permanent blot on a person's character that cannot be removed.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch draws a careful distinction: the phrase “passing through the fire to Molech” does not necessarily mean slaughtering and burning children. They argue it originally described a rite of purification or fire-baptism, a consecration without sacrifice, citing ancient Jewish and Christian interpreters.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry sees these laws as falling into two groups: those protecting the honor of the marriage bed from misuse or invasion by adultery, and the command against the most unnatural idolatry of sacrificing children to Molech. Such sins defile the land and provoke God's judgment.