Matthew 5:27-30 · Bible study

Matthew 5:27-30 Commentary: Adultery in the Heart and Radical Purity

Greek · 11 what the commentators say

Meaning in one sentence

Jesus deepens the seventh commandment, condemning lust as adultery and calling for radical self-denial. Commentary and application for Matthew 5:27-30.

Research Summary

Meaning: Jesus expands the seventh commandment to include lustful intent, and calls for radical self-denial to avoid sin.
Key words: ἐπιθυμέω (epithumeō), to lust, desire; σκανδαλίζω (skandalizō), cause to stumble, trap; γέεννα (geenna), Gehenna, hell.
Main debate: Whether vv.29-30 command literal self-mutilation or are hyperbolic; the majority view is hyperbolic.
Theological theme: The law’s demands extend to the heart; inner purity matters to God; sin requires a decisive response.
Best use: Teaching on holiness, self-examination, and the depth of the law; pastoral caution against despair, pointing to grace.

Translation Comparison

BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020

²⁷You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’

²⁸But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

²⁹If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

³⁰And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to depart into hell.

WEB World English Bible 2000

²⁷“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery;’

²⁸but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.

²⁹If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna.

³⁰If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna.

KJV King James Version 1769

²⁷Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

²⁸But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

²⁹And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

³⁰And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

ASV American Standard Version 1901

²⁷Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

²⁸but I say unto you, that every one that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

²⁹And if thy right eye causeth thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body be cast into hell.

³⁰And if thy right hand causeth thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body go into hell.

YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898

²⁷`Ye heard that it was said to the ancients: Thou shalt not commit adultery;

²⁸but I--I say to you, that every one who is looking on a woman to desire her, did already commit adultery with her in his heart.

²⁹`But, if thy right eye doth cause thee to stumble, pluck it out and cast from thee, for it is good to thee that one of thy members may perish, and not thy whole body be cast to gehenna.

³⁰`And, if thy right hand doth cause thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast from thee, for it is good to thee that one of thy members may perish, and not thy whole body be cast to gehenna.

Darby Darby Bible 1890

²⁷Ye have heard that it has been said, Thou shalt not commit adultery.

²⁸But I say unto you, that every one who looks upon a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

²⁹But if thy right eye be a snare to thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members perish, and not thy whole body be cast into hell.

³⁰And if thy right hand be a snare to thee, cut it off and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members perish, and not thy whole body be cast into hell.

Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899

²⁷You have heard that it was said to them of old: Thou shalt not commit adultery.

²⁸But I say to you, that whosoever shall look on a woman to lust after her, hath already committed adultery with her in his heart.

²⁹And if thy right eye scandalize thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee. For it is expedient for thee that one of thy members should perish, rather than thy whole body be cast into hell.

³⁰And if thy right hand scandalize thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is expedient for thee that one of thy members should perish, rather than that thy whole body go into hell.

Verse in Context

25 Agree with your adversary quickly while you are with him on the way; lest perhaps the prosecutor deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be cast into prison.

26 Most certainly I tell you, you shall by no means get out of there until you have paid the last penny.

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery;’

28 but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.

29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna.

30 If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna.

31 “It was also said, ‘Whoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorce,’

32 but I tell you that whoever puts away his wife, except for the cause of sexual immorality, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries her when she is put away commits adultery.

Original Language (Koine Greek)

New Testament · Koine Greek · Matthew 5:27

Ἠκούσατε Ēkousate G0191 You have heard

ὅτι hoti G3754 that

ἐρρέθη errethē G2046 it was said

τοῖς tois G3588 to the

ἀρχαίοις· archaiois G0744 ancients:

οὐ ou G3756 Not

μοιχεύσεις. moicheuseis G3431 will you commit adultery.’

Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.

Scholars' Consensus

Commentators from across the theological spectrum, Matthew Henry, Calvin, Barnes, and the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown commentary, agree that Jesus corrects a shallow, external interpretation of the seventh commandment. The Pharisees taught that adultery was only the physical act. Jesus insists that the law reaches the heart. Calvin writes that Christ did not come as a new legislator but as “the faithful expounder of a law which had been already given.”

The key construction in verse 28 is βλέπων πρὸς τὸ ἐπιθυμῆσαι: looking “with a view to lust after her.” Barnes notes that this refers to indulging a wanton desire, not a fleeting glance. The aorist infinitive ἐπιθυμῆσαι (to lust) points to the deliberate aim of the look. Vincent’s Word Studies adds that σκανδαλίζει (causes to stumble) originally described the stick in a trap that springs shut; the eye or hand can become a snare.

All commentators agree that verses 29-30 are hyperbolic. Jesus does not command self-mutilation; he uses graphic language to say that nothing, not a precious eye, not a useful hand, is worth holding onto if it leads to sin. The alternative is Gehenna, the valley of judgment. The point is radical, decisive action against sin in our lives.

How settled is the interpretation?

Interpretive difficulty: Medium

Main views:

Literal self-mutilation: A minority interpretation throughout church history, taking Jesus' commands at face value as a call to physically remove body parts that cause sin.
Hyperbolic metaphor: The overwhelming consensus across traditions: Jesus uses intentional exaggeration to stress the urgency of repentance and the cost of discipleship. Supported by rabbinic parallels and the surrounding context of the Sermon on the Mount.

What is clear: Jesus teaches that the seventh commandment applies to the heart, and that believers must take decisive, even painful, action against sin.

What Scholars Agree and Debate

Topic	Agreed	Debated
Scope of 'woman' (γυναῖκα) in v.28	Jesus condemns lustful looking as a violation of the seventh commandment.	Some interpreters restrict the context to married women because adultery by definition breaks a marriage covenant. Others extend it to any woman, since the heart sin of lust is the same regardless of marital status.
Literal vs hyperbolic reading of vv.29-30	The passage calls for radical avoidance of sin, even at great personal cost.	A few ascetic movements in church history have taken the commands literally, but the overwhelming consensus sees hyperbole, Jesus uses shocking language to stress urgency, not to command physical mutilation.
The nature of Gehenna (γέεννα)	Gehenna represents final judgment and warns of a devastating outcome for unrepentant sin.	Traditions differ on whether hell involves eternal conscious torment, annihilation, or purification. This passage does not specify; it warns of a fate worse than losing a body part.

Historical & Cultural Context

The phrase “You have heard that it was said” echoes a common rabbinic teaching formula. Jesus counters with “but I say to you,” an assertion of authority that startled his hearers. He does not abolish the law but reclaims its original design.

By Jesus’ time, the oral tradition had reduced the seventh commandment to a prohibition of the outward act of adultery. Deuteronomy 22:22 prescribed death for the act, but the heart was ignored. Jesus brings the commandment back to the heart, where sin is conceived.

The word Gehenna (γέεννα) refers to the Valley of Hinnom, a ravine south of Jerusalem. In Israel’s history it had been a site of child sacrifice (2 Kings 23:10). By Jesus’ day it was a burning garbage dump, a vivid image of divine judgment. His audience understood it as a place of final punishment.

The right eye and right hand represent what is most precious and useful. By using hyperbolic language, pluck it out, cut it off, Jesus makes his point unforgettable. The Greek verbs are aorist imperatives (ἔξελε, ἔκκοψον, βάλε), conveying urgent, decisive action. This is not a gradual process but a surgical strike against sin.

The passage belongs to the second of six antitheses in the Sermon on the Mount (preceded by anger and reconciliation, followed by divorce and oaths). The structure reinforces that the law is not merely a code for behavior but a guide for the heart. The traditional reading had to be exposed as inadequate before Jesus could reveal the full depth of God’s demand for inner purity.

Textual Notes

Adam Clarke notes that the phrase “by them of old time” (τοῖς ἀρχαίοις) in verse 27 is omitted by many important manuscripts and early versions, including the Coptic, Ethiopic, and Old Latin. Critical editors such as Wettstein and Griesbach have left it out. The reference does not appear in the parallel in Matthew 5:21, and its inclusion or omission does not change the meaning, Jesus is clearly citing a traditional teaching. Modern critical editions often include the phrase in brackets, indicating uncertainty. No other significant textual variants are noted in the supplied sources for this passage.

Reception History

Early church writers frequently appealed to this passage when teaching about chastity and the purity of thoughts. They saw it as a summons to guard the heart and avoid occasions for lust. During the Reformation, Calvin emphasized that Christ restores the true intent of the law, using the passage to show that God’s demands go beyond outward behavior. In modern preaching, these verses are often applied to the dangers of pornography and the need for practical steps to guard one’s heart. The hyperbole of cutting off the hand is seen as a call to remove temptations, such as internet filters or accountability relationships. Across traditions, the passage has been a sobering reminder that sin starts inside and must be taken seriously.

Preaching This Verse

Three-point outline

The Heart of the Commandment (vv.27-28): Jesus internalizes the law, adultery is not just an act but a sin that begins with a lustful look and desire.
The Snare of the Body (vv.29-30a): The eye and hand, precious and useful as they are, can become traps that lead to sin. They must be dealt with radically.
The Calculus of the Kingdom (vv.29b-30b): Better to lose a part of your body than to have your whole body cast into Gehenna. The stakes are eternal; the response must be decisive.

Five-point outline

The Problem: Shallow interpretation of the law, only the outward act matters (v.27).
The Principle: Sin begins in the heart, a deliberate look of lust is already adultery (v.28).
The Action: Radical, decisive measures against whatever causes you to stumble (v.29a).
The Motivation: Gehenna awaits those who do not deal with sin (v.29b).
The Application: Self-denial and excision of temptation, however painful, is necessary for holiness (v.30).

Illustration hooks

A surgeon amputates a limb to save a life. Jesus says sin requires the same radical excision, cut off what destroys you.
A smartphone serves as a modern “right eye”, useful, even necessary, but it can become a snare for lust. What does “pluck it out” look like in a digital age?
A wedding ring is a visible covenant. Jesus says the covenant is broken not only by the act but by the secret thought that entertains disloyalty.

Questions your congregation is asking

Does this mean all sexual attraction is sin? How do I distinguish a natural glance from a lustful look?
If I struggle with lustful thoughts, have I already committed adultery? Does one lustful thought condemn me?
How do I “pluck out my right eye” in practice without harming my body? What are concrete steps?

Leading a Discussion

This passage is one of the most challenging in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus takes a law that seemed simple and shows it touches the deepest places of our hearts. It is easy to feel condemned by these verses, but they are meant to lead us to grace.

Discussion questions

How did the Pharisees interpret the seventh commandment? Why was that interpretation insufficient?
What does it mean to “look with intent to lust”? Is it different from noticing that someone is attractive?
How does verse 28 change the definition of adultery? What does it tell us about God’s concern for the heart?
Why does Jesus use such extreme language in verses 29-30? What does this teach us about the seriousness of sin?
What are some “right eyes” or “right hands” in modern life, good things that can become traps? How do we deal with them?
How does this passage connect to Jesus’ earlier teaching on anger (vv.21-26)? What is the common theme?
How does the gospel of grace help us respond to these hard words? Where do we find hope when we fail?

What the Commentators Say

7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832

Barnes argues that Jesus expands the seventh commandment beyond the physical act to include the heart's secret desires and the wandering eye. The Pharisees limited it to outward behavior, but Jesus treats a lustful look as adultery already committed in God's sight. The command to sacrifice a hand or eye is figurative, teaching that avoiding sin matters more than any worldly attachment.

Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564

Calvin stresses that Jesus does not add a new law but corrects a false interpretation that only outward adultery matters. He insists that lust itself, even without full consent, makes a person guilty before God, and Christ's command to cut off an eye is hyperbole: no sacrifice is too great for obedience.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880

The commentator notes that the eye and hand, though good and necessary, can become occasions for sin. Innocent pleasures may bring temptation, and if so, they must be given up entirely, no matter how hard the sacrifice. This contrasts with the pure in heart, who are not led astray.

Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748

Gill points out that the Pharisees prided themselves on strict rules against looking at women, yet they denied that sinful thoughts and desires counted as adultery. Jesus corrects this by teaching that a lustful look is already adultery in the heart. The commands to pluck out an eye or cut off a hand are figurative, meaning we must ruthlessly avoid whatever leads us into sin, rather than maiming ourselves literally.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871

JFB highlights that the Jewish teachers limited the seventh commandment to physical adultery between married persons, but Jesus extends it to every lustful look, applying to all forms of impurity. The commands about the eye and hand are not literal mutilation but a call for decisive, prompt action against the root of sinful desires, backed by a stern warning of hell.

Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710

Henry stresses that the same hand which gave the law is the one now interpreting it, so Christ's expansion is authoritative. The Pharisees confined the commandment against adultery to the outward act, but Jesus exposes the inward lust as already breaking it, proving that sinful desires must be governed just as strictly as sinful deeds.

Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887

Vincent stresses that the English word "offend" misses the point. The Greek word means to cause someone to stumble, like a trap stick that springs shut. Jesus is talking about the eye or hand becoming a snare that trips you up in your moral life, not merely giving offense.

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.

ἀκούω akouō to hear G0191 · Greek → ἀρχαῖος archaios ancient G0744 · Greek → ἐρῶ erō to say G2046 · Greek → μοιχεύω moicheuō to commit adultery G3431 · Greek → ὁ ho the/this/who G3588 · Greek → ὅτι hoti that/since: that G3754 · Greek → οὐ ou no G3756 · Greek →

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 22:24	then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones; the lady, because she didn’t cry, being in the city; and the man, because he has humbled his neighbor’s wife. So you shall remove the evil from among you.
Proverbs 6:32	He who commits adultery with a woman is void of understanding. He who does it destroys his own soul.
Matthew 5:21	“You have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, ‘You shall not murder;’ and ‘Whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’
Genesis 34:2	Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her. He took her, lay with her, and humbled her.

Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.

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