Leviticus 20:10

If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress must surely be put to death.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The verse sits within a block of covenant laws addressing capital offenses, directly following the decree against cursing parents and preceding the ruling on incest. It functions as a judicial pronouncement to the Israelite community under the Mosaic covenant.

The words — יִנְאַף (yin.'Af) means he will commit adultery [H5003], and אֵשֶׁת ('E.shet) means a wife of [H802]. The grammatical structure ties the act directly to the neighbor’s spouse.

The thread — The same death penalty for adultery appears in Deuteronomy 22:22, while the prohibition against the act is stated in Deuteronomy 5:18. The narrative in John 8:4 later records the same offense being presented to a teacher.

Why it lands — The text states that both participants in the act must be executed, establishing a strict legal boundary for marital fidelity. It requires the reader to acknowledge the covenant weight of the marriage bond and the corresponding judicial consequence for its breach.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְאִ֗ישׁve./'Ishand/ a man אֲשֶׁ֤ר'a.Sherwho יִנְאַף֙yin.'Afhe will commit adultery אֶת־'et-<obj.>אֵ֣שֶׁת'E.sheta wife of אִ֔ישׁ'Isha man אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.Sherwho יִנְאַ֖ףyin.'Afhe will commit adultery אֶת־'et-<obj.>אֵ֣שֶׁת'E.shet[the] wife of רֵעֵ֑הוּre.'E./huneighbor/ his מֽוֹת־mot-certainly <to die>יוּמַ֥תyu.Mathe will be put to death הַנֹּאֵ֖ףha./no.'Efthe/ adulterer וְהַנֹּאָֽפֶת׃ve./ha./no.'A.fetand/ the/ adulteress

King James Version

And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

Cross-references

John 8:4 and said, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.
Deuteronomy 22:22 If a man is found lying with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.
Deuteronomy 5:18 You shall not commit adultery.
Exodus 20:14 You shall not commit adultery.
Leviticus 18:20 You must not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife and thus defile yourself with her.
2 Samuel 12:13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” “The LORD has taken away your sin,” Nathan replied. “You will not die.
Ezekiel 23:45 But righteous men will sentence them to the punishment of those who commit adultery and bloodshed, because they are adulteresses with blood on their hands.