Deuteronomy 5:18 — Word Study
WLCוְלֹ֖֣א תִּֿנְאָֽ֑ף׃ ס
BSAYou shall notlôʼ [under any circumstances] commit adulterynâʼaph▸ [be unfaithful, have sex with someone other than your spouse]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְלֹ֖֣א | and not | Conjunction, particle |
| תִּֿנְאָֽ֑ף׃ ס | you must commit adultery | Verb, Qal, imperfect second person masculine singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | You shall not commit adultery. |
| KJV | Neither shalt thou commit adultery. |
| ASV | Neither shalt thou commit adultery. |
| YLT | 'Thou dost not commit adultery. |
| WEB | “You shall not commit adultery. |
| BBE | Do not be false to the married relation. |
There are no notable differences among the translations regarding this command.
The sentence is straightforward, consisting of a single main clause that conveys a clear prohibition.
5 commentators on this verse
Jamieson, Trapp, Ellicott, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
verbנָאַף
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Deuteronomy 5:18
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Ten Commandmentsgenerated
Deuteronomy 5:18 is part of the moral code given to the Israelites, emphasizing the importance of fidelity within marriage. This commandment follows others that prohibit murder and theft, highlighting the sanctity of relationships and the need for trust and commitment among individuals. The context shows a series of prohibitions that aim to guide the community towards a righteous and just society.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exodus 20:14 | You shall not commit adultery. |
| 2 | Proverbs 6:32–33 | He who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself. |
| 3 | Matthew 5:27–28 | You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ |
| 4 | Luke 18:20 | You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and mother.’ ” |
| 5 | James 2:10–11 | Whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — נָאַף, tne.'Afgenerated
The verb נָאַף (na'aph) specifically refers to the act of committing adultery, emphasizing unfaithfulness in a marital context. It can also denote idolatrous practices, illustrating a broader theme of fidelity in both physical and spiritual relationships.
This command is in the imperfect tense, indicating an ongoing obligation rather than a one-time prohibition. The second person masculine singular form addresses individuals directly, making it clear that this command applies to every man.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The structure of this verse is straightforward, consisting of a main clause with a finite verb תִּֿנְאָֽף (you shall commit adultery) governed by the negation וְלֹ֖֣א (and not). The simplicity of this structure emphasizes the directness of the command.
The Hebrew word order places the negation first, underscoring the prohibition's importance and clarity.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates נָאַף as φονεύσεις (you shall murder), which shifts the focus from adultery to a broader moral failing. This choice reflects a different interpretive angle, emphasizing the gravity of unfaithfulness.
The Greek term used here, however, is not a direct equivalent of the Hebrew, indicating a possible interpretive expansion by the translators.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Deuteronomy 5:18 commands that no one should commit adultery, which means being unfaithful in marriage. This is part of the Ten Commandments, which outline important moral laws for the Israelites to follow, ensuring faithfulness and trust in relationships.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Committing adultery refers to being unfaithful to one's spouse, engaging in sexual relations with someone outside of marriage.
This commandment is crucial for maintaining trust and fidelity in marriage, which are foundational for healthy relationships and families.
Yes, this command applies equally to both men and women, emphasizing the importance of faithfulness in marriage for all individuals.
This command is part of a series of moral laws that promote respect for life, property, and relationships, highlighting the need for ethical behavior in society.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways can I ensure faithfulness in my relationships?
- How do societal views on marriage and fidelity compare to the teachings in this commandment?
- What are some practical steps I can take to honor my commitments to others?
- How can understanding this command help me in my personal relationships?
Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Deuteronomy 5:18 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThou shalt not kill. No JFB commentary on these verses.
Read Robert Jamieson on Deuteronomy 5 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsDeuteronomy 5:18 Neither shalt thou commit adultery.Ver. 18. Neither shalt thou commit.] Or, And thou shalt not commit, &c., and so in the following laws; to teach us that the law is but one copulative, as the schools speak. For the sanction indeed, it is disjunctive; but for the injunction, it is copulative. The sanction is, Either do this, or die: but the injunction is not, Either do this or that, but Do this and that too. See Matthew 23:2-3 Ezekiel 18:10-11; Ezekiel 18:13 James 2:10. Do everything, as well as anything: to leave one sin and not another, is, with Benhadad, to recover of one disease, and to die of another. Lex tota est una copulativa.
Read John Trapp on Deuteronomy 5 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(17-20) The wording of these four commandments is the same with that of Exodus 20.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Deuteronomy 5 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges17–20. The Sixth to the Ninth Commandments, as in Exodus 20:13-16, except that for the simple not used there, we have here and not = neither, to introduce the Seventh, Eighth and Ninth Commandments; and that in the Ninth instead of sheḳ ?er = false of Exo 20:16 there is the wider term shav’ = vain, groundless, as in the Third Commandment. For this term see on Exodus 20:7; and cp. Exodus 23:1 (E), where it is applied to a report or rumour.
Read Cambridge on Deuteronomy 5 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible18. Neither — The Hebrew and not. All the commandments that follow, as well as this, commence with the conjunction and the negative.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Deuteronomy 5 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
You shall not commit adultery.
“You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not commit adultery.
You must not commit adultery.
Tyndale line
Neither shalt thou commit adultery.
Neither shalt thou commit adultery.
Neither shalt thou commit adultery.
Neither shalt thou commit adultery.
Neither shalt thou commit adulterie.
Strictly literal
Neither shalt thou commit adultery.
'Thou dost not commit adultery.
You do not commit adultery.
(5:17A) Neither shalt thou commit adultery.
You will not commit adultery.
From the Latin
Neither shalt thou commit adultery.
Simplified
You must not commit adultery.
Do not be false to the married relation.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text reads וְלֹ֖֣א תִּֿנְאָֽף׃ ס, while the Samaritan Pentateuch agrees word for word with this text. The Dead Sea Scrolls show variations in the wording, with some manuscripts supplying entire words that are missing in others, but they generally align with the command against adultery.
וְלֹ֖֣א תִּֿנְאָֽ֑ף׃ ס
2 of the 2 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
לא תנאף
Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.
[ולא] [תנאף]
nothing on the leather here — 2 supplied entire by an editor.
ולוא תנאף
2 words on the leather.
[ולוא] [תנאף]
nothing on the leather here — 2 supplied entire by an editor.
ולוא [תנאף]
1 word on the leather — 1 supplied entire by an editor.
לוא תנאף
2 words on the leather.
לוא תנאף
2 words on the leather.
לא תנאף
2 words on the leather.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Deuteronomy 5:18
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
לֹא (lo') is a Hebrew word meaning 'not' or 'no.' It serves as a simple negation and can imply absence or prohibition. The word can also be used in various contexts, often combined with other particles for emphasis or clarification. Its Aramaic equivalent is לָא (la), which also means 'not.'
לֹא or לוֹא adv. not
base
H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not
3808 lo' lo
or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle;
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often
used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else,
ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never,
no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out
of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, +
of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.
לֹא (lo) — not.
1) not, no
1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)
1b) not (with modifier-negation)
1c) nothing (subst)
1d) without (with particle)
1e) before (of time)
Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)
Conj | Part — Conjunction · particleHC/Tn
נָאַף (na'aph) is a Hebrew verb meaning to commit adultery, typically referring to a man with another's wife. It can also denote idolatrous worship in a figurative sense. The root encompasses both the act of adultery and its implications, including the role of women in this context.
[נָאַף] vb. commit adultery
base
H5003 נָאַף commit adultery
5003 na'aph naw-af'
a primitive root; to commit adultery; figuratively, to
apostatize:--adulterer(-ess), commit(-ing) adultery, woman
that breaketh wedlock.
נָאַף (na.aph) — to commit adultery.
1) to commit adultery
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to commit adultery
1a1a) usually of man
1a1a1) always with wife of another
1a1b) adultery (of women) (participle)
1a2) idolatrous worship (fig.)
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to commit adultery
1b1a) of man
1b1b) adultery (of women) (participle)
1b2) idolatrous worship (fig.)
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine singularHVqi2ms
a-dul'-ter-i: In Scripture designates sexual intercourse of a man, whether married or unmarried, with a married woman.
1. Its Punishment:
It is categorically prohibited in the Decalogue (seventh commandment, Ex 20:14; De 5:18): "Thou shalt not commit adultery." In more specific language we read: "And thou shalt not he carnally with thy neighbor's wife, to defile thyself with her" (Le 18:20). The penalty is death for both guilty parties: "And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbor's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death" (Le 20:10). The manner of death is not particularized…
Adultery
Conjugal infidelity. An adulterer was a man who had illicit intercourse with a married or a betrothed woman, and such a woman was an adulteress. Intercourse between a married man and an unmarried woman was fornication. Adultery was regarded as a great social wrong, as well as a great sin.
The Mosaic law (Num. 5:11-31) prescribed that the suspected wife should be tried by the ordeal of the “water of jealousy.” There is, however, no recorded instance of the application of this law. In subsequent times the Rabbis made various regulations with the view of discovering the guilty party, and of bringing about a divorce. It has been inferred from John 8:1-11 that this sin became very common during the age preceding the destruction of Jerusalem.
(Exodus 20:14) The parties to this crime, according to Jewish law, were a married woman and a man who was not her husband. The Mosaic penalty was that both the guilty parties should be stoned, and it applied as well to the betrothed as to the married woman, provided she were free. (22:22-24) A bondwoman so offending was to be scourged, and the man was to make a trespass offering. (Leviticus 19:20-22) At a later time, and when owing, to Gentile example, the marriage tie became a looser bond of union, public feeling in regard to adultery changed, and the penalty of death was seldom or never inflicted. The famous trial by the waters of jealousy, (Numbers 5:11-29) was probably an ancient custom, which Moses found deeply seated…
Is a criminal connection between persons who are engaged, one or both, to keep themselves wholly to others; and thus it exceeds the guilt of fornication, which is the same intercourse between unmarried persons. As the highest sin of its kind, and son including all other sins of the flesh, it is forbidden in the seventh commandment. Where polygamy was allowed, as among the ancient Jews, illicit intercourse between a married man and a woman who was married, nor betrothed, constituted not adultery, but fornication.
Fornication may be, in some sense, covered by a subsequent marriage of the parties; but adultery cannot be so healed. Hence God often compares himself to a husband jealous of his honor, Jer 31:32; and hence the forsaking of the true God is compared to fornication and adultery of the vilest kind,