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.
Leviticus 20:10
Leviticus 20 [7.] “‘Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am Yahweh your God. You shall keep my statutes, and do them. I am Yahweh who sanctifies you.
“‘For everyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death: he has cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him.
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.
“‘The man who lies with his father’s wife has uncovered his father’s nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
“‘If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death: they have committed a perversion; their blood shall be upon them.
“‘If a man lies with a male, as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
“‘If a man takes a wife and her mother, it is wickedness: they shall be burned with fire, both he and they; that there may be no wickedness among you.
Leviticus 20 [15.] “‘If a man lies with an animal, he shall surely be put to death; and you shall kill the animal.
Meaning:
Leviticus 20 lists penalties for serious offences within Israel, many of them concerning family and sexual life. The chapter is framed by God’s call to his people, “Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am Yahweh your God.” Verse 10 sets the penalty for adultery. It is one of the verses the PIB footnote gives for John 8:5, where the scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, “Now in our law, Moses commanded us to stone such women” (John 8:5).
- “The man who commits adultery with another man’s wife”
Adultery here means sexual relations between a married woman and a man who is not her husband. The verse repeats itself for emphasis: “even he who commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife.” The word “neighbor” shows that this is a sin against another member of the covenant community, a betrayal of trust as well as of marriage. It breaks the seventh commandment: “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14).
- “The adulterer and the adulteress”
The law names both partners and treats them equally. This is significant for John 8, where the accusers brought only the woman, though they claimed she was caught “in the very act.” Under the Law the man was equally guilty. Their one-sided accusation did not follow the very law they quoted.
- “Shall surely be put to death”
In ancient Israel adultery was a capital crime. It struck at the family, the foundation of Israel’s life under God. The Law also protected the accused: a death sentence required at least two or three witnesses (Deuteronomy 17:6). Scripture records few cases where the penalty was carried out, and when King David committed adultery with Bathsheba, he was not executed; he repented and prayed, “Have mercy on me, God, according to your loving kindness” (Psalm 51:1), though serious consequences followed.
- How should Christians read this law?
Christians agree that adultery remains a serious sin. Jesus went further, saying that “everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). Paul says the commandment against adultery is summed up in “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Romans 13:9).
Christians have, however, understood the penalty in different ways. Most hold that the death penalties of the Law belonged to Israel’s life as a nation under God’s covenant and are not applied by the church or required of governments today, while the moral standard remains. Others give these civil laws a greater continuing role. Either way, the gospel shows that the guilty can be forgiven. Jesus told the woman brought to him, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way. From now on, sin no more” (John 8:11).
The Significance of Leviticus 20:10
- Marriage matters to God
The seriousness of the penalty shows how highly God values faithfulness in marriage. It is a covenant he witnesses and protects (Malachi 2:14).
- Mercy for the guilty
The Law shows the weight of sin; Jesus shows the way of forgiveness. He did not deny the woman’s sin, but he offered her mercy and called her to a new life.
Cross-References:
Exodus 20:14: "You shall not commit adultery." The commandment behind this law.
Matthew 5:28: "everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart." Jesus deepens the commandment.
John 8:5: "Now in our law, Moses commanded us to stone such women." The law quoted to Jesus.
John 8:11: "Neither do I condemn you. Go your way. From now on, sin no more." Jesus’ mercy and call to holiness.
Conclusion: Leviticus 20:10 made adultery a capital crime in Israel and held the man and the woman equally guilty. It shows how seriously God regards faithfulness in marriage, and it explains the law the scribes quoted against the woman in John 8, though they ignored its demand that both be judged. Christians differ on how such penalties apply today, but the gospel offers forgiveness and a new life to those who turn from sin.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible