By Roy B. Blizzard
[14] Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Translation:
You shall not commit adultery.
Comments:
Although all of the commandments have been mistranslated and misinterpreted, this commandment is probably the most misunderstood of all in that it has very little to do with sex. As a result, it is very difficult to adequately translate. I am going to translate it,
"You shall not break into a marriage relationship with the intention of breaking it up."
The Encyclopedia Judaica, Volume 2, Page 313 states, "the extra-marital intercourse of a married man is not per se a crime in Biblical or later Jewish law. This distinction stems from the economic aspect of Israelite marriage. The wife was the husband’s possession and adultery constituted a violation of the husband’s exclusive right to her."
The commandment proscribing adultery is a politically motivated regulation. "The emphasis on intrusion into a private domain in contravention of an existing covenant is the concern that motivates the Torah’s prohibition of adultery. (Raymond J. Lawrence, Jr., The Poisoning of Eros," published by Augustine Moore Press, 1990, page 257) Mr. Lawrence, a clergyman for 31 years, points out in his book that "it is very important to note in this context that a particular act of adultery stands under moral judgment only to the extent of its political malfeasance, and the emphasis in this commandment is that the community respect and protect marital covenants."
One further note for consideration is that it is possible that this passage can additionally apply to idolatrous worship, as noted in Brown-Driver-Briggs #5003. Many times when the Biblical text speaks of adultery, it is in the context of Pagan worship.
