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Adultery

Original Hebrew / Aramaic / Greek connected to this term

How to read this: there is rarely one magic “true meaning” hidden behind an English word. A lexicon records a word’s semantic range. The intended meaning is narrowed by grammar, sentence, author, historical usage and context.

GREEK · G3430

μοιχεία

moicheia — adultery

μοιχεία, -ας, ἡ (μοιχύω), [rn LXX: Hos.2:2 (נַאֲפוּף), Hos.4:2 (נָאַף), Jer.13:27 (נִאֻף), Wis.14:26 * ;] adultery: Jhn.8:3; pl. (see WM, 220; Bl., § 32, 6), Mat.15:19, Mrk.7:21,† (AS)

2 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H2181

זָנָה

za.nah — to fornicate

1) to commit fornication, be a harlot, play the harlot 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be a harlot, act as a harlot, commit fornication 1a2) to commit adultery 1a3) to be a cult prostitute 1a4) to be unfaithful (to God) (fig.) 1b) (Pual) to play the harlot 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to cause to commit adultery 1c2) to force into prostitution 1c3) to commit fornication

63 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H5003

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.)

22 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H2154

זִמָּה

zim.mah — wickedness

1) plan, device, wickedness, evil plan, mischievous purpose 1a) plan, purpose 1b) evil device, wickedness 1c) not chaste, incest, licentiousness, adultery, idolatry, harlotry

14 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G3431

μοιχεύω

moicheuō — to commit adultery

μοιχεύω (μοιχός), [in LXX: Exo.20:13, Lev.20:10, al. (נָאַף) ;] to commit adultery: absol., Mat.5:27 19:18, Mrk.10:19, Luk.16:18 18:20, Rom.2:22 13:9, Jas.2:11; with accusative fem., Mat.5:28. Pass., of the woman, Mat.5:32 19:9 WH, mg.), Jhn.8:4. Metaphorical, of idolatry (see: μιοιχαλίς, and cf. Jer.3:9, a1.), before μετ᾽ αὐτῆς, Rev.2:22.† (AS)

11 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G3429

μοιχάω

moichaō — to commit adultery

μοιχάω, -ῶ (= cl. μοιχεύω), [in LXX (mid., absol. and with accusative, with party of either sex as subj.) : Jer.3:8 5:7 7:9 9:2 23:14 29:23, Eze.16:32 23:37, 43 (נָאַף) * ;] to commit adultery with: with accusative, fem. In NT always mid, in same sense; of the man : absol., Mat.5:32 19:9 (WH, txt., R, mg., om.); before ἐπ᾽ αὐτήν, Mrk.10:11; of the woman: Mrk.10:12.† (AS)

4 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H3579

כָּזְבִי

ko.ze.vi — Cozbi

A woman living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Num.25.15; daughter of: Zur (H6698) § Cozbi = "my lie" a daughter of Zur, a chief of the Midianites, who was slain by Phinehas because of her adultery

2 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

Historical dictionary entry

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. Idolatry, covetousness, and apostasy are spoken of as adultery spiritually (Jer. 3:6, 8, 9; Ezek. 16:32; Hos. 1:2:3; Rev. 2:22). An apostate church is an adulteress (Isa. 1:21; Ezek. 23:4, 7, 37), and the Jews are styled “an adulterous generation” (Matt. 12:39). (Comp. Rev. 12.)

Scripture references

Source: Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897). Historical dictionary wording reflects the scholarship and language of its era.

Compare other reference traditions

Look up Adultery in Smith’s Bible Dictionary and ISBE →