Adultery in Biblical History

Bible History

Schaff's Bible Dictionary

Definitions in Biblical History
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What is Adultery?
ADUL'TERY
, the crime forbidden in the seventh commandment. According to Jewish law, it is the unlawful intercourse of a man, whether married or not, with a married or betrothed woman not his wife. The crime was punished in patriarchal times, if Tamar's be a specimen case, by burning.Gen 38:24, or at least capitally. Under the Mosaic law in the case of the free woman both offenders were stoned. But a bondwoman thus guilty was to be scourged, and the man must make a trespass-offering. Lev 19:20,Lev 19:22. The so called "water of jealousy," by which the guilt of the accused woman was proven or refuted, was simply some " holy water," or that from the laver which stood near the altar in an earthen vessel, into which dust from the floor of the tabernacle was sprinkled. This mixture was given to the woman, who was solemnly charged by the priest with an oath of cursing. If she was guilty, then by divine interposition -- for it contained nothing injurious -- this test proved her guilt. If innocent no effect was produced. The accuser in these cases was the husband. Num 5:11-31. There is no case of the use of this test in Scripture. Adultery is the only ground of divorce recognized by our Lord. Matt 5:32. Adultery is used in the Bible in a spiritual sense to denote the unfaithfulness and apostasy of the Jews, because the union between God and his people was set forth as a marriage. In the N. T. "an adulterous generation" means a faithless and God-denying people.

Bibliography Information
Schaff, Philip, Dr. "Biblical Definition for 'adultery' in Schaffs Bible Dictionary".
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