But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.Most translations translate epithymēsai as “lust” for this verse. This verse is obviously talking about something sexually wrong. So people often equate the term lust with wrong sexual thoughts.
To better understand what Jesus was getting at here, we should recognize that the term epithymēsai is better translated as “desired” or covet. The same greek term is used in positive ways in Luke 22:15 with Jesus saying “I desired/coveted to eat Passover…”, or in 1 Tim 3:1 “If someone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires/coveted a good work.”
This term behind lust is not always a bad thing, and it is not limited to sexual thoughts. If someone desires to do something good, like Jesus desiring to eat Passover, or someone aspiring to the office of overseer, it's a good thing.
Also note the greek term for "Woman" in Matt 5:28 is usually translated wife.
http://biblesuite.com/greek/gunaika_1135.htm
So if we look at the terms in Matthew 5:28: https://biblehub.com/text/matthew/5-28.htm
"However I say to you, anyone who looks at (someone else's) wife in order to covet her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."
Also keep in mind the Jewish definition of adultery is limited to a man taking the wife of another man. If a man took another wife, mistress or even a prostitute it would not have been considered adultery. Logically desiring to take another wife or mistress was also acceptable in that time and place.
Matthew 5:27–28 may be a reference to Exodus 20:17, as a reminder that sin does not begin with adultery, but the sin begins when a man covets his neighbour's wife. I suspect Jesus was not defining a new type of sin, but in line with the previous examples in this passage he is saying negative thoughts are bad, just like negative actions.
Let's consider the KJV version of Exodus 20:17 (KJV)
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.Suppose you looked across your fence and saw your neighbours ass (donkey)...
Appropriate thoughts may include:
- That's a nice ass
- That ass looks like it would make for a good ride
- That ass would be good at ploughing fields
- That ass would be good at grinding grain
Inappropriate thoughts may include:
- I want that ass
- I want to take that ass for a ride
- I want to grind (my grain) with that ass
- I want to plough (my fields) with that ass
Is there a difference between appreciating the beauty or value of someone or something, and coveting it or them?
Where do you draw the line?
Continue Reading:
Start from the top:
- Recently Discovered Chapter of Deuteronomy
- Sexuality of: Heros of The Faith
- Biblical Marriage
- Porneia (Sexual Immorality???)
- Take the Sexuality and The Bible Quiz Here
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