The Ten Commandments · piece 6 of 26
The Sixth Commandment
From Luther’s Small Catechism, 1529
Practice mode shows the first letter of each word. Say the line, then tap it to check.
You must not commit adultery. (Exodus 20:14)
What does this mean?
We must fear and love God, so that our words and actions will be clean and decent and so that everyone will love and honor their spouses.
In plain words
God made marriage good and wants it protected. Keep your words and actions clean and respectful, including about sex. Be faithful to the person you marry. Honour and love your husband or wife, and respect other people’s marriages too.
Our summary of Luther’s explanation, for reading after his words, not instead of them.
Where Jesus says it
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Matthew 19:4–6 Jesus says God joins a married couple together and people should not pull them apart.
Read Matthew 19:4–6
4 He answered, “Haven’t you read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, ‘For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh?’ 6 So that they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, don’t let man tear apart.”
World English Bible, public domain. The whole chapter on Free Scripture → · Read in the NRSVue, the ELCA’s standard translation →
Translated by Robert E. Smith for Project Wittenberg (revised 2004) and placed in the public domain by the translator. How we checked it, and the whole Catechism on one page