Exodus 20:14

Common misinterpretations include viewing the commandment as merely a restriction on physical acts while ignoring Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5:27-28 that lustful thoughts constitute adultery in the heart, or dismissing it as outdated cultural taboo irrelevant to modern relationships; others erroneously extend it to ban all premarital sex, confusing adultery with fornication, or limit it to women only, overlooking its equal application to both spouses in the biblical context of mutual covenant fidelity.

Exodus 20:14 commands fidelity within the covenant of marriage, prohibiting sexual relations between a married person and anyone other than their spouse, thereby upholding the sacred bond of marriage as a divine institution that reflects God's faithfulness and protects family stability, emotional intimacy, and societal order.