A common misinterpretation treats this verse in isolation as Jesus merely endorsing or repeating the superficial legal prohibition against physical adultery, ignoring its context in the Sermon on the Mount where he intensifies the commandment to include lustful thoughts as equivalent sin, leading to a shallow legalism that equates external restraint with true righteousness; others erroneously view it as Jesus critiquing or abrogating the Old Testament law rather than fulfilling it through internal transformation, or misuse it to justify modern moral relativism by claiming the 'old time' standard is outdated.
Matthew 5:27
King James Version (1769)
27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
Jesus affirms the seventh commandment from the Old Testament law, which prohibits adultery as a violation of the marriage covenant and sexual purity, establishing it as the external standard of righteousness expected under the Mosaic Law; however, in the Sermon on the Mount, this sets the stage for his deeper teaching that God's standard surpasses mere outward compliance, demanding holiness in thought and intention to fulfill the law's true intent.