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The contemporary definitions in modern dictionaries of fornication (voluntary sexual intercourse between individuals not married to each other, which encompasses adultery) and adultery (voluntary sexual intercourse between a married individual and someone other than their lawful spouse) are straightforward. However, the Bible provides deeper insight into how these two sexual transgressions are viewed by God. In the Bible, both terms are used literally, but they are also employed figuratively to denote idolatry.
In the Old Testament, all forms of sexual misconduct were prohibited by the Mosaic Law and Jewish tradition. The Hebrew term translated as “fornication” in the Old Testament was also associated with idolatry, often referred to as spiritual whoredom. For instance, in 2 Chronicles 21:10-14, God afflicted Jehoram with plagues and illnesses because he led the people into idolatry. He caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to engage in fornication (v. 11, KJV) and to pursue the immoral practices of the house of Ahab (v. 13 NKJV). King Ahab, who was married to Jezebel, a priestess of the licentious god Baal, influenced the Israelites to worship idols in a despicable manner. In Ezekiel 16, the prophet Ezekiel elaborates on the history of God’s people forsaking Him to “play the harlot” with other deities. The term “fornication,” symbolizing idolatry, is recurrently used in this chapter. As the Israelites gained renown for their wisdom, wealth, and influence among neighboring nations, they were ensnared by admiration, courtship, and flattery, leading them into idolatrous behaviors. The term “fornication” is linked to pagan idolatry because many pagan rituals incorporated sexual acts. Temple prostitution was prevalent in the worship of Baal and other false gods. Various forms of sexual immorality were not only tolerated in these religions but also promoted as a means to receive greater blessings from the gods.
The worshippers, especially in the growth of their herds and crops.
In the New Testament, “fornication” originates from the Greek term porneia, encompassing adultery and incest. Porneia is derived from another Greek term that also encompasses engaging in any form of unlawful desire, which would involve homosexuality. The term is consistently used in the gospels and the epistles to denote sexual transgression, while “fornication” in the book of Revelation consistently signifies idolatry. The Lord Jesus reproaches two of the churches in Asia Minor for involving themselves in the fornication of idolatry «But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. », (Revelation 2:14,20) «Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. », (Revelation 2:14,20), and He also mentions the “great harlot” of the end times, which symbolizes the idolatrous false religion “with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication” (Revelation 17:1-2;NKJV).
Adultery, conversely, consistently denotes the sexual sin of married individuals with someone other than their spouse, and the term is employed in the Old Testament both literally and metaphorically. The Hebrew term translated as “adultery” literally means “breaking wedlock.” Interestingly, God portrays the abandonment of His people to other gods as adultery. The Jewish people were considered the spouse of the Lord, when the Israelites turned to the gods of other nations, they were likened to an adulterous wife. The Old Testament frequently described Israel’s idolatry as a promiscuous woman who pursued other gods (Exodus 34:15-16;Leviticus 17:7;Ezekiel 6:9;KJV). Additionally, the book of Hosea symbolizes the bond between God and Israel through the marriage of the prophet Hosea and his unfaithful wife, Gomer. Their union portrayed the sin and disloyalty of Israel, who repeatedly strayed from her true husband (God) to engage in spiritual adultery with other deities.
In the New Testament, the two Greek terms translated as “adultery” typically refer explicitly to sexual misconduct between married individuals based on their respective contexts. The sole exception is found in the epistle to the church of Thyatira, which was rebuked for tolerating the “woman Jezebel who claims to be a prophetess” «Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. », (Revelation 2:20). This woman led the congregation into immorality and idolatrous customs, and those who succumbed to her false teachings were viewed as having committed adultery with her.
