Find Healing: 26 Bible Verses About Cheating in a Relationship
Relationships can be tricky, especially when trust is broken. Many people look to the Bible for help and understanding when things go wrong.
This article explores bible verses about cheating in a relationship, offering clear advice on how to handle such tough situations. Whether you’re directly affected or looking to support someone who is, these verses shed light on the importance of honesty and commitment in relationships.
Bible Verses About Cheating in a Relationship
Bible Verses About Adultery
1. Exodus 20:14
“You shall not commit adultery.”
This direct command is part of the Ten Commandments, highlighting the importance of fidelity within the foundational laws given to Moses for the people of Israel.
2. Leviticus 20:10
“If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife, with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death.”
This harsh penalty underlines the seriousness with which adultery was viewed in ancient Israel, reflecting its potential to disrupt community stability and familial bonds.
3. Proverbs 6:32-33
“But a man who commits adultery has no sense; whoever does so destroys himself. Blows and disgrace are his lot, and his shame will never be wiped away.”
This passage from Proverbs discusses the personal consequences of adultery, portraying it as a self-destructive act that brings lasting shame and social reproach.
4. Matthew 5:27-28
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
Jesus expands the Old Testament commandment by stating that adultery includes not only the physical act but also lustful thoughts, thus elevating the standard to include the purity of one’s intentions and mental fidelity.
5. Jeremiah 5:7-9
“Why should I forgive you? Your children have forsaken me and sworn by gods that are not gods. I supplied all their needs, yet they committed adultery and thronged to the houses of prostitutes. They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing for another man’s wife. Should I not punish them for this?” declares the Lord. “Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?”
This passage reflects God’s response to Israel’s spiritual adultery, drawing parallels between physical adultery and unfaithfulness to God, showing how both kinds of betrayal invoke divine judgment.
6. Hosea 3:1
“The Lord said to me, ‘Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.'”
Even though this book symbolically addresses Israel’s unfaithfulness to God, Hosea’s personal story as instructed by God serves as a powerful metaphor for forgiveness and redemption following the betrayal of adultery.
7. Deuteronomy 22:22
“If a man is found sleeping with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.”
This law from Deuteronomy explicitly commands the severest of punishments for adultery, emphasizing the seriousness with which such actions were regarded in ancient Israelite society.
8. Matthew 5:32
“But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.”
Jesus reinforces the seriousness of adultery and extends its implications to the matter of divorce, highlighting the destructive ripple effects of marital infidelity.
Bible Verses About the Consequences of Cheating
9. Proverbs 6:27-29
“Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched? So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished.”
This vivid imagery warns of the inevitable harm that comes with adultery. Like playing with fire, cheating leads to certain pain and damage, emphasizing that such actions are self-destructive and invite unavoidable consequences.
10. Proverbs 6:32-35
“But a man who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself. Blows and disgrace are his lot, and his shame will never be wiped away; for jealousy arouses a husband’s fury, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge. He will not accept any compensation; he will refuse the bribe, however great it is.”
These verses continue to outline the repercussions of adultery, highlighting that it leads to social disgrace, violent retaliation, and irreversible damage to one’s reputation and relationships.
11. Malachi 2:13-16
“Another thing you do: You flood the Lord’s altar with tears. You weep and wail because he no longer pays attention to your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands. You ask, ‘Why?’ It is because the Lord is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant.”
This passage links unfaithfulness with spiritual repercussions, indicating that cheating disrupts one’s relationship with God. It portrays God as the witness to the vows made in marriage, emphasizing that betrayal not only hurts a spouse but also offends God.
12. Matthew 19:9
“I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
Jesus speaks about the sanctity of marriage and the destructive nature of divorce and adultery, underscoring that such actions violate the sacred bond of marriage.
13. Proverbs 5:3-14
“For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave.”
This describes the initial sweetness and ultimate bitterness of engaging with an adulterer, illustrating the destructive path that leads to spiritual and moral decay.
14. Hosea 4:1-3
“Hear the word of the Lord, you Israelites, because the Lord has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: ‘There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land. There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. Because of this the land mourns, and all who live in it waste away.'”
This passage links adultery with a breakdown of societal morals and divine order, showing how cheating contributes to a cycle of violence and decay within the community.
15. 1 Corinthians 6:18
“Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.”
Paul warns that sexual sins, including adultery, have a uniquely harmful impact on one’s own body and soul, emphasizing the self-destructive nature of such acts.
16. Proverbs 6:34-35
“For jealousy arouses a husband’s fury, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge. He will not accept any compensation; he will refuse a bribe, however great it is.”
These verses describe the intense emotional reactions that adultery can provoke, illustrating the deep social and personal conflicts that arise from such betrayal.
17. Hosea 2:2-3
“Rebuke your mother, rebuke her, for she is not my wife, and I am not her husband. Let her remove the adulterous look from her face and the unfaithfulness from between her breasts. Otherwise, I will strip her naked and make her as bare as on the day she was born.”
This metaphorical representation of Israel as an unfaithful wife to God depicts the severe consequences of spiritual adultery and by extension emphasizes the seriousness of physical adultery.
Bible Verses Encouraging Faithfulness and Trust
18. Hebrews 13:4
“Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.”
This verse underscores the sanctity of marriage and the importance of honoring that commitment. It serves as a reminder of the moral and spiritual imperative to remain faithful.
19. 1 Corinthians 7:3-5
“The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer and then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.”
Paul speaks to the mutual respect and duty owed within a marriage, emphasizing the importance of meeting each other’s needs as a safeguard against temptation.
20. Proverbs 12:22
“Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.”
This proverb praises faithfulness not only as a moral virtue but as a behavior that delights God, highlighting the value placed on integrity and trustworthiness.
21. Ephesians 4:2-3
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
This advice encourages maintaining a spirit of humility and patience, which are critical for nurturing trust and faithfulness in any relationship.
22. Colossians 3:9-10
“Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”
This directive to avoid deceit within relationships is tied to the larger spiritual journey of renewal and living a new life in Christ, which includes embracing truthfulness and integrity.
23. Proverbs 3:3-4
“Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.”
This verse beautifully combines the virtues of love and faithfulness, advising that they be a visible and integral part of one’s life, thus leading to favor both divinely and among peers.
24. Micah 6:8
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
This verse from Micah encapsulates what is expected in the way of moral behavior, which includes faithfulness and integrity as core components of justice.
25. Proverbs 11:3
“The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.”
This verse contrasts the protective power of integrity with the destructive nature of deceit, promoting faithfulness as a guiding principle for life.
26. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4
“It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable.”
Paul’s instruction to the Thessalonians emphasizes personal responsibility and self-control as key to maintaining sanctity and honor in relationships.
