Matthew 5:27"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery;'
The setting
Jesus transitions from legal disputes to sexual morality on the Galilean hillside. His Jewish audience knew this commandment by heart. Modern northern Israel.
The emotion here: preparing to expose hidden sin with surgical precision
The original word
moicheuō (μοιχεύω) — specifically adultery, not general sexual immorality
Why it matters
Jewish men could divorce wives for adultery but faced no legal consequences for their own
Read with care
What most readers miss in Matthew 5:27
Jesus quotes this to religious men who thought they were righteous because they hadn't physically cheated
Common misconceptionPeople think Jesus is just reminding them of an old rule. He's actually setting them up for His bombshell in verse 28 — that looking with lust is already adultery.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Matthew 5:27
Bible Genome reading
Matthew 5:27 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Matthew 5:27 comes from the book of Matthew, written during the gospel period. These words are attributed to Jesus. The dominant emotion in this verse is growing, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the letter genre of biblical literature. Key themes include law, marriage. Notable phrases: You have heard; shall not commit adultery.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same growing
“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”
— Proverbs 22:6
“So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
— Romans 10:17
“He must increase, but I must decrease.”
— John 3:30
“Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
— Galatians 6:2
“He believed in Yahweh; and he reckoned it to him for righteousness.”
— Genesis 15:6
Your reflection
What does Matthew 5:27 mean to you, today?
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