Unfaithfulness is a prominent theme in the Bible, addressed in a diversity of contexts and teachings. It explicitly notes the consequences of unfaithfulness, approaches this delicate issue in varied ways, and gives thought-provoking lessons about faithfulness. This article digs into biblical guidance, which addresses unfaithfulness, its repercussions, and the importance of loyalty and trust.
What the Bible Says about Unfaithfulness
The Bible conveys a clear message that unfaithfulness is viewed as a grievous sin. Whether it’s unfaithfulness in marriages, relationships, or towards God, the Bible calls for accountability and adherence to promises. The severity of unfaithfulness underlines its negative effects on relationships and society at large. It serves as evidence of the lack of loyalty and trust, which are fundamental virtues the Bible upholds.
Where Unfaithfulness Occurs According to the Bible
The Bible does not limit the notion of unfaithfulness to romantic or marital relationships solely. It applies to various relationships and dealings – marriage, friendships, transactions, and promises. Not keeping one’s word, unfair dealings, and, most serious of all, forsaking God, are all regarded as acts of unfaithfulness. At its core, any act that signifies a breach of trust, dishonesty, or deceit is seen as unfaithfulness.
Why Bible Emphasizes on Avoiding Unfaithfulness
Sins of unfaithfulness, according to the Bible, lead to disarray in personal relationships, strife within communities, and a rift in the relationship with God. Furthermore, unfaithfulness is often connected to other sins such as lying, deceit, and theft. The Bible strongly advises avoiding unfaithfulness because it disrupts harmony and mutual trust—elements that are vital to upholding a peaceful and prosperous society.
Who Suffers from Unfaithfulness in the Bible
Unfaithfulness produces pain not just for the deceived party, but also for the unfaithful individual. The guilty carry the burden of their actions, the inner turmoil stemming from guilt, and the consequences of their deeds. The Bible posits that unfaithfulness brings pain to all involved and even affects relationships within the wider community. The victims and perpetrators of unfaithfulness, God included, feel the impact of these actions.
When Unfaithfulness is Addressed in the Bible
Throughout the Bible, there are explicit instances of unfaithfulness being addressed. The teachings and lessons from these instances are timeless and continue to apply to our lives in the contemporary world. The Bible addresses unfaithfulness from the very start, in stories from early Genesis, and it recurs across various passages. This repetition reaffirms how crucial it is to grasp the seriousness and the implications of unfaithfulness.
Overall, the Bible helps followers understand the profound implications of unfaithfulness, urging everyone to adhere to a life of honesty, integrity, and loyalty—be it in their dealings with fellow humans or their relationship with God. Its teachings on unfaithfulness urge everyone to keep promises, be honest, and enhance mutual trust. By doing so, it promotes peace and prosperity, personally and societally.
Below is our full list of bible verses on unfaithfulness (King James Version – KJV) provided in ranked order.
Most Popular Bible Verses About Unfaithfulness
Hebrews 13:4
“4 Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.”
Proverbs 6:32
“32 But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.”
Matthew 19:9
“9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.”
Matthew 5:32
“32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.”
Matthew 5:27-28
“27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”
1 Corinthians 7:15
“15 But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.”
Related Themes: Divorce Adultery Abuse Separation
Revelation 21:8
“8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Related Themes: Hell Abomination Telling The Truth Frustration Adultery
1 Corinthians 7:2
“2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.”
Related Themes: Dating Adultery Marriage Lust Abstinence
Matthew 19:6
“6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”
Leviticus 20:10
“10 And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.”
Ephesians 5:28
“28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.”
Deuteronomy 22:22
“22 If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel.”
Matthew 19:3-9
“3 The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.7 They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.”
Related Themes: Divorce Adultery Omnipotence
Matthew 5:31-32
“31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.”
Luke 13:6-9
“6 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.”
Luke 16:18
“18 Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.”
Related Themes: Adultery Fidelity Divorce Marriage Benevolence
Malachi 2:16
“16 For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.”
1 Corinthians 6:18
“18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.”
John 15:2
“2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”
Related Themes: Suffering Purging Persecution
1 Corinthians 7:12-15
“12 But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.13 And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.15 But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.”
Related Themes: Marriage
Ephesians 4:32
“32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”
Related Themes: Trespassing Forgiveness Kindness Bitterness Reconciliation
Romans 7:2
“2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.”
Proverbs 25:19
“19 Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.”
Related Themes: Loyalty Hypocrisy Friendship
2 Corinthians 5:17
“17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
Related Themes: New Beginnings New Life Criticism Creativity Earth
Proverbs 24:12
“12 If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?”
Acts 2:38
“38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
Related Themes: Repentance Holy Spirit Baptism Forgiveness Omnipotence
Proverbs 24:11
“11 If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain;”
Related Themes: Self-Defense Abomination Rescue Police
Ezekiel 33:11
“11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?”
Related Themes: Repentance Pleasing God
Isaiah 5:1-7
“1 Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:2 And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.4 What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?5 And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down:6 And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.7 For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.”
Joel 2:12-14
“12 Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.14 Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?”
Related Themes: Fasting Repentance Lent Fasting
