Deuteronomy 5:18

Summary

This verse contains a single short prohibition: the negation lo ("not", H3808) combined with the verb tinaph ("you must commit adultery", H5003) forms the command against adultery. It is one of the brief apodictic prohibitions in the list of the Ten Words in Deuteronomy 5.

Key words

• ve ("and", H9002) — conjunction linking this prohibition to the preceding one in the sequence of commands.
• Lo' ("not", H3808) — the standard negation used with the imperfect to form a durative or permanent prohibition, rather than a one-time command.
• tinaph ("you must commit adultery", H5003) — qal imperfect, second person masculine singular; the verbal root refers specifically to the act of adultery. The imperfect aspect, combined with lo, expresses a continuous or general prohibition ("you shall not [ever] commit adultery") rather than a single restricted instance.

What the text says

The Hebrew clause is minimal: ve-lo tinaph, "and you shall not commit adultery." The structure follows the same pattern as the other prohibitions in this list — the negative particle lo ("not", H3808) directly preceding a second-person masculine singular imperfect verb. This grammatical pairing in Biblical Hebrew regularly conveys a general, standing prohibition addressed to the individual, rather than a command limited to one occasion. The verb tinaph ("you must commit adultery", H5003) is grammatically simple (qal stem), meaning the action is expressed directly without added causative or intensive nuance.

The verse's brevity is typical of this section of Deuteronomy, where each prohibition is stated in a single terse clause without elaboration, object, or qualifying phrase. No additional grammatical elements — such as objects, adverbs, or subordinate clauses — appear in the Hebrew text; the prohibition stands alone.

Differences between versions

The Hebrew text (ve-lo tinaph) specifically addresses adultery (na'aph, H5003). The Vulgate (neque mœchaberis) and the Spanish versions (RV1909: "No adulterarás"; SBLIBRE: "No cometerás adulterio") match this sense. The BSB ("You shall not commit adultery") likewise agrees with the Hebrew.

However, the LXX text provided here (Οὐ φονεύσεις) renders "you shall not murder," using the Greek verb phoneuseis ("you will murder"), which corresponds instead to the prohibition against killing found elsewhere in the Decalogue. This represents a divergence in content between the Hebrew wording of this specific verse and the Greek text as given, reflecting differences in the ordering or numbering of these commandments among versions rather than a difference in translation of the same underlying word.