The Westminster Larger Catechism

Questions 137—139: On the Seventh Commandment

Q. 137. Which is the seventh commandment?

A. The seventh commandment is, Thou shalt not commit adultery^a.

^a Exod. 20:14 

Q. 138. What are the duties required in the seventh commandment?

A. The duties required in the seventh commandment are, chastity in body, mind, affections^a, words^b, and behaviour^c; and the preservation of it in ourselves and others^d; watchfulness over the eyes and all the senses^e; temperance^f, keeping of chaste company^g, modesty in apparel^h; marriage by those that have not the gift of continencyⁱ, conjugal love^k, and cohabitation^l; diligent labour in our callings^m; shunning all occasions of uncleanness, and resisting temptations thereuntoⁿ.

^a 1 Thess. 4:4; Job 31:1; 1 Cor. 7:34 ^b Col. 4:6 ^c 1 Pet. 2:3 ^d 1 Cor. 7:2,35,36 ^e Job 31:1 ^f Acts 24:24,25 ^g Prov. 2:16-20 ^h 1 Tim. 2:9 ⁱ 1 Cor. 7:2,9 ^k Prov. 5:19,20 ^l 1 Pet. 3:7 ^m Prov. 31:11,27,28 ⁿ Prov. 5:8; Gen. 39:8-10

Q. 139. What are the sins forbidden in the seventh commandment?

A. The sins forbidden in the seventh commandment, besides the neglect of the duties required^a, are, adultery, fornication^b, rape, incest^c, sodomy, and all unnatural lusts^d; all unclean imaginations, thoughts, purposes, and affections^e; all corrupt or filthy communications, or listening thereunto^f; wanton looks^g, impudent or light behaviour, immodest apparel^h; prohibiting of lawfulⁱ, and dispensing with unlawful marriages^k; allowing, tolerating, keeping of stews, and resorting to them^l; entangling vows of single life^m, undue delay of marriageⁿ; having more wives or husbands than one at the same time^o; unjust divorce^p or desertion^q; idleness, gluttony, drunkenness^r, unchaste company^s; lascivious songs, books, pictures, dancings, stage plays^t; and all other provocations to, or acts of uncleanness, either in ourselves or others^u.

^a Prov. 5:7 ^b Heb. 13:4; Gal. 5:19 ^c 2 Sam. 13:14; 1 Cor. 5:1 ^d Rom. 1:24,26,27; Lev. 20:15,16 ^e Matt. 5:28; Matt. 15:19; Col. 3:5 ^f Eph. 5:3,4; Prov. 7:5,21,22 ^g Isa. 3:16; 2 Pet. 2:14 ^h Prov. 7:10,13 ⁱ 1 Tim. 4:3 ^k Lev. 18:1-21; Mark 6:18; Mal. 2:11,12 ^l 1 Kings 15:12; 2 Kings 23:7; Deut. 23:17,18; Lev. 19:29; Jer. 5:7; Prov. 7:24-27 ^m Matt. 19:10,11 ⁿ 1 Cor. 7:7-9; Gen. 38:26 ^o Mal. 2:14,15; Matt. 19:5 ^p Mal. 2:16; Matt. 5:32 ^q 1 Cor. 7:12,13 ^r Ezek. 16:49; Prov. 23:30-33 ^s Gen. 39:10; Prov. 5:8 ^t Eph. 5:4; Ezek. 23:14-16; Isa. 23:15-17; Isa. 3:16; Mark 6:22; Rom. 13:13; 1 Pet. 4:3 ^u 2 Kings 9:30 compared with Jer. 4:30 and with Ezek 23:40