What is the intent of the Seventh Commandment?
The Seventh Commandment specifically forbids adultery: the violation of the marriage bond, in which a spouse does not reserve his or her sexual intimacy for his or her spouse. This commandment, coming immediately after the prohibition of murder, reflects the grave nature of adultery, which is a murderous assault on the sacred mystery of Holy Matrimony, the God-ordained, lifelong covenant that can exist only between a man and a woman (Mat 19:5). Adultery is also an extreme form of theft, for it is the robbery of what belongs to God and to the lawful spouse.
Adultery falls under the Greek term porneia, which covers all forms of unlawful sexual intercourse; and, according to the teaching of the Church, it constitutes grounds for divorce, the termination of the marriage bond (Mat 19:9; see Q585). Adultery is the breaking of the covenant sealed by God before the community and always brings tragic consequences upon family and community alike.
