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Greek · G3431 · unreviewed

μοιχεύω

To commit adultery

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μοιχεύω G3431
Pronunciation moicheúō

What does μοιχεύω (moicheúō) mean in the Bible?

μοιχεύω (moicheúō) is a Greek word meaning "to commit adultery". μοιχεύω (μοιχός), [in LXX: Exo.

Full entry for μοιχεύω (G3431) · Browse the biblical lexicon

Meaning

to commit adultery
Extended definition

Violates marriage covenant; also used metaphorically for spiritual unfaithfulness or idolatry.

(μοιχός), [in LXX: Exo.20:13, Lev.20:10, al. (נָאַף) ;] to commit adultery: absol., Mat.5:27 19:18, Mrk.10:19, Luk.16:18 18:20, Rom.2:22 13:9, Jas.2:11; with accusative fem., Mat.5:28. Pass., of the woman, Mat.5:32 19:9 WH, mg.), Jhn.8:4. Metaphorical, of idolatry (see: μιοιχαλίς, and cf. Jer.3:9, a1.), before μετ᾽ αὐτῆς, Rev.2:22.

Source: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
Grammatical Forms

How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.

Tenses
Future Aorist Present
Voices
Active Passive
Indicative states a fact or reality 8×
Present Active Luke 16:18 · Rom 2:22 · Jas 2:11 4×
Future Active Matt 5:27 · Matt 19:18 · Rom 13:9 3×
Aorist Active Matt 5:28 1×
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 3×
Aorist Active Mark 10:19 · Luke 18:20 · Jas 2:11 3×
Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 2×
Aorist Passive Matt 5:32 1×
Present Active Rom 2:22 1×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 1×
Present Active Rev 2:22 1×
14 total occurrences across all forms in the biblical text Morphology: MorphGNT SBLGNT — CC BY-SA 3.0
Discourse Aspect

How this verb appears across 15 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).

Aspect
completed 1 ongoing 4 prospective 3 subjunctive 3 infinitive 2 participle 2
Tense
present 7 aorist 5 future 3
Voice
active 13 passive 2
Mood
indicative 8 subjunctive 3 participle 2 infinitive 2
NT Occurrences
Matthew 5:27 μοιχεύσεις future active indicative prospective Matthew 5:28 ἐμοίχευσεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 5:32 μοιχευθῆναι aorist passive infinitive infinitive Matthew 19:18 μοιχεύσεις future active indicative prospective Mark 10:19 μοιχεύσῃς aorist active subjunctive subjunctive Luke 16:18 μοιχεύει present active indicative ongoing Luke 16:18 μοιχεύει present active indicative ongoing Luke 18:20 μοιχεύσῃς aorist active subjunctive subjunctive John 8:4 μοιχευομένη present passive participle participle Romans 2:22 μοιχεύειν present active infinitive infinitive Romans 2:22 μοιχεύεις present active indicative ongoing Romans 13:9 μοιχεύσεις future active indicative prospective James 2:11 μοιχεύσῃς aorist active subjunctive subjunctive James 2:11 μοιχεύεις present active indicative ongoing Revelation 2:22 μοιχεύοντας present active participle participle

Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.

Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)

Biblical Occurrences

Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.

Biblical Witnesses
Matthew 5:27-28 commit adultery moicheúō Indicative · Future Active
Prohibition of adultery in action and lustful intent of the heart
Luke 16:18 committeth adultery moicheúō Indicative · Present Active
Adultery in the context of divorce and remarriage teaching
Romans 2:22 committest adultery moicheúō Indicative · Present Active
Adultery as violation of God's law, addressed to those judging others
Revelation 2:22 commit adultery moicheúō Participle · Present Active
Metaphorical use referring to spiritual unfaithfulness and idolatry
Word Pictures (Robertson)

A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.

Matthew 19 — Marriage from Creation, Children Received, Riches Renounced, and the Reward of Following Christ Romans 13 — Submission to Governing Authorities, Love as the Fulfillment of the Law, and Life in the Light of the Coming Day

A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain

Sources

MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain

Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0

Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0

STEPBible Data — CC BY 4.0

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