# definition of "fornication" vs "adultery"



## nwink (Oct 13, 2011)

What is the difference, Biblically, between "fornication" and "adultery"? Obviously, these must be translated from different words...but what is the defining difference between what is considered "fornication" and what is considered "adultery"?

In Galatians 5:19 and Mark 7:21, it uses both "adultery" and "fornication" (or "impurity," "sexual immorality") in the same verse. Say the word "adultery," and everyone knows that specific word refers to a spouse having sexual relations with someone other than his/her spouse (although the commandment does extend all the way to lustful thoughts, of course). But say the word "fornication," and it kind-of leaves some uncertainty as to what it refers to.

What exactly is "fornication"? Is it a word that applies to all other manner of sexual sin (more than, but also including "adultery")? Is it more of a "catch-all" word, like the phrase "sexual immorality"...or does it refer specifically to any types of sexual sin?


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## TimV (Oct 13, 2011)

Adultery is breaking of the marriage oath and fornication is all other manner of sexual sin. So with a man and a woman sex before an oath was taken gets a fine and sex after an oath was taken gets the death penalty.


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## nwink (Oct 13, 2011)

Tim, thank you for your response. Do you know of a good resource or some Scripture references backing up your statements?


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## TimV (Oct 13, 2011)

Lev 20:10 "If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. 

Deu 22:28 "If a man meets a virgin who is not betrothed, and seizes her and lies with her, and they are found, 
Deu 22:29 then the man who lay with her shall give to the father of the young woman fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife, because he has violated her. He may not divorce her all his days

We know from other verses the last passage isn't talking about rape.


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## nwink (Oct 13, 2011)

Tim, thanks for those verses. But what I was more getting at in my OP is defining the specific word "fornication" used in Scripture and proving that that word means "all other manner of sexual sin," as you pointed out.


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## he beholds (Oct 13, 2011)

TimV said:


> Adultery is breaking of the marriage oath and fornication is all other manner of sexual sin. So with a man and a woman sex before an oath was taken gets a fine and sex after an oath was taken gets the death penalty.





TimV said:


> Lev 20:10 "If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
> 
> Deu 22:28 "If a man meets a virgin who is not betrothed, and seizes her and lies with her, and they are found,
> Deu 22:29 then the man who lay with her shall give to the father of the young woman fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife, because he has violated her. He may not divorce her all his days
> ...



That's a lot more than a fine! He had to marry her!


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## bug (Oct 13, 2011)

It is a definition of the greek word porneia you are after? 

porneia; pornei,a, aj, h` unchastity, prostitution, fornication, of various kinds of unlawful sexual intercourse.—1. lit. Mt 5:32; 19:9; Mk 7:21; J 8:41; Ac 15:20; 1 Cor 6:13, 18; 7:2; 2 Cor 12:21; Gal 5:19; Col 3:5.—2. fig., of idolatry immorality Rv 2:21; 14:8; 17:2, 4; 19:2.


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## nwink (Oct 13, 2011)

bug said:


> It is a definition of the greek word porneia you are after?



In Galatians 5:19 and Mark 7:21, it uses both "adultery" and "fornication" (or "impurity," "sexual immorality") in the same verse. Say the word "adultery," and everyone knows that specific word refers to a spouse having sexual relations with someone other than his/her spouse (although the commandment does extend all the way to lustful thoughts, of course). But say the word "fornication," and it kind-of leaves some uncertainty as to what it refers to. 

"What exactly is fornication?" was basically the question in my OP. Is it a word that applies to all other manner of sexual sin (more than, but also including "adultery")? Is it more of a "catch-all" word, like the phrase "sexual immorality"...or does it refer specifically to any types of sexual sin?


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## moral necessity (Oct 13, 2011)

nwink said:


> Say the word "adultery," and everyone knows that specific word refers to a spouse having sexual relations with someone other than his/her spouse



In my mind, it's, "Say the word 'adultery' and that specific word refers to a breach of contract." It's not talking about the act that causes the breach of contract, but rather the breach of contract itself. If this is the case, it clears up the difference between the two.

Blessings!


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