“But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”
My Notes
What Does Matthew 5:28 Mean?
Jesus expands the commandment against adultery beyond the physical act to its origin: the heart. Looking at a woman with lust — purposeful, consuming desire — constitutes adultery already committed in the heart. The sin begins before the act.
The word "looketh" implies intentional, sustained gazing — not a passing glance. Jesus is addressing the deliberate cultivation of desire, the decision to dwell on and feed a lustful thought.
This is part of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus consistently moves from external behavior to internal reality. Murder begins with anger. Adultery begins with lust. The kingdom of God operates at the level of the heart, not just the surface.
The verse does not condemn natural attraction. It addresses the intentional nurturing of desire toward someone who is not yours. The distinction between noticing beauty and consuming someone in your mind is the line Jesus draws.
Reflection Questions
- 1.How do you distinguish between natural attraction and the lustful looking Jesus describes?
- 2.What does this verse reveal about where sin actually begins?
- 3.How does Jesus moving the standard from actions to the heart change your approach to purity?
- 4.What practices help you guard your heart in a culture saturated with images designed to provoke lust?
Devotional
Jesus moves the goalposts — or rather, he reveals where they always were. The commandment was never just about the physical act. It was always about the heart.
Looking to lust. Not a glance. Not noticing attractiveness. The deliberate, sustained gaze that turns a person into an object of consumption. Jesus says that is where adultery begins — in the decision to feed the thought.
This verse is uncomfortable because it makes the sin internal. You can avoid physical adultery through discipline. But the heart? The heart is harder to control. It wanders. It wants what it wants.
Jesus is not shaming you for having desires. He is inviting you to examine what you do with them. Do you dismiss them? Or do you dwell, rehearse, and cultivate?
The good news hidden in this hard teaching: if the problem is the heart, then the solution is also the heart. External rule-keeping was never going to be enough. What Jesus offers is transformation from the inside — a heart that is changed, not just a body that is restrained.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman,.... Many and severe are the prohibitions of the Jews, concerning…
Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery - See the notes at Mat 5:21. Our…
We have here an exposition of the seventh commandment, given us by the same hand that made the law, and therefore was…
(β) Adultery, 27 32.
28. to lust after heri. e. "with a view to lust after her."
in his heart Contrast with the pure in…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture