Matthew 5:28 Meaning and Explanation
“But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Jesus reaches past our outward behavior to the hidden desires of the heart, where real faithfulness begins.
The Context of Matthew 5:28
From the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus teaches the crowds on a hillside in Galilee. He has just cited the commandment against adultery, and now He presses it deeper, from the act to the inner life behind it.
What Does Matthew 5:28 Mean?
The old command said: do not commit adultery. Many could hear that and feel safe, having never broken the marriage bond outwardly. But Jesus opens the door wider and looks inside. The lingering look that nurses lust, He says, has already done its work in the heart. He is not speaking of the passing temptation we all feel, but of the willing gaze that feeds on another person as an object to be used. Sin, He teaches, is born long before it is ever seen by anyone else.
This could crush us, for who has a perfectly clean heart? Yet Jesus speaks this not to drive us to despair but to show us our true need. He alone kept this law down to its depths, and He gives Himself for hearts like ours that cannot. The same Lord who exposes the inner life is the One who can cleanse and renew it, making the heart new from the inside out.
Matthew 5:28 in the Original Language
epithymeo (ἐπιθυμέω), 'lust after' -- to set the desire upon, to crave and covet; the same root as 'covet' in the commandments.
How to Apply Matthew 5:28 Today
This verse invites us to let God search the parts of us no one else can see. Rather than measuring ourselves only by what we have not done, we can bring our hidden desires honestly to Jesus, who both understands them and is able to make our hearts clean.
Frequently Asked Questions About Matthew 5:28
What does Matthew 5:28 mean?
Jesus reaches past our outward behavior to the hidden desires of the heart, where real faithfulness begins.
What is the context of Matthew 5:28?
From the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus teaches the crowds on a hillside in Galilee. He has just cited the commandment against adultery, and now He presses it deeper, from the act to the inner life behind it.
How can I apply Matthew 5:28 today?
This verse invites us to let God search the parts of us no one else can see. Rather than measuring ourselves only by what we have not done, we can bring our hidden desires honestly to Jesus, who both understands them and is able to make our hearts clean.