The Hebrew word for adultery was more restricted in meaning than the English word. If a married woman had intercourse with a man other than her husband, it was always considered adultery, for she sinned against her husband. If a man had intercourse with a woman other than his wife, it was not considered adultery unless the woman was married. Then the man sinned, not against the woman but against the woman’s husband. If a married man had intercourse with an unmarried woman, it was not considered adultery.

Therefore this commandment does not apply to premarital sex, where neither the man nor the woman is married. And it does not apply to extramarital sex on the part of a married man if the other woman is not married. The basis for this commandment seems to have been the concern for ensuring that any children born to a married woman would be her husband’s children. If an equivalent term cannot be found in some languages today, it may be necessary to say “You shall not violate a marriage relationship” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch), “You shall not sleep with someone else’s wife,” or “Do not solicit another person’s spouse.” Care must be taken not to use a term that is considered vulgar; euphemisms or polite ways of referring to sexual intercourse can be readily found in most languages.

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .