Matthew 5:28 (YLT)

Passage

but I--I say to you, that every one who is looking on a woman to desire her, did already commit adultery with her in his heart.

Nearby Context

Matthew 5:26 verily I say to thee, thou mayest not come forth thence till that thou mayest pay the last farthing.

Matthew 5:27 `Ye heard that it was said to the ancients: Thou shalt not commit adultery;

Matthew 5:28 but I--I say to you, that every one who is looking on a woman to desire her, did already commit adultery with her in his heart.

Matthew 5:29 `But, if thy right eye doth cause thee to stumble, pluck it out and cast from thee, for it is good to thee that one of thy members may perish, and not thy whole body be cast to gehenna.

Matthew 5:30 `And, if thy right hand doth cause thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast from thee, for it is good to thee that one of thy members may perish, and not thy whole body be cast to gehenna.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "i--i", "looking", "woman", "desire", "already", "commit", "adultery", and "heart". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "i--i" and "looking", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 27's "Ye heard that it was said to..." into verse 29's "But if thy right eye doth cause...", so "i--i" and "looking" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "i--i" and "looking" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.