You have heard that it was said by them of old time, You shall not commit adultery:
All Commentaries on Matthew 5:27 Go To Matthew 5
Chromatius of Aquileia
AD 407
Because adultery is a serious sin and in order to uproot it, lest our conscience be defiled, he forbade even lust, which is the fuel of adultery. According to the words of blessed James in his epistle, “Lust when it has conceived gives birth to sin; and sin when it is fullgrown brings forth death.” The Holy Spirit speaks concerning this to David: “Happy shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock.” The symbolism here is that the blessed and truly evangelical person roots out the desires and lust of the flesh arising from human weakness. He does this immediately before they grow, at the onset, through faith in Christ who has been described as a rock. .