Jesus’ greatest message in my mind is the Sermon on the Mount of Matthew 5-7. Overlooking the Sea of Galilee with its stunning panoramas, he tenderly touches on the most intimate concerns. Christ begins with what I call “judgment resistance.” Jesus does not hammer his listeners with prophetic intervention and condemnation. He speaks of God’s blessing for the grieving, isolated, and threatened.  He gives assurance that the pure in heart will see God, and the broken are truly blessed by a loving father. 

Jesus connects to the spiritual disciplines of prayer and fasting. He speaks to the greatest stressors of life, like money and the impact of worry. Christ outlines true faith.

In the climax of this mountain message looking over beautiful sand beaches, Jesus delivers a sexual health piece.  He sets the tone by addressing anger and rage, moving into the most tender topic of life, sexual feelings.

You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery (moikeuo)”

But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully (epithumeo)has already committed adultery (moikeuo) with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:27-28)

But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality (porneia), makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. (Matthew 5:32)

Adultery is the Greek word μοιχεύω, pronounced moi-KEU-oh, appearing 15 times in 12 verses in the Greek New Testament. (Strong, G3431) Adultery means consensual intercourse between two people who are married to other partners.  The word lust is the Greek word ἐπιθυμέω pronounced epi-thu-MEH-oh. (Strong, G1937) Lust appears 17 times in the Greek New Testament. The meaning of epithumeo as intense negative emotion, rage or sexual violence occurs 8x’s. This same word appears 9x’s for non-violent longing or desire. (Strong, G1937) 

Epithumeo, the Greek term for lust or longing, builds on two words, epi and thumeo. Epi pronounced eh-PEE is a preposition often added to words to increase the intensity of the meaning. Thumeo pronounced thoo-MEH-o has a range of meanings to be fierce, be in a heat, breathe violently, rage, and the intoxicating wine of passion driving the drinker to be insane, die by alcohol poisoning, or commit murder. The root of the word thumeo is the term thuo, meaning to slaughter. (Strong, G2372) Add the preposition epi to the term thumeo and the intensity of violence or rage escalates in meaning. Thumos, the noun meaning anger has no material difference to the term rage, orge, in the New Testament. Anger and rage often appear together. (Kittle Vol 3., p. 168) The following are the 8 occurrences of the word, lust, in the negative context of intensity. You may note that some of these passages point to problematic sexuality, premeditated murder, conflict, and death. 

Unhealthy Sexuality or Violence Passages Connected to Epithumeo, Lust

But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully (epithumeo, lust)  has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:28)

So he went and hired (became sexually intimate with) himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed (epithumeo, lust)  to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. (Luke 15:15-16)

For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death… What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting (epithumeo, lust) really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet (epithumeo, lust).” (Romans 7:5-7)

The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” (epithumeo, lust) and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Romans 13:9)

Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on (epithumeo, lust) evil things as they did. (1Corinthians 10:6)

For the flesh desires (epithumeo, lust) what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. (Galatians 5:17)

You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet (epithumeo, lust) but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. (James 4:2)

During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long (epithumeo, lust)  to die, but death will elude them. (Revelation 9:6)

Non Sexual Longing or Desire Using the Word Epithumeo, Lust

For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed  (epithumeo, lust) to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. (Matthew 13:17)

…and longing (epithumeo, lust) to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. (Luke 16:21)

Then he said to his disciples, “The time is coming when you will long (epithumeo,lust) to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. (Luke 17:22)

And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired (epithumeo, lust) to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. (Luke 22:15)

I have not coveted (epithumeo, lust)  anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. (Acts 20:33)

Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires (epithumeo, lust) a noble task. (1Timothy 3:1)

We want (epithumeo, lust) each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. (Hebrews 6:11)

It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long (epithumeo, lust) look into these things. (1 Peter 1:12)

When linguists translate terms, they consider the range of meaning. On one end of the continuum, a word can have a soft, altruistic nuance. On the other extreme, the same word takes on a hardcore meaning like violence. In Ephesians 4:26 Paul exhorts the early church to be angry, but not sin.  The word for anger can mean violent rage. Most likely, Paul is exhorting the Ephesians to avoid hostility in passionate matters. Epithumeo too has a wide range of meaning spanning strong, healthy desire to violent intention.

The point of this study is to highlight the anger and rage facets of epithumeo, or lust. When Jesus states that epithumeo (lust) of another human is the same as adultery, does he mean that God given attraction is taboo? Or is the case made that intentional conspiracy for angry, rage-filled sexual exploitation is equal to adultery?  The Hebrew word for lust or covet is HMD. (Strong, H2530) An Arabic equivalent lends the meaning, “to loathe”. (https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h2530/niv/wlc/0-1/) This seems to support the idea of malevolent sexual rage rather than banning sexual attraction.

Linguists also examine the direct literary context of terms.  Matthew 5:27-28 connects several points of anger and rage. Immediately preceding the lust passage Jesus speaks of murder and rage using the term orge. (Strong, G3709) The following piece, after the lust passage, covers the conflict of divorce.  The context and use of the term epithumeo or lust can carry with it the nuance of erotic rage or violence. These are not new ideas in the Bible. Early teaching on sexual violence prevention begins with the Noah snap shot of Genesis 6-11 and the Sodom narratives of Genesis 19, King David’s affair with Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11,  the entire Book of Judges, and human trafficking in the Prophets, among many examples.