Chapter Twelve – The Tenth Commandment — “You Shall Not Covet…”

God’s voice thundered the TENTH COMMANDMENT in Exodus 20:17: “YOU SHALL NOT COVET your neighbour's house, you shall not covet your neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is your neighbour's.”

The word “covet” comes from the Hebrew word chamad, which means “to desire or lust for something pleasant or of precious value.” It is easy to understand why God does not want anyone to desire someone else’s wife or house. But what about the other things listed in this command?

Although a manservant was a bondman, or servant, of the owner, he was often more than a common labourer. He may have been a skilled supervisor of other servants and of sizeable herds or flocks owned by his master. Likewise, the maidservant may have been an irreplaceable manager of many functions of a home, like tutoring, or weaving fabric for clothing. The value of these servants was great. They could make the difference in a successful household.

The value of an ox was also significant. Large and powerful, oxen were usually put in teams to pull wagons or plough. Even the beef from such a large animal was valuable. The ass was another valuable animal and a tireless worker. They were larger than donkeys but slightly smaller than horses. Asses were more commonly used in Israel than other animals, such as mules, which were products of hybrid breeding and forbidden in Israel (Lev. 19:19). The last thing mentioned is “anything that is your neighbour's.” This covers everything else belonging to your neighbour.

The total of the items listed is seven. In the Bible, the number seven signifies perfection and completion. Perhaps this is why God listed this many items. God allows no loopholes for man to covet anything that someone else possesses. Of course, it is not wrong for someone to desire a mate. But to desire someone else’s mate is prohibited. The world has yet to learn this lesson.

Covetousness in Perspective

Paul upheld the Law of God and explained this in Romans 7:7, “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. No, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, You shall not covet.” Now consider Ro 7:14: “For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.” Most do not think of the Ten Commandments as spiritual in nature, but rather as “do’s and don’ts” pertaining to the letter of the law. But they are much more than this.

Remember that Christ magnified the commandment against killing to show that anyone who even harbours hatred for another is as guilty as a murderer. He also showed that anyone who even lusts after a woman is guilty of adultery. Christ expanded the letter of the law to include the control of thoughts—the innermost being, or the heart. The Tenth Commandment is unique. It deals with the innermost thoughts of people and spiritual thinking toward physical things. For example, you could obey the Eighth Commandment by merely not stealing. However, the Tenth Commandment forbids people from even thinking about stealing—and, of course, just desiring things that belong to someone else.

Satan, as the god of this world (II Cor. 4:4), and the “prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2), broadcasts his attitudes, such as coveting. Human beings are naturally “tuned in” to the attitudes of the devil’s wavelength. Only with God’s Holy Spirit can you develop the self-control to “tune them out.” (You may wish to read our booklet Did God Create Human Nature?)

Those who succumb to addiction have, in effect, failed to control their lust for sex, alcohol, drugs, adultery, gambling, video games or anything else—and there are a host of others almost too numerous to count. This could also apply to television, videos, the Internet or music. With the power of God’s Spirit, determination and persistence, these can be overcome.

Here is how Paul cautioned those who were in the process of overcoming: “But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becomes saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God” (Eph. 5:3-5).

In avoiding temptation, Proverbs 6:25 warns, “Lust not after her beauty in your heart; neither let her take you with her eyelids.”

All actions spring from thoughts. In fact, we are what we think. This is why David meditated upon God’s perfect law. He sought to think like God thinks. Carefully read Psalms 119 in its entirety, perhaps on your knees and ask God to help you appreciate what He appreciates, just as David did. On this theme, Philippians 2:5 states, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”

Overcoming means literally “bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (II Cor. 10:5). (Chapter Seventeen will cover this process of overcoming—and preventing sin in the first place—in a much more thorough way.)

Biblical Examples

God required that all leaders who were selected to assist Moses meet certain qualifications: “Moreover you shall provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens” (Ex. 18:21).

Proverbs 28:16 states, “The prince that wants understanding is also a great oppressor: but he that hates covetousness shall prolong his days.”

In giving guidelines to Timothy about qualifications for bishops (ministers) and deacons, Paul stressed that they must be “not greedy of filthy lucre” (I Tim 3:3, 8). Greed for money is probably the most common type of lust and would undermine one’s ability to assume greater responsibility.

To people consumed with greed for money and all it represents, Jesus admonished, “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses” (Luke 12:15). He also inspired Paul to write, “Let your conversation [conduct] be without covetousness; and be content with such things as you have” (Heb. 13:5). Of course, this is important instruction for every human being. Always strive to be content with what you have and you will prevent covetousness.

David prayed, “Incline my heart unto Your testimonies, and not to covetousness” (Psa. 119:36). Learn to express this often in prayer, and remember it the next time you are facing temptation.

God condemned Judah for turning away from Him in Jeremiah 6:13: “For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one deals falsely.” This is repeated in Jeremiah 8:10.

The prophet Ezekiel writes this about those who live at the end of the age just prior to Christ’s Return: “And they come unto you as the people comes, and they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goes after their covetousness” (Eze 33:31).

Sadly, the covetousness of this materialistic world prevents most who hear God’s truth from acting upon it.

Notice what Paul stated in Galatians 5:16: “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” Then the apostle Peter adds this: “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (II Peter 1:4).

And John wrote, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passes away, and the lust thereof: but he that does the will of God abides for ever” (I John 2:16-17).

These scriptures explain our natural vulnerability to lust. The way to overcome this is through God working within the mind.