Tenth Commandment: Do not Covet

The Tenth Commandment deals with evil desire or an illicit longing after something that someone else already owns or possesses.

It is called coveting and reads thusly:

You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s (Ex 20:17; Dt 5:21).

In this particular context, coveting starts in a jealous or envious heart, and then begins the process of stealing the object of desire.

If that means violating the Sixth Commandment, to commit murder, so be it.

If that means violating the Seventh Commandment, to commit adultery, so be it.

If that means violating the Eighth Commandment, to commit theft, so be it.

Of, if that means violating the Ninth Commandment, to bear false witness or to libel or slander, so be it.

The Tenth Commandment deals specifically with neighborly treatment, of which Jesus said that fulfillment of God’s law involved the loving of one’s neighbor.

That would preclude violating a neighbor’s possessions by lusting after, or scheming to obtain them, for lust is the polar opposite of love, even though many times lust it confused with love in order to justify the sinful actions of the perpetrator.

Of course, as with most words and concepts in the Bible, coveting has a positive side to it.

In Psalm 19:7-10, the Law of the Lord is to be coveted because of the joy, purity, and value inherent in it.

Except, in that particular context the Hebrew word for covet (chamad) is translated “desired.”

Also, in Psalm 68:16, a reference is made to Mount Zion as the place where God coveted (i.e. “desired”/chamad) to make His abode.

But, the negative allusions to coveting far outweigh the positive in the Bible, and the Tenth Commandment is quite explicit when it comes to desiring what a neighbor possesses, whether it is his house, wife, servants, animals, or the all-encompassing “anything.”

God’s people are to be content with what they have, even if that means the neighbor next door, or afar, seemingly has something better or more desirable.

In fact, peace follows contentment, especially when it comes to treating one’s neighbor and his possessions, with love and respect.

Conversely, as soon as coveting creeps into the heart of someone who wants what a neighbor has, then begins the downward spiral of resentment leading to all sorts of trouble and discontent.

It is a relevant Command even unto today, where too many long to have, and cannot, so they scheme and deceive and steal and murder until they do.

Then, when the dust clears, the sobbing confessions are uttered, and the sentences are handed out, it is concluded that “Having is not so pleasing a thing after all, as wanting.”

It is a biblical stricture that sometimes finds itself even in Hollywood, even though Hollywood does not want to give God the credit.