The Tenth Commandment, “You shall not covet,” calls people to honorable conduct in both heart and life. Coveting in Scripture is far more than a private inward feeling, it is a desire that inclines the heart toward taking what God has given to another. The Tenth Commandment was not given merely to regulate thoughts but to protect a society from the injustices that arise when desire becomes manipulation, exploitation, or “legal theft.” Scripture states,
“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 belongs to your neighbor.” (Exo 20:17 NAS)
In biblical terms, coveting reaches outward into real-world actions that harm a neighbor. Thus, the commandment refers to both the inward movement of desire and the outward pursuit of another’s possessions, even when cloaked in the appearance of legality.
“But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.” (James 1:14-15 NAS)
In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word “chamad” is translated to “covet” which means “to desire” or “take pleasure in.” In the New Testament, The Greek word “epithumeo” is translated as “covet” which means “desire” or “lust after.” Also, the Greek word “pleonexia” is used which means “advantage” or “covetousness.” Another Greek word, “epithumia,” is used which means “desire,” “passionate longing,” or “lust.”
“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.” (1John 2:16 NAS)
Desiring, delighting in, or expressing passionate affection for one’s own belongings is not coveting, a person cannot covet what is already rightly theirs. For example, God expects a husband to desire and delight in his wife.
“Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth. As a loving hind and a graceful doe, let her breasts satisfy you at all times; Be exhilarated always with her love.” (Prov 5:18-19 NAS)
The Tenth Commandment forbids desiring and pursuing “anything that belongs to your neighbor.” Coveting displays discontentment in the gifts that God has given.
God expects people to be content with what they are given.
At the heart of the Tenth Commandment is a call to genuine contentment. God commands His people to trust His providence and be satisfied with what He gives rather than reaching for what He has given to others.
“But godliness actually is a means of great gain, when accompanied by contentment.” (1Ti 6:6 NAS)
God calls us to be at peace with the wages we receive, trusting His provision.
“Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages.” (Luke 3:14 NAS)
We are to remain content in every circumstance, even when the circumstance is difficult or unpleasant.
Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. (Phil 4:11 NAS)
To prize riches as greater than the kingdom of God is to tread a path that ends in destruction.
“And if we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.” (1Ti 6:8-9 NAS)
Jesus taught that we must seek the Kingdom of God first, and then the things we need will be given to us.
“Do not be anxious then, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘With what shall we clothe ourselves?’ For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore, do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matt 6:31-34 NAS)
Coveting is the “legal theft” of your neighbors livelihood.
The Tenth Commandment does more than expose the inward intent of the heart; it reveals that coveting produces outward actions that shape the public life of a nation. Coveting often takes the form of acquiring another’s possessions through legal mechanisms, what Scripture calls dishonest or unjust gain.
“Incline my heart to Thy testimonies, And not to dishonest gain.” (Psa 119:36 NAS)
The Bible repeatedly shows that coveting becomes most destructive when it works through systems, laws, and institutions that appear legitimate while serving unrighteous ends. God therefore commands the leaders of a nation to hate dishonest gain.
“Furthermore, you shall select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them, as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens.” (Exo 18:21 NAS)
Coveting leads to dishonest and unjust gain. God is angered when people set their desire on what belongs to their neighbor.
“Because of the iniquity of his unjust gain I was angry and struck him; I hid My face and was angry, and he went on turning away, in the way of his heart.” (Isa 57:17 NAS)
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.
The ultimate example of coveting a neighbor’s property is Ahab.
The story of Naboth, where Jezebel manipulated the legal system to have him falsely condemned so King Ahab could seize his vineyard is an ultimate example of how coveting affects society.
“Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden because it is close beside my house… But Naboth said to Ahab, “The LORD forbid me that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers…” And Jezebel his wife said to him… “I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.” Now she wrote in the letters, saying… “Then take him out and stone him to death…” And it came about when Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, “Arise, take possession of the vineyard…” Ahab arose to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.” (1Ki 21:2-16 NAS)
Though Ahab obtained Naboth’s vineyard through “official” means, God condemned it as wicked theft. Coveting is frequently disguised as legal acceptability.
A modern expression of coveting another’s land appears in the monopolistic control of the seed farmers depend upon for their crops.
Coveting is not simply wanting what another possesses; it is the active pursuit, through legal, economic, or social power, to acquire another person’s property, livelihood, or inheritance. Companies that monopolize seeds prevent farmers from saving the seeds their forefathers always preserved, force annual repurchasing that creates dependency, and often sue or financially ruin farmers whose fields are unintentionally contaminated with patented seed. By consolidating competing companies until only a few giants remain, they secure control over the very future of food production. Scripture identifies this kind of exploitation as “dishonest gain.”
But your eyes and your heart Are intent only upon your own dishonest gain, And on shedding innocent blood and on practicing oppression and extortion.” (Jer 22:17 NAS)
A modern form of coveting appears when legal or regulatory structures are used to pressure communities from their own land.
After major fires in certain premium coastal areas, long-time residents have been denied permits to rebuild their homes, while wealthy developers were granted permission to construct “low-income housing” near the beach where the original owners, through manipulation, could not afford to keep the property due to attrition. Eventually, these “low income” projects later become high-rent beach front properties. Nothing illegal has occurred, yet the pattern reveals coveting in its most public form, using lawful power to obtain what belongs to others. God condemns this behavior.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
Coveting is more than wanting someone else’s belongings, it can also involve people. The commandment highlights a neighbor’s spouse, but its wisdom teaches us to guard our hearts from desiring relationships, affection, or influence that God has given to someone else.
“In you they have taken bribes to shed blood; you have taken interest and profits, and you have injured your neighbors for gain by oppression, and you have forgotten Me,” declares the Lord God. (Eze 22:12 NAS)
An example is David and Bathsheba.
David set his desire on Uriah’s wife Bathsheba, and in his coveting arranged for Uriah’s death so he could take her as his own wife.
“Now when evening came David arose from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king’s house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance. So, David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” And David sent messengers and took her, and when she came to him, he lay with her… And he had written in the letter, saying, ‘Place Uriah in the front line of the fiercest battle and withdraw from him, so that he may be struck down and die.’” (2Sa 11: 2-4, 15 NAS)
“Now when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband. When the time of mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house and she became his wife; then she bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the LORD.” (2Sa 11:26-27 NAS)
David placed Uriah on the front line of battle so he could not survive. This ensured Uriah’s death so David could take Bathsheba as his wife under the appearance of legality.
King Solomon also coveted women who God said not to marry and accumulated hundreds of wives.
The wives he accumulated ended up turning Solomon away from the Lord.
“Now King Solomon loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, from the nations concerning which the LORD had said to the sons of Israel, “You shall not associate with them, neither shall they associate with you, for they will surely turn your heart away after their gods.” Solomon held fast to these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned his heart away. For it came about when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been.” (1Ki 11:1-4 NAS)
Today, coveting a neighbor’s spouse often begins quietly, through private messages or social media conversations.
A married person may grow emotionally attached to someone else, sharing warmth and attention that belong within the safety of marriage. Even if nothing physical happens, the heart has already turned in the wrong direction. Over time, this inward desire affects outward choices, contentment fades, boundaries soften, and the marriage itself begins to suffer. In some cases, the social media relationship ends the marriage in divorce. This is the very pattern the Tenth Commandment warns us about, as it gently calls us to guard our hearts and honor the relationships God has given.
“For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. “All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.” (Mark 7:21-23 NAS)
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; but I say to you, that everyone who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.” (Matt 5:27-28 NAS)
You shall not covet your neighbor’s male servant or his female servant.
Skilled employees are often difficult, if not impossible, to replace. When someone entices such a worker away from their neighbor, it can inflict lasting and sometimes irreparable harm on that neighbor’s livelihood.
A modern example of coveting a neighbor’s servant can be seen in the well-known Apple–Google–Pixar anti-poaching case.
In the tech industry, certain engineers and designers were so skilled that losing even one could cause serious harm to a company’s future. Instead of respecting one another’s workforce, major corporations secretly competed for this talent. The situation illustrates how highly valued a skilled worker can be and how damaging it is when one party seeks to take the labor, loyalty, or expertise that rightfully supports another’s livelihood. This mirrors the principle behind the Tenth Commandment, which forbids the covetous desire to obtain a neighbor’s servant for one’s own advantage.
A striking modern example of this principle appeared in the dispute between Google’s self-driving division, Waymo, and Uber in 2016.
One of Google’s top engineers, whose specialized knowledge was central to the company’s autonomous vehicle project, was enticed away to join Uber. His departure caused significant disruption and financial harm, eventually leading to a major federal lawsuit and a $245 million settlement. This situation shows how a single skilled worker can be vital to a company’s livelihood, and how pursuing another’s valued employee for personal advantage reflects the very pattern the Tenth Commandment forbids seeking to obtain the labor, expertise, or loyalty that rightfully serves one’s neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s ox or his donkey.
Coveting can also be seen when a person longs to possess a neighbor’s valued animal, wishing to claim what God has given to another.
Coveting can be seen clearly in the Meat & Livestock Australia Limited v. Cargill lawsuit in2018.
In that case, the guardians of Australia’s cattle industry stood against a patent so broad it threatened to place the very blueprint of their herds under another’s command. They argued that such a claim would bind their future to a corporation’s will, limiting their freedom to steward the animals entrusted to them. Though the court allowed a narrowed version of the patent, the continuing disputes that followed reveal a deeper story of how easily legal frameworks can become instruments of coveting, reaching for the heart of another’s livelihood beneath the appearance of legitimacy. It is a reminder that coveting can appear in modern systems and business practices, whenever someone’s livelihood is placed at risk by another’s desire for control.
It is coveting when systems replace ownership through forced agricultural dependency.
Many farmers today face a system where ownership of animals, feed, equipment, or breeding lines has become increasingly consolidated into the hands of a few corporations. Through contracts, licensing agreements, and restrictive breeding rules, farmers lose the independence their forefathers once possessed. Their livelihood becomes something leased rather than owned. This kind of dependency is a modern reflection of coveting as Scripture defines it, not merely desiring what belongs to another, but building structures that shift wealth, power, and productive resources away from the individual and toward centralized control. God says,
“Woe to those who add house to house and join field to field, until there is no more room, So that you have to live alone in the midst of the land!” (Isa 5:8 NAS)
You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor.
The Tenth Commandment blanketly states to not covet “anything” that belongs to your neighbor.
Gambling is often portrayed as entertainment, but at its core it rests on the covetous desire to acquire wealth from another person.
Scripture teaches the dignity of labor and warns against “ill-gotten gain” (Prov. 1:19). Gambling appeals to the covetous heart by desiring what others have earned without earning it themself. It is an idolatrous desire for money.
“Therefore, consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.” (Col 3:5 NAS)
Every dollar won in gambling is a dollar lost by another participant, often those who can least afford it. Gambling cultivates discontentment, greed, fantasy wealth, and the love of money.
“Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.’” (Heb 13:5 NAS)
Gambling so often begins as a harmless thrill but ends in emptied pockets and chains of addiction that are not easily broken.
“But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang.” (1Ti 6:9-10 NAS)
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Matt 6:24 ESV)
A striking modern example of coveting through corporate pressure appeared in the hostile takeover attempt of PeopleSoft by Oracle in 2003–2004.
Oracle aggressively pursued the acquisition despite PeopleSoft’s firm refusal, launching legal challenges and economic maneuvers to force the sale. PeopleSoft fought to preserve its livelihood, workforce, and identity, yet Oracle continued pressing to obtain what belonged to another company. This kind of corporate pursuit breaks the Tenth Commandment by using power and influence to seize another’s property, labor, and future for one’s own advantage.
Coveting is especially forbidden in the church.
It is even more egregious to covet the money and possessions of other church members. Health and wealth prosperity teachers are examples of coveting in the church.
“For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach, for the sake of sordid gain.” (Tit 1:10-11 NAS)
“Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness.” (1Pet 5:1-2 NAS)
This was a problem in ancient Israel as well. The prophets and priests would not teach with sincerity but out of greed for gain.
“For from the least of them even to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for gain, and from the prophet even to the priest Everyone deals falsely.” (Jer 6:13 NAS)
God punishes people during their lifetime for covetous behavior.
“Therefore, I will give their wives to others, their fields to new owners; Because from the least even to the greatest Everyone is greedy for gain; From the prophet even to the priest Everyone practices deceit.” (Jer 8:10 NAS)
All of God’s people are called to seek the truth for the good of others, not as though it were work performed for wages. No servant of God should demand money or possessions from those entrusted to their care.
“For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed— God is witness– nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted our authority.” (1Th 2:5-6 NAS)
In the end, the Tenth Commandment turns our gaze inward, to the quiet stirrings of desire that too easily grow into deeds that wound our neighbor. Coveting whispers, “we would be happier with someone else’s portion, someone else’s life, someone else’s blessing.” Yet, God calls us to a different freedom, the freedom of contentment, the joy of trusting His hand, the peace of knowing He has not forgotten us. When our desires are ordered by His wisdom, we no longer reach for what belongs to another; instead, we learn to rest in the gifts placed in our care. In this way, the commandment becomes a gentle teacher, leading us toward a life shaped by gratitude, humility, and the quiet confidence that God Himself is enough.