The Ten Commandments: Today's verse is Ex 20:17

We continue our look at The Ten Commandments with an in-depth look at Ex 20:17

 

You can find the posts on a few of the Scripture passages that precede The Ten Commandments at the following links:

The observational overview of Ex 19:3-11 can be found HERE

And the in depth look at Ex 19:3-6 can be found HERE.

The in depth look at Ex 19:7-11 can be found HERE.

The concluding thoughts on Ex 19:3-11 can be found HERE. 

 

The initial overview of Ex 20:1-17 can be found HERE.   

 

The in-depth look at Ex 20:1 can be found HERE. 

 

 The in-depth look at Ex 20:2-6 can be found HERE.

 

The in-depth look at Ex 20:7 can be found HERE. 

 

The in-depth look at Ex 20:8-11 can be found HERE. 

 

The in-depth look at Ex 20:12 can be found HERE. 

 

The in-depth look at Ex 20:13-16 can be found HERE.

 

I do encourage everyone to look at all the prior posts in this series as the preceding context helps us to a deeper understanding of the Ten Commandments.

 

You can hover your pointer over (most) any verse reference to read the corresponding verse(s).  (Scriptural cross-references are THE most important resource!)

 

 

Exodus 20:17 (NASB)

¹⁷ "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."

Grammatical and other Considerations

• Covet is repeated twice!
• The word anything is important!  We are not to covet anything that belongs to our neighbor.

My Questions

• Why is coveting bad?
• Neighbor?  Can I assume this means anyone?
• Can we infer from the word "belong" that wanting stuff in and of itself is not bad but that it is wanting what is not ours that is bad?  (including stuff that God does not want us to have?)

Verse Cross References

• Ex 20:17 -- Dt 5:21 Mt 5:28 Lk 12:15 Ro 7:7 Ro 13:9 Eph 5:3 Eph 5:5 Heb 13:5 Pro 6:29 Ge 3:6 1Sa 15:19 Ps 10:3 Ps 119:36 Ecc 4:8 Ecc 5:10-11 Isa 33:15-16 Eze 33:31 Mic 2:2 Php 3:18-20 Col 3:5 1Ti 6:6-10 2Sa 11:2-4 Pro 4:23 Mt 20:11-15 Ac 5:4 James 3:14-16 James 4:1-7 1Jo 2:15-17  
• Thoughts -- There is no mystery in what Jesus says in Mat 5:28 !!  He is just clarifying THIS commandment for us!  Coveting something is the first step in sinning!!  It is a sin!  James 4:1-7 also help us understand as does 1Jo 2:15-17   When we covet something that is not ours, we are not being content ( 1Ti 6:6-10 ) with what we have.  We are then focusing on something else other than God!  This does become a form of idolatry.  Nowhere does the Word say it is bad to want something.  But wanting something and desiring something that isn't ours OR not meant be ours are two different things!!  Again James 4:1-7 helps us here.  Motives are important.  If we ask through prayer we will usually ask for the right things, the things that God wants us to want!!  There is a difference in wanting something good for us (something God wants us to have) and wanting what we want because we want it, and we (if we are honest with ourselves) can usually tell the difference in how those two types of wanting fell within our heart!!

Important terms

covet:

• WORDSearch concordance search -- Ex 34:24 Dt 5:21 Dt 7:25  Jos 6:18 Mic 2:2 Ro 7:7 Ro 13:9 Ge 3:6 Jos 7:21 Job 20:20 Isa 1:29 
• Thoughts -- The story of Adam and Eve is a good example of coveting something that God did not wish them to have!!
• Definition -- to desire, or lust after. 

anything:

• Definition -- The Hebrew definition for this word means "the whole"!  Or ENTIRE!  God is telling us that we are not to covet ANYTHING that is our neighbor's!   This is highlighted in the verse:  John 21:20-22 Peter was beginning to covet what would happen to John (although he did not even know what that was...Peter was focusing on other people's stuff instead of what Jesus wanted for him to do and have!)

neighbor:

• Definition -- a noun meaning another person!  Usually refers to a second party in a personal interaction but does not indicate any particular relationship.  Can be broad:  lover, close friend, acquaintance, adversary or an enemy!

Answering My Questions

• Why is coveting bad? -- Because it focuses our heart and soul away from God AND away from what He wants for us and from us! (a form of idolatry)  It also OFTEN leads to physical sin against our and fellow man and against God! James 4:2-7   SO:  God is telling us that even the mental action of coveting is a sin! 
• Neighbor? Can I assume this means anyone? --  YES!  It means anyone!
• Can we infer from the word "belong" that wanting stuff in and of itself is not bad but that it is wanting what is not ours that is bad? (including stuff that God does not want us to have?) -- Yes, I think so.  God did not say that wanting something was bad.  It is COVETING it that is bad.  Wanting it past the point of reason to where it is our sole focus.  It is okay to want something ( a job, a relationship, even money!)  However, we should always pray to make sure it is what God wants for and from us ( John 21:20-22 ) and if it belongs to someone else or is not in God's plan for us, then it is forbidden to covet it!  Mk 7:21-22 

Summarizing

• I think the answers to my questions sum the verse up fairly well!!
• Jesus reminds us of the danger of coveting in:  Mk 7:21-22

Commentaries

The Wycliffe Bible Commentary

• Reminds us that covetousness is basically the the sin of Adam and Eve:  to desire something or someone that is NOT in God's plan for us.

Topics for further study

• Wanting versus coveting
• Contentedness
• Discerning between desires God places within us and lustful desires that are not for us to pursue!  (Besides the obvious!)

Bibliography

• Baker, Warren, ed. – The Complete Word Study Old Testament. Chattanooga, TN: AMG, 1994. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
• Baker, Warren and Eugene Carpenter. The Complete Word Study Dictionary – Old Testament. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2003. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
• Brand, Chad, Charles Draper, Archie England, ed. Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
• Fleming, Don. Concise Bible Commentary. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 1994. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
• God's Word: Today's Bible Translation That Means What It Says Holiday, FL: Green Key Books, n.d.. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
• God's Word Application Index. Holiday, FL: Green Key Books, n.d.. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
• – Holman Christian Standard Bible Nashville: Holman Bible, 1999. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
• Holy Bible, New American Standard La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
• Pfeiffer, Charles F. and Everett F. Harrison, ed. The Wycliffe Bible Commentary. Chicago: Moody Bible Institute, 1990. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
• Thompson, Frank Charles. Thompson Chain Reference Bible. Indianapolis, IN: B. B. Kirkbride Bible Co., 1997. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
• Torrey, R. A. The New Topical Textbook. New York: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1897. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
• Vine, William E. Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old Testament and New Testament Words. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1940. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
• Walton, John H., Victor H. Matthews, Mark W. Chavalas. The IVP Bible Background Commentary – Old Testament. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.