Topics Research

Question

What does the Bible say about this commandment? What do chamad (H2530) and avah/hitavveh (H183) mean, and why does Deuteronomy 5:21 use a different verb for the wife than for property? This is the commandment that reaches the internal life — desire itself. Trace through Eve's coveting (Gen 3:6), Achan's covetousness (Josh 7:21), David and Bathsheba (2 Sam 11), Paul's testimony that coveting revealed sin's nature (Rom 7:7-8), the connection to idolatry (Col 3:5 — "covetousness, which is idolatry"), and the NT teaching on contentment (1 Tim 6:6-10; Heb 13:5). How does this commandment connect back to the 1st (covetousness = idolatry) and serve as the root from which all other violations spring (Jas 1:14-15)?

Topics

COVETOUSNESS

General scriptures concerning: EXO 18:21; 20:17; DEU 5:21; NEH 5:7; JOB 20:15; 31:24,25,28; PSA 10:3; 119:36; PRO 1:19; 11:24,26; 15:27; 21:25,26; 22:16; 23:4,5; 30:8,9; ECC 1:2-8; 4:8; 5:10,11; ISA 1:23; 5:8; 56:11; 57:17; JER 6:13; 8:10; 17:11; 22:17; 51:13; EZK 22:12,13; 33:31; HOS 4:18; 10:1; MIC 2:2; 3:11; 7:3; HAB 1:15,16; 2:5-9; HAG 1:6; MAL 1:10; MAT 6:19-21,24,25,31-33; 13:22; 16:26; 19:23,24; 22:1-14; MRK 4:19; 7:21-23; LUK 7:14; 12:15-21,33,34; 14:16-24; 18:24,25; JHN 6:26,27; ROM 1:29; 13:9; 1CO 5:11; 6:10; EPH 5:3,5; COL 3:2,5,6; PHP 3:18,19; 1TH 2:5; 1TI 3:3; 6:5-11,17; 2TI 3:2; TIT 1:7,11; HEB 13:5; JAS 4:2,13-17; 1PE 5:2; 2PE 2:3,14-16; 1JN 2:15-17; Jude 1:11

Cross-references: See AVARICE; RICH; RICHES; WORLDLINESS

INSTANCES OF: - Eve, in desiring the forbidden fruit — GEN 3:6 - Lot, in choosing the plain of the Jordan — GEN 13:10-13 - Laban — giving Rebekah (GEN 24:29-51); deceiving Jacob (GEN 29:15-30); wages (GEN 31:7,15,41,42) - Jacob — defrauding Esau (GEN 27:6-29); defrauding Laban (GEN 30:35-43); buying birthright (GEN 25:31) - Balaam, in loving the wages of unrighteousness — 2PE 2:15; with NUM 22 - Achan, in hiding the treasure — JOS 7:21 - Eli's sons, in taking the flesh of the sacrifice — 1SA 2:13-17 - Samuel's sons, in taking bribes — 1SA 8:3 - Saul, in sparing Agag and the booty — 1SA 15:8,9 - David, of Bath-sheba — 2SA 11:2-5 - Ahab, in desiring Naboth's vineyard — 1KI 21:2-16 - Gehazi, in taking a gift from Naaman — 2KI 5:20-27 - Jews — exacting usury (NEH 5:1-11); keeping back Levites' portion (NEH 13:10); building fine houses (HAG 1:4-9); following Jesus for loaves (JHN 6:26) - Money-changers in the temple — MAT 21:12,13; LUK 19:45,46; JHN 2:14-16 - The rich young ruler — MAT 19:16-22 - The rich fool — LUK 12:15-21 - Judas — MAT 26:15,16; MRK 14:10,11; LUK 22:3-6; JHN 12:6 - The unjust steward — LUK 16:1-8 - The Pharisees — LUK 16:14 - Simon Magus — ACT 8:18-23 - Sorcerers — ACT 16:19 - Demetrius — ACT 19:24,27 - Festus — ACT 24:26 - Demas — 2TI 4:10

CONTENTMENT

General scriptures concerning: PSA 16:6; 37:7,16; PRO 14:10,14; 15:13,15,30; 16:8; 17:1,22; 30:8; ECC 2:24; 3:12,13; 4:6; 5:12; 6:7-9; 8:15; 9:7-9; LUK 3:14; 1CO 7:17,20,21,24; GAL 5:26; PHP 4:11,12; 1TI 6:6-8; HEB 13:5

Cross-references: See AFFLICTION, RESIGNATION IN; RESIGNATION

INSTANCES OF: - Esau, in refusing Jacob's present — GEN 33:9 - Barzillai — 2SA 19:33-37 - The Shunammite — 2KI 4:13

LUST

Evil desire: GEN 3:6; EXO 20:17; JOB 31:9-12; PSA 81:12; PRO 6:24,25; MAT 5:28; MRK 4:19; JHN 8:44; 1CO 9:27; 10:6,7; EPH 4:22; 1TI 6:9; 2TI 2:22; 4:3,4; TIT 2:12; JAS 1:14,15; 4:1-3; 1PE 2:11; 4:3; 2PE 2:18; 3:3; 1JN 2:16,17; Jude 1:16,18

Cross-references: See ADULTERY; COVETOUSNESS; INCEST; LASCIVIOUSNESS; SENSUALITY; SODOMY

TEMPTATION

General scriptures concerning: GEN 3:1-13; 20:6; EXO 34:12-16; DEU 7:25; 8:11-14,17,18; 13:3; 1CH 21:1; 2CH 32:30,31; PSA 119:165; PRO 1:10-17; 2:10-12,16; 4:14,15; 5:6-21; 6:27,28; 7:7-23; 9:15-17; 12:26; 13:14; 14:27; 16:29; 19:27; 28:10; ECC 7:26; ISA 33:15,16; JER 2:24,25; 35:5-7; HOS 7:5; AMO 2:12; MAT 4:1-11; 5:19; 12:45; 13:22; 18:6-9; 26:31,41; MRK 4:15,17; 10:21-25; 13:21,22; 14:38; LUK 4:1-13; 8:13,14; 11:4; 22:3,31,32,40,46; JHN 16:1,2; ROM 6:12-14; 7:5; 8:35-39; 12:21; 14:13,15,21; 1CO 7:5; 8:9-13; 10:13,28-32; 2CO 2:11; 11:3,14,15; 12:7; GAL 4:14; 5:17; EPH 4:27; 6:11,13-17; 1TH 3:5; 1TI 5:15; 6:9,10; 2TI 3:13; HEB 2:18; 4:15; 12:3,4; JAS 1:2-4,12-16; 4:7; 1PE 1:6,7; 4:12; 5; 2PE 2:9,18; 3:17; 1JN 2:16,26; 4:4; REV 3:10; 12:10,11,17

INSTANCES OF (yielding to): Adam and Eve (GEN 3:1-19); Achan (JOS 7:21); David (2SA 11:2-5); Solomon (1KI 11:4); Peter (MAT 26:69-74)

DESIRE

Spiritual: DEU 4:29; PSA 9:1; 17:1; 22:26; 24:6; 25:5,15; 27:8,14; 33:20; 34:10; 37:4,7,9,34; 39:12; 40:1,8; 42:1-11; 51:1-17; 62:1; 63:1,8; 68:28; 69:3,32; 70:4; 81:10; 84:2; 86:11,12,16; 94:19; 105:4; 118:17; 119:2,10,20,40,77,88,116,117,122,133,149,156; 123:1,2; 130:5,6; 143:5,6; PRO 2:3-5; 8:17,34; ISA 8:17,19; 26:8,9; 40:31; 55:1,2,6; JER 29:13; LAM 3:25,26,41; HOS 10:12; HAB 3:2; MAT 5:6; LUK 6:21; 10:42; JHN 12:20,21; PHP 3:12-14; HEB 11:6

Evil — See IMAGINATION; LUST

Note: Nave's DESIRE entry distinguishes spiritual desire (legitimate longing for God) from evil desire (lust). The tenth commandment addresses the latter.

IDOLATRY (relevant excerpt)

DENUNCIATIONS AGAINST: GEN 35:2; EXO 20:3-6,23; 23:13; 34:17; LEV 19:4; 26:1,30; DEU 4:15-23,25-28; 5:7-9; 11:16,17,28; 12:31; 16:21,22; 27:15; 28:15-68; 30:17,18; 31:16-21,29; 32:15-26; 1SA 15:23; 1KI 9:6-9; JOB 31:26-28; PSA 16:4; 44:20,21; 59:8; 79:6; 81:9; 97:7; ISA 42:17; 45:16; JOL 3:12; JON 2:8; MIC 5:15; HAB 1:16; ACT 15:20,29; 17:16; ROM 1:25; 1CO 6:9,10; 8:1-13; 10:7,14,20-22; 1JN 5:21; REV 21:8; 22:15

Note: The connection between covetousness and idolatry (Col 3:5; Eph 5:5) makes the IDOLATRY topic directly relevant to the tenth commandment study.

SELFISHNESS

General scriptures concerning: GEN 4:9; NUM 32:6; PSA 38:11; PRO 11:26; 18:17; 24:11,12; 28:27; EZK 34:18; MIC 3:11; HAG 1:4,9,10; ZEC 7:6; MAL 1:10; MAT 19:21,22; LUK 6:32-34; ROM 14:15; 15:1-3; 1CO 10:24; 2CO 5:15; GAL 6:2; PHP 2:4,20,21; 2TI 3:2-4; JAS 2:15,16; 1JN 3:17

AVARICE

General scriptures concerning: ECC 4:7,8; 5:10,11; 1TI 3:2,3; 6:5,10; TIT 1:7

Cross-references: See COVETOUSNESS

INSTANCES OF: The descendants of Joseph — JOS 17:14-18

Related Topics Discovered

• GREED — Cross-reference to COVETOUSNESS in Nave's
• WORLDLINESS — Cross-referenced from COVETOUSNESS; 1 John 2:15-17 overlaps with lust/desire vocabulary
• BRIBERY — Cross-referenced from COVETOUSNESS INSTANCES; bribery as a manifestation of coveting