Exodus 20:17

 Exodus 20:17

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.

a. NASB 1995: “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.”  [New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.]

b. NKJV: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”  [Scripture quotations marked "NKJV" are taken from the New King James Version®, Copyright© 1982, Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.]

c. Classic Amplified Bible: You shall not covet your neighbor’s house, your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. Stone Edition THE CHUMASH, Rabbinic Commentary: You shall not covet your fellow’s house. You shall not covet your fellow’s wife, his manservant, his maidservant, his ox, his donkey, nor anything that belongs to your fellow.  [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE CHUMASH Copyright 1998, 2000 by MESORAH PUBLICATIONS, Ldt.]

1). I have four translations/editions of the Jewish Torah. Three of them include the four commandments, 6-9,  in one verse (Exodus 20:13). In those editions it shortens the chapter by three verses, ending at Exodus 20:23. Exodus 20:14 in the Jewish Bible is Exodus 20:17 in our Bible. Our English Bible goes on to Exodus 20:26. 

e. ESV: “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.”  [Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001, 2007, 2011, 2016 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]

f. Unless otherwise stated, all Greek and Hebrew definitions are from Blue Letter Bible

1. “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.”

a. [Thou shalt] not [Strong: 3808 lôʼ, lo; or לוֹא lôwʼ; or לֹה lôh; (Deuteronomy 3:11), a primitive particle; + not (the simple or abstract negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles:—× before, + or else, ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (× as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, + of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.]

b. covet [Strong: 2530 châmad, khaw-mad'; a primitive root; to delight in:—beauty, greatly beloved, covet, delectable thing, (× great) delight, desire, goodly, lust, (be) pleasant (thing), precious (thing).]

c. [thy] neighbor’s [Strong: 7453 rêaʻ, ray'-ah; or רֵיעַ rêyaʻ; from H7462; an associate (more or less close):—brother, companion, fellow, friend, husband, lover, neighbour, × (an-) other.]

d. house [Strong: 1004 bayith, bah'-yith; probably from H1129 abbreviated; a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.):—court, daughter, door, + dungeon, family, + forth of, × great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter) house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, + prison, + steward, + tablet, temple, web, + within(-out).]

e. [thou shalt] not [Strong: 3808 lôʼ, lo; or לוֹא lôwʼ; or לֹה lôh; (Deuteronomy 3:11), a primitive particle; + not (the simple or abstract negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles:—× before, + or else, ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (× as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, + of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.]

f. covet [Strong: 2530 châmad, khaw-mad'; a primitive root; to delight in:—beauty, greatly beloved, covet, delectable thing, (× great) delight, desire, goodly, lust, (be) pleasant (thing), precious (thing).]

c. [thy] neighbor’s [Strong: 7453 rêaʻ, ray'-ah; or רֵיעַ rêyaʻ; from H7462; an associate (more or less close):—brother, companion, fellow, friend, husband, lover, neighbour, × (an-) other.]

g. wife [Strong: 802 ʼishshâh, ish-shaw'; feminine of H376 or H582; irregular plural, נָשִׁים nâshîym;(used in the same wide sense as H582) a woman:—(adulter) ess, each, every, female, × many, none, one, together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.]

h. [nor his] manservant [Strong: 5650 ʻebed, eh'-bed; from H5647; a servant:—× bondage, bondman, (bond-) servant, (man-) servant.]

i. [nor his] maidservant [Strong: 519 ʼâmâh, aw-maw'; apparently a primitive word; a maid-servant or female slave:—(hand-) bondmaid(-woman), maid(-servant).]

j. [not his] ox [Strong: 7794 shôwr, shore; from H7788; a bullock (as a traveller):—bull(-ock), cow, ox, wall (by mistake for H7791).]

k. [not his] ass [Strong: 2543 chămôwr, kham-ore'; or (shortened) חֲמֹר chămôr; from H2560; a male ass (from its dun red):—(he) ass.]

l. [nor] any thing [Strong: 3605 kôl, kole; or (Jeremiah 33:8) כּוֹל kôwl; from H3634; properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense):—(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).]

m. that [is] [Strong: 834 ʼăsher, ash-er'; a primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number); who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.:—× after, × alike, as (soon as), because, × every, for, + forasmuch, + from whence, + how(-soever), × if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), × though, + until, + whatsoever, when, where (+ -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, + whither(-soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun expletively, used to show the connection.]

n. [thy] neighbor’s [Strong: 7453 rêaʻ, ray'-ah; or רֵיעַ rêyaʻ; from H7462; an associate (more or less close):—brother, companion, fellow, friend, husband, lover, neighbour, × (an-) other.]

1). Institute of Creation Research Days of Praise:  6/16/15 This is the broadest prohibition of the Ten Commandments, spilling over to numerous portions of the Scripture. This commandment gives us three different views of “covet.” The initial commandment (Exodus 20:17) uses the Hebrew word chamad, which means “to delight in.” The repeated commandment (Deuteronomy 5:21) uses the word ‘avah, which translates “to wish for.” And the applied commandment (Jeremiah 6:13) uses the word batsa’, which is “to be greedy.” There are two classic examples from which we can learn. In spite of the awesome evidence of the Rea Sea crossing, water from the rock, and the manna from heaven, Israel was not satisfied with the Lord’s provision (Numbers 11:7-15). They “fell a lusting” (‘avah) for the old delicacies of Egypt (Numbers 11:4-6). The Lord gave Israel its request for “meat” (Numbers 11:16-31), then sent a plague of judgment (Numbers 11:32-35) on the ungrateful nation. There is also the tragic example of Achan (Joshua 7). Achan had been warned twice (Deuteronomy 7:25; Joshua 6:18, 19) not to crave the riches of Jericho. But he gave into “a delightful desire” (chamad, Joshua 7:21). Achan’s sin brought judgment upon the whole nation (Joshua 7:5-15) until he was executed (Joshua 7:25, 26). God does not tolerate covetousness. The Bible is clear: Those that covet are never satisfied (Psalm 78:23-37) and have leanness sent to their souls (Psalm 106:13-15). May our Lord protect us from giving in to the “lust of the flesh” (1 John 2:16). HMM III

1). The Ten Commandments in the New Covenant

a). First Commandment Exodus 20:3 You shall have no other gods before Me.

(1) Matthew 4:10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

(2) Matthew 22:37-38 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 10:38 This is the first and great commandment.

b). Second Commandment Exodus 20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

(1) 1 John 5:21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

(2) 1 Corinthians 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

(3) 1 Corinthians 10:7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

(4) 1 Corinthians 10:14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.

(5) Ephesians 5:5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 

c). Third Commandment Exodus 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

(1) Matthew 5:33-34 Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: 

5:34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:

(2) Matthew 7:21-23 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 

7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 

7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

(3) Luke 11:2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

(4) 1 Timothy 6:1 Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed.

d). Fourth Commandment  Exodus 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

(1) Paul ministered to the Jews first and then the Gentiles (Romans 1:16; Romans 2:10). Because of that he focused much time toward the Jews in the synagogue: Acts 13:14; Acts 13:42; Acts 13:44; Acts 16:13; Acts 17:2 ; Acts 18:4. Paul clearly states in Colossians that we should not allow ourselves to be judged about sabbath days. Colossians 2:16  Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 

(2) While nine of the Commandments are reaffirmed in the New Testament, the Commandment concerning the Sabbath is not. 

e). Fifth Commandment Exodus 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

(1) Matthew 15:3-6 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? 15:4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. 15:5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; 15:6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

(a) Jesus in this passage teaches that the Command to honor your father and mother extends to ours and our parents whole lives.  

(2) Matthew 19:17-19 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

19:18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, 

19:19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

(3) Ephesians 6:2-3 Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; 6:3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

f). Sixth Commandment Exodus 20:13 Thou shalt not kill.

(1) Romans 13:9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

(2) Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

(3) James 2:10-12 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

2:11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

g). Seventh Commandment Exodus 20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.

(1) Romans 13:9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

(2) 1 Corinthians 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

h). Eighth Commandment Exodus 20:15 Thou shalt not steal.

(1) Romans 13:9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

i). Ninth Commandment Exodus 20:16  Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

(1) Romans 13:9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

(2) Colossians 3:9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

(3). Ephesians 4:25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

j. Tenth Commandment Exodus 20:17  Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

(1) Romans 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

(2) Romans 13:9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

(3) Ephesians 5:3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;

(4) Ephesians 5:5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.