10th Commandment

Question 1

10th Commandment

Answer 1

• “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.” (Ex 20:17)
• “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, and you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field or his male servant or his female servant, his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” (Deut 5:21)

Question 2

10th Commandment: Relationship to the First Commandment

Answer 2

• No explicit connection to the 1st but it serves as a bookend to the other commandments because it brings the issue back to the heart. Idolatry in the first/coveting in the last.
• The other commandments deal with actions but the 1st and 10th deal with the heart.
• How do I relate to God and how do I relate to my neighbor?

Question 3

10th Commandment: Theological Justification

Answer 3

i. The tenth commandment is different from those immediately preceding it because an action is not prohibited.
ii. Throughout the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives the theological significance of the tenth commandment by addressing issues of the heart over actions.
iii. Just as Jesus moved from action to intention, the tenth commandment concludes the Decalogue with a focus on the heart.

Question 4

10th Commandment: Results

Answer 4

• No consequences stated but if you move in the realm of coveting you will most likely move into breaking the other commandments.

Question 5

10th Commandment: Ethical Impact - Coveting - Term

Answer 5

• חמד (hmd)—to covet
  1. Desire or yearning without the commission of an act to obtain the object of desire

2. The desire itself is condemned.

Question 6

10th Commandment: Ethical Impact - Coveting - Objects

Answer 6

• In the command, coveting several specific objects is prohibited.
  a. Spouse
  b. House
  c. Servants
• The commandment concludes with a blanket statement about anything belonging to one’s neighbor.
  a. Affirms private property and ownership

Question 7

10th Commandment: Ethical Impact - Coveting - Sin

Answer 7

1. “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)
2. “What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COVET.’ But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead.” (Rom 7:9–10)

Question 8

10th Commandment: Ethical Impact - Contentment

Answer 8

• The positive side of this commandment is the idea of contentment.
  ii. “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.” (Phil 4:11)