Exodus 20:17 “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s.”
Deut. 5: 21 “Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbor’s wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbor’s house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or anything that is thy neighbor’s.”
In the previous commandments we see Deut. 5 is essentially the same as the original commandments found in Exodus 20. The tenth commandment is worded slightly differently in Deut. 5 than it is in Exodus 20 to emphasis a particular point. To learn the specific emphasis we need to understand the original Hebrew words used for “covet” and “desire” as highlighted in bold above.
Ex. 20:17 “Covet” the Hebrew word is “hamad” meaning to covet, lust, desire, delight in, as well as to improper lust and desire”. Strong’s #2530
Deut. 5: 21 we see two different English words used, “covet” and “desire”. In this verse the English word “desire” is the exact same word translated as “covet” in Ex. 20:17. In Deut. 5:21 the word shown in English as “covet” is a different Hebrew word. The Hebrew word is “awa” meaning to crave, desire, yearn for, long for, desireth, fell a lusting, greatly desire, longeth, and lusted exceedingly.” Strong’s #183.
This Hebrew change in the word for “covet” puts a much higher emphasis in Deut. 5:21 to not lust after or covet your neighbor’s wife. Apparently a distinction Moses felt necessary to include.
As with all ten of the commandments we once again see God is looking for our attitude of obedience to His laws. Our obedience must come from our heart (Deut. 5:29). To love God we must keep His commandments (John 14:15). One should also remember Satan coveted God’s throne and fought God for it as we previously learned in Isa. 14:12-14 and Ezek. 28:13-17. Satan was the originator of coveting. Paul gives us a list of sins we should not be doing and prominent is “coveting” (Col. 3:5 see verses 1-9 for the full list). Even up to the “last days” men will be lovers of their own selves (Thus breaking the first commandment) and “covetous” (II Tim. 3:1-5). We must keep our minds clear of lust, desire, yearning for things not ours, coveting whatever our neighbor has. Our minds must be kept clear to worship and honor God (Phil. 2:5)!
The tenth commandment, “thou shalt not covet” brings us full circle back to the first commandment, “Have no other god’s before me”. When we covet we follow in the attitude of Satan by wanting to make our own decisions of right and wrong. Only God is qualified to make judgments as to right and wrong. When we covet we are desiring to make a decision of right or wrong, just like the very first commandment said not to do.
We have now reached the conclusion of our study of the Ten Commandments. What does God require of us, His people? First, our sins cannot be hidden from God (Num. 32:23) and sin is the transgression of the law (I John 3:4). Secondly, we are to fear the LORD, walk in His ways, serve Him with all of our HEART (It is about our attitude towards God), KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS, because God is LORD, He is God of god’s and LORD of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward” (Deut. 10:12-17). Third, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Ecc. 12:13-14).
