By Nick Bibile
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.”
The word covet in English means to desire earnestly, to crave greedily, to long eagerly for what is not ours. Yet the biblical meaning goes deeper.
The Greek exposes the heart of the sin:
Pleonexia
— a desire for more than enough, an insatiable
appetite.
Proverbs 30:15: “Give, give… things that
are never satisfied.”
Philargyria
— a love of the world, especially of wealth.
1 John 2:15:
“Love not the world… If any man love the world, the love of the
Father is not in him.”
Covetousness is not merely wanting—it is wanting without limits, without submission to God, and without contentment.
As we have studied the Ten Commandments, we have seen their depth and spiritual breadth. The law reflects the holiness and perfection of God, and it exposes the sinner.
Psalm 119:96: “Thy commandment is exceeding broad.”
The law humbles the soul. It brings a man to say, “I have sinned against You—have mercy upon me.”
Yet many treat the
commandments lightly, like the rich young ruler in Matthew
19:20:
“All these have I kept from my youth.”
But the spiritually hungry
cry out:
Psalm 119:18: “Open thou mine eyes…”
The law reveals not only outward acts, but the hidden desires of the heart. And nowhere is this clearer than in the command: Thou shalt not covet.
To understand covetousness, we must understand man.
Man is not self-sufficient. No amount of wealth, pleasure, or success can satisfy him. Why? Because he was created for God.
Originally, man’s desires were pure and directed toward God. But after the fall, those desires became distorted. The longing remains—but it is now misdirected toward the world.
Man is now an empty vessel seeking to be filled—but he drinks from broken cisterns.
Covetousness is written all over fallen man. It is inward and outward. It is subtle yet powerful. It is, in many ways, the mother of sin.
Covetousness is not just the tenth commandment—it fuels the breaking of all the others:
No other gods → The covetous man creates many gods.
No graven images → He bows to idols of religion, culture, and entertainment.
Do not take God’s name in vain → He uses God for selfish gain.
Keep the Sabbath holy → He is too busy chasing earthly things.
Honor parents → He follows his own will.
Do not murder → Desire leads to hatred and even violence.
Do not commit adultery → Lust says, “I want what is not mine.”
Do not steal → Coveting leads to taking.
Do not bear false witness → He lies and slanders for advantage.
Covetousness is the hidden engine behind visible sin.
In Luke 12:15, Jesus gives a direct command:
“Take heed, and beware of covetousness…”
Why such urgency? Because it is deceptive.
The rich man in the parable
believed he had secured his future. But God said:
“Thou fool…
this night thy soul shall be required of thee.”
Covetousness blinds a man to reality:
Life is short
Death is certain
Eternity is near
Yet he lives as if this world is all there is.
Covetousness is dangerous because it hides itself.
1 Thessalonians 2:5 speaks of a “cloak of covetousness.”
It disguises itself as:
ambition
responsibility
success
provision
It justifies itself with flattering words and excuses. A man may appear moral, disciplined, even religious—yet be consumed by greed.
The world constantly feeds this sin:
“You deserve
more.”
“Follow your desires.”
“Get what you want.”
Advertisements are designed to stir dissatisfaction. Society trains people to chase status, wealth, and recognition.
Men exhaust themselves for the world:
sacrificing time
losing sleep
neglecting their souls
Yet they give little thought to eternity.
As Christ said in John
3:31:
“He that is of the earth… speaketh of the earth.”
Covetousness is not a small sin—it is idolatry.
Colossians 3:5: “Covetousness, which is idolatry.”
The covetous man worships what he desires.
Ecclesiastes 5:10:
“He
that loveth silver shall not be satisfied…”
He always wants more—and is never satisfied.
Covetousness is ancient.
Satan himself fell through coveting power and position (Isaiah 14:12–15). He desired God’s throne—and was cast down.
The same spirit operates today:
craving status
seeking authority
desiring recognition
Covetousness is not only about possessions—it is also about position and power.
Matthew 16:24:
“If
any man will come after me, let him deny himself…”
Following Christ requires death to self.
There is no discipleship without self-denial. No cross without suffering. No following Christ without losing this world.
As Paul said in Philippians
3:7–8:
“I count all things but loss… that I may win
Christ.”
Contentment is the opposite of covetousness.
1 Timothy
6:6:
“Godliness with contentment is great gain.”
True wealth is not having more—but needing less because you have Christ.
The covetous man is restless. The content man is at peace.
Hebrews 13:5:
“Be
content… for He hath said, I will never leave thee…”
God’s presence is enough.
If you covet heaven, you will loosen your grip on earth.
Colossians 3:2:
“Set
your affection on things above…”
Your heart follows your treasure.
If your treasure is on
earth, your heart will be buried here.
If your treasure is in
heaven, your heart will rise there.
Covetousness chains the soul to this world.
It promises
satisfaction—but delivers emptiness.
It promises gain—but
leads to loss.
The only cure is Christ.
Die to this world.
Live
unto God.
Seek the things above.
For in gaining Christ, you lose nothing—and gain everything.