Deuteronomy 5:21
New International Version
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor’s house or land, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

New Living Translation
“You must not covet your neighbor’s wife. You must not covet your neighbor’s house or land, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.

English Standard Version
“‘And 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 is your neighbor’s.’

Berean Standard Bible
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house or field, or his manservant or maidservant, or his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

King James Bible
Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour's.

New King James Version
‘You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife; and you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.’

New American Standard Bible
‘You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor desire your neighbor’s house, his field, his male slave or his female slave, his ox, his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.’

NASB 1995
‘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.’

NASB 1977
‘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.’

Legacy Standard Bible
‘You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, and you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, or his male slave or his female slave, his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.’

Amplified Bible
‘You shall not covet [that is, desire and seek to acquire] your neighbor’s wife, nor desire your neighbor’s house, his field, his male servant or his female servant, his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.’

Christian Standard Bible
Do not covet your neighbor’s wife or desire your neighbor’s house, his field, his male or female slave, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Do not covet your neighbor’s wife or desire your neighbor’s house, his field, his male or female slave, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

American Standard Version
Neither shalt thou covet thy neighbor's wife; neither shalt thou desire thy neighbor's house, his field, or his man-servant, or his maid-servant, his ox, or his ass, or anything that is thy neighbor's.

Contemporary English Version
Do not desire to possess anything that belongs to another person--not a house, a wife, a husband, a slave, an ox, a donkey, or anything else.

English Revised Version
Neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's wife; neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour's.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Never desire to take your neighbor's wife away from him. "Never long for your neighbor's household, his field, his male or female slave, his ox, his donkey, or anything else that belongs to him."

Good News Translation
"'Do not desire another man's wife; do not desire his house, his land, his slaves, his cattle, his donkeys, or anything else that he owns.'

International Standard Version
"'You are not to desire your neighbor's wife nor covet your neighbor's house, his fields, his male and female servants, his ox, his donkey, nor anything that concerns your neighbor.'"

Majority Standard Bible
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house or field, or his manservant or maidservant, or his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

NET Bible
You must not desire another man's wife, nor should you crave his house, his field, his male and female servants, his ox, his donkey, or anything else he owns."

New Heart English Bible
"Do not covet your neighbor's wife. Do not crave your neighbor's house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's."

Webster's Bible Translation
Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbor's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbor's house, his field, or his man-servant, or his maid-servant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbor's.

World English Bible
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. Neither shall you desire your neighbor’s house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
You do not desire your neighbor’s wife, nor do you covet your neighbor’s house, his field, and his manservant, and his handmaid, his ox, and his donkey, and anything which [is] your neighbor’s.

Young's Literal Translation
Thou dost not desire thy neighbour's wife; nor dost thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, and his man-servant, and his handmaid, his ox, and his ass, and anything which is thy neighbour's.

Smith's Literal Translation
and thou shalt not desire thy friend's wife; and thou shalt not long for thy friend's house, his field, and his servant, and his maid, his ox and his ass, and all that is to thy friend.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife: nor his house, nor his field, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is his.

Catholic Public Domain Version
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his house, nor his field, nor his man servant, nor his woman servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything out of all that is his.’

New American Bible
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not desire your neighbor’s house or field, his male or female slave, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

New Revised Standard Version
Neither shall you covet your neighbor’s wife. Neither shall you desire your neighbor’s house, or field, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, neither shall you covet your neighbor's house, nor his field, nor his vineyard, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is your neighbor's.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Do not lust for the wife of your neighbor; do not lust for the house of your neighbor, neither his field, neither his vineyard, neither his Servant, neither his Handmaid, neither his ox, neither his donkey, neither anything that your neighbor has.’
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's wife; neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's house, his field, or his man-servant, or his maid-servant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour's.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife; thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, nor his field, nor his man-servant, nor his maid, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any beast of his, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Ten Commandments
20You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 21You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house or field, or his manservant or maidservant, or his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

Cross References
Exodus 20:17
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, or his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

Romans 7:7
What then shall we say? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed, I would not have been mindful of sin if not for the law. For I would not have been aware of coveting if the law had not said, “Do not covet.”

James 4:2
You crave what you do not have; you kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask.

Matthew 5:28
But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Luke 12:15
And He said to them, “Watch out! Guard yourselves against every form of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

1 Timothy 6:9-10
Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. / For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

Colossians 3:5
Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.

1 Corinthians 6:10
nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:19-21
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; / idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, / and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Ephesians 5:3
But among you, as is proper among the saints, there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed.

Mark 7:21-23
For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, / greed, wickedness, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, arrogance, and foolishness. / All these evils come from within, and these are what defile a man.”

Hebrews 13:5
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”

Micah 2:2
They covet fields and seize them; they take away houses. They deprive a man of his home, a fellow man of his inheritance.

Proverbs 21:26
All day long he covets more, but the righteous give without restraint.

Psalm 10:3
For the wicked man boasts in the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD.


Treasury of Scripture

Neither shall you desire your neighbor's wife, neither shall you covet your neighbor's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is your neighbor's.

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 Kings 21:1-4
And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria…

Micah 2:2
And they covet fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take them away: so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.

Jump to Previous
Ass Belongs Bondman Covet Desire Donkey Handmaid House Maidservant Maid-Servant Male Manservant Man-Servant Neighbor Neighbor's Neighbour's Ox Servant Wife
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Ass Belongs Bondman Covet Desire Donkey Handmaid House Maidservant Maid-Servant Male Manservant Man-Servant Neighbor Neighbor's Neighbour's Ox Servant Wife
Deuteronomy 5
1. The covenant in Horeb
6. The ten commandments
23. At the people's request Moses receives the law from God














You shall not covet
The Hebrew word for "covet" is "חָמַד" (chamad), which means to desire or take pleasure in. This commandment addresses the internal attitude of the heart, emphasizing that sin begins with our thoughts and desires. In a conservative Christian perspective, this highlights the importance of guarding one's heart and mind against sinful desires, as they can lead to actions that violate God's commandments.

your neighbor’s wife
The mention of "neighbor’s wife" underscores the sanctity of marriage and the importance of respecting the marital bond. In ancient Israel, as in many cultures, the family unit was foundational to society. This commandment protects the integrity of marriage and family, reminding believers to honor and uphold these sacred relationships.

You shall not desire
The Hebrew word "אָוָה" (avah) is used here, which also means to long for or crave. This repetition of the prohibition against coveting emphasizes the seriousness of unchecked desires. It serves as a reminder that contentment and gratitude are virtues that believers should cultivate, trusting in God's provision.

your neighbor’s house
In the ancient context, a "house" was not just a physical structure but represented one's household, including family and possessions. This commandment calls for respect for others' property and well-being, promoting a community where individuals are content with what God has given them.

his field
Fields were vital for sustenance and economic stability in ancient agrarian societies. By including "field," the commandment acknowledges the importance of respecting others' means of livelihood. It encourages believers to trust in God's provision for their own needs rather than envying others' prosperity.

or his manservant or maidservant
Servants were considered part of a household's assets and were integral to its functioning. This commandment extends the prohibition of coveting to include people, emphasizing the value and dignity of every individual. It calls believers to respect the roles and contributions of others without envy.

his ox or donkey
Oxen and donkeys were essential for agricultural work and transportation. By mentioning these animals, the commandment highlights the importance of respecting others' tools and resources. It encourages believers to be content with their own possessions and to avoid coveting what belongs to others.

or anything that belongs to your neighbor
This phrase serves as a comprehensive summary, covering all aspects of covetousness. It reinforces the idea that believers should cultivate a heart of contentment and gratitude, recognizing that everything they have is a gift from God. It calls for a community where love and respect for one another prevail, reflecting the character of God in their relationships.

(21) His field.--These words are not found in Exodus 20. The children of Israel had now become, or were just about to become, landowners; hence the addition is appropriate in this place. There is also another slight verbal alteration. One word only is used for "covet" in Exodus 20:17; here two are employed. The idea of the one is to "delight in," and the other to "lust after."



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
You shall not
וְלֹ֥א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

covet
תַחְמֹ֖ד (ṯaḥ·mōḏ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 2530: To desire, take pleasure in

your neighbor’s
רֵעֶ֑ךָ (rê·‘e·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 7453: Friend, companion, fellow

wife.
אֵ֣שֶׁת (’ê·šeṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

You shall not covet
תִתְאַוֶּ֜ה (ṯiṯ·’aw·weh)
Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 183: To incline, desire

your neighbor’s
רֵעֶ֗ךָ (rê·‘e·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 7453: Friend, companion, fellow

house
בֵּ֣ית (bêṯ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house

or field,
שָׂדֵ֜הוּ (śā·ḏê·hū)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7704: Field, land

or his manservant
וְעַבְדּ֤וֹ (wə·‘aḇ·dōw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant

or maidservant,
וַאֲמָתוֹ֙ (wa·’ă·mā·ṯōw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 519: A maidservant, female slave

or his ox
שׁוֹר֣וֹ (šō·w·rōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7794: A head of cattle (bullock, ox, etcetera)

or donkey,
וַחֲמֹר֔וֹ (wa·ḥă·mō·rōw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 2543: A male ass

or anything
וְכֹ֖ל (wə·ḵōl)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

that
אֲשֶׁ֥ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

belongs to your neighbor.”
לְרֵעֶֽךָ׃ (lə·rê·‘e·ḵā)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 7453: Friend, companion, fellow


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OT Law: Deuteronomy 5:21 Neither shall you covet your neighbor's wife (Deut. De Du)
Deuteronomy 5:20
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