2 Nephi 26:32

[pam]

Reference Search: 2 Nephi 26:32

32 And again, the Lord God hath commanded that men should not murder; that they should not lie; that they should not steal; that they should not take the name of the Lord their God in vain; that they should not envy; that they should not have malice; that they should not contend one with another; that they should not commit whoredoms; and that they should do none of these things; for whoso doeth them shall perish.

Quote for Discussion

Thou shalt not covet (or envy)

It may be that this commandment has even greater relevance in today’s materialistic world than it did in Moses’ day. In our modern society that seems to urge people to satisfy their every desire, obedience to the tenth commandment affords us spiritual and temporal protection from the effects of a host of other evils. For example, when we faithfully abstain from covetousness, we will not fall into the traps of adultery or theft, for we will be free of the unrighteous desires that precede those sins. Thus, the commandment “Thou shalt not covet” is intrinsically related to all of the other commandments.

To understand the meaning of the word covet as it is used in the tenth commandment, we must focus on what and why we covet. The word itself is used in both negative and positive senses in the Bible, and its application depends on the root word from which the English is translated. The Hebrew word translated as covet in Exodus 20:17 is lo takhmodh, which denotes an inordinate, consuming, selfish desire, arising from improper or evil motives. In the New Testament, however, the word appears in a very positive sense as Paul admonishes the Corinthians to “covet earnestly the best gifts” (1 Cor. 12:31). Covet here is taken from the Greek word zeloo, which comes from the same root as our English word zealous and connotes a passionate desire to acquire something.

Brent L. Top, Thou Shalt Not Covet