Christians and Jews have two commandments that start with the subject clause: “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife” and “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods.” Is it sinful to desire what your neighbor can afford but you can’t? Is it a sin to be attracted to your neighbor’s spouse? This article tries to answer these two questions: doubts, I found, haunting many a Christian.
Desiring versus Coveting
Let us first look at the exact meaning of the verb ‘covet.’ According to the ‘Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary’ (eleventh edition), to ‘covet’ is to “wish for earnestly … desire (what belongs to another) inordinately or culpably … feel inordinate desire for what belongs to another.” So the verb ‘covet’ is much stronger than the verb ‘desire.’ To covet is not only to desire but also to do something about it: notice the word “culpably” which might even imply criminal activity.
Temptation versus Sin
We must also distinguish between ‘temptation’ and ‘sin.’ Temptation is an occasion or situation enticing us to sin; sin occurs when we give in to it. Even Jesus was tempted by the devil (Luke 4:1–12), but he didn’t succumb to it. Keep in mind, therefore, that temptation is not a sin. In fact, whenever we overcome temptation, that’s a bonus: it strengthens our character.
Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbor’s Goods
Let me first deal with this commandment since it’s easier. If you see that your neighbor has a high-end car while you only have a rundown car that takes you from A to B, you might say to yourself, “I wish I had his/her car.” If you do nothing harmful about it, especially if you don’t feel envious, you’ve done nothing wrong. Even if you do feel envious; envy is a perfectly natural feeling encouraging us to better ourselves—but through honest means.
Even legal means might be unacceptable in God’s eyes. For example, if someone has a property and you try to misappropriate him/her of it legally, whether you’re successful or not, you’re guilty of breaking this commandment: you’re hurting your neighbor.
Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbor’s Wife
This commandment is a little bit trickier than the previous one, but by drawing some parallels we shall see where the dividing line between sin and no sin is. It’s natural to be sexually attracted to your neighbor’s wife especially if she is extremely beautiful: you might even desire her, but you don’t do anything about it. Is that a sin? No! As long as you don’t try anything to seduce her, you’re not guilty of any sin; indeed, you are commendable in God’s eyes because you’ve overcome temptation. (Would you like it if your neighbor didn’t find your wife beautiful and attractive?) However, if you try anything to seduce your neighbor’s wife (whether you’re successful or not) you’re guilty of breaking this commandment. Needless to mention, of course, the same rules apply for a woman trying to seduce her neighbor’s husband.
Scriptures
But what if one fantasizes about a person of the opposite sex? Matthew’s gospel portrays Jesus saying, “Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” (Matthew 5:28, KJV) Despite what the evangelist Matthew (or Jesus) says, in my opinion, if you fantasize about driving your neighbor’s high-end car, you haven’t done anything wrong; likewise, fantasizing about your next-door-neighbor’s wife. However, it’s not a good idea to do so because sin starts with desire: so you’re setting yourself up for an eventual fall. As I argue in my article on ‘Masturbation’ (https://faith-or-reason.com/2023/02/07/masturbation/) under “Ogling,” one must interpret this verse in its proper context. In the very next couple of verses, Matthew also portrays Jesus saying, “If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell [Gehenna (NAB)]. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell [Gehenna (NAB)].” (Matthew 5:29–30, JKV) Nobody takes these verses literally. Why not? Jesus thought that the ‘kingdom of God’ would be in full bloom on this earth within his generation (see Matthew 24:34, Mark 13:30 & Luke 21:32). He believed the coming of God’s kingdom would entail a new world order where everything would be perfect, and God would reign supreme in our heart.
Indeed, in his book ‘Papal Sin: Structures of Deceit,’ author, journalist, political philosopher, and Catholic Church historian Garry Wills explains, “These passages belong to that body of sayings that proclaims a transvaluation of all values at the arrival of the reign (basileia) of God [the ‘kingdom of God’]. Thus we hear of a disciple having to hate his father and mother (Luke 14:26). … We hear you must give a bandit the things he forgot to ask for (Luke 6:29). … Unless Jesus was talking here about a clean break with the past order in provocative symbols, he was talking nonsense.” (Papal Sin, p. 127)
Conclusion
As long as we don’t try to misappropriate or hurt our neighbor in any way, treating our neighbor as we would like to be treated, there’s nothing to worry about.
References
Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary: Eleventh Edition. Springfield, MA. Merriam-Webster Inc., 2014. (ISBN: 9780877798095)
New American Bible: Revised Edition. (NAB) Translated from the original languages, authorized by the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, and approved by the United States Confraternity of Catholic Bishops. Totowa, NJ: Catholic Book Publishing Corp., 2010. (ISBN: 9780899429519)
The Holy Bible: King James Version. (KJV) Oxford, UK, 1769.
Wills, Garry. Papal Sin: Structures of Deceit. New York, NY. Image Books, 2001. (ISBN: 0385494114)
Author’s Books
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(1) Is God a Reality?—A Scientific Investigation:
https://www.iuniverse.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/740913-Is-God-a-Reality,
(2) Is the Bible Infallible?—A Rational, Scientific, and Historical Evaluation:
https://www.iuniverse.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/792987-is-the-bible-infallible, and
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