Article September 13, 2021 Issue

Loving the Tenth Commandment

What can we do when we feel overwhelmed and deprived by apparent inequity?

Jennifer Foster

“Thou shalt not covet” (Exodus 20:17) is among the first lessons young Bible students learn—the final of the big “not supposed to” rules that Moses received from God. But of all the Ten Commandments, it might feel like one of the hardest to obey.

On the surface, goodness often appears to be divided up unfairly—some people get a lot and some very little. For example, beauty, intelligence, talent, even lovability are thought to be personal attributes, and it’s tempting to compare one person with another and judge how much of each attribute he or she has.

The Amplified Bible explains this important rule for individual behavior this way: “You shall not covet [that is, selfishly desire and attempt to acquire] . . . anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

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