Deuteronomy 5:21 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The tenth commandment forbids coveting what belongs to your neighbor.
The Context of Deuteronomy 5:21
The tenth commandment forbids coveting and addresses the desires beneath outward sin.
What Does Deuteronomy 5:21 Mean?
Unlike the other commandments that forbid outward actions, this one addresses inward desire—the root from which theft, adultery, and murder grow. Coveting is the disordered wanting of what belongs to another, rooted in envy or greed. By forbidding covetousness, God revealed that sin begins in the heart before it produces outward transgression. The law aimed not only to regulate behavior but to transform character by exposing and confronting the desires that lead to harm.
The comprehensive list (wife, house, field, servants, animals, anything) shows that coveting is not innocent daydreaming but a deliberate, malicious turning of one's desires toward another's good. The commandment calls people to contentment with God's provision and to rejoice in what God gives to others.
Deuteronomy 5:21 in the Original Language
chamad (חָמַד), 'covet' or 'desire' — to crave or lust after something that belongs to another, with a sense of greedy or envious wanting.
Frequently Asked Questions About Deuteronomy 5:21
What does Deuteronomy 5:21 mean?
The tenth commandment forbids coveting what belongs to your neighbor.
What is the context of Deuteronomy 5:21?
The tenth commandment forbids coveting and addresses the desires beneath outward sin.