The Meaning of Exodus 20:17 Explained

Exodus 20:17

KJV: 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.

YLT: Thou dost not desire the house of thy neighbour, thou dost not desire the wife of thy neighbour, or his man-servant, or his handmaid, or his ox, or his ass, or anything which is thy neighbour's.'

Darby: Thou shalt not desire thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not desire thy neighbour's wife, nor his bondman, nor his handmaid, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbour's.

ASV: Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's.

Discover Exodus 20:17

CONTEXT: What is the Context of Exodus 20:17?

MEANING: What does Exodus 20:17 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in Exodus 20:17 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in Exodus 20:17?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Exodus 20:17 Mean?

Verse Meaning

It is specifically what belongs to one"s neighbor and is not for sale, contrasted with something for sale, that is the focus of this command. A legitimate desire is not the same as coveting, which is an obsessive desire. Coveting is a root attitude from which many sins in word and deed against a neighbor spring (cf. Ephesians 5:3). The five categories, of the most valuable possessions the neighbor could have, represent all that he has.
". . . none of the Ten Commandments reappear in the New Testament for this age of grace as Mosaic legislation. All of the moral principles of the ten laws do reappear in the New Testament in a framework of grace." [1]
"The Christian must think through contemporary ethical issues with the Ten Commandments as a guide. How does the commandment not to steal apply to computer theft? How does the commandment not to kill apply to the abortion pill? Nuclear arms?" [2]
"The influence of the Ten Words on Western morality and law is beyond calculation. They have come to be recognized as the basis of all public morality." [3]
In view of this fact it is especially tragic that it is now illegal to post a copy of the Ten Commandments in any American public school classroom. [4] A fuller exposition of the Ten Commandments follows in my notes on Deuteronomy 5.

Context Summary

Exodus 20:1-17 - The "ten Words" Spoken At Sinai
The Law was given by the disposition of angels, through the medium of Moses. See John 1:17; Acts 7:53. It tells us, not what God is, for that is only shown in Jesus Christ, but what man should be. It combines in a concise form that moral code which is part of the nature of things, and is written on man's conscience. See Romans 2:5. Even the Fourth Commandment is deeply graven on our physical nature. These laws are mostly negative, but their positive side is stated in Matthew 5:1-48. For practical purposes this divine code consists of two divisions or tables; the first, of our duties toward God; the second, of those to man; but these are summed up in the one great law of love. See Mark 12:29-31; Romans 13:8-10 and Galatians 5:14. Our Lord Jesus stands surety for us at the bar of Sinai. By His righteousness imputed and imparted, by His obedience and death, by the gracious indwelling of His Spirit, He comes "not to destroy, but to fulfill." See Matthew 5:17; Romans 8:4. [source]

Chapter Summary: Exodus 20

1  The ten commandments are spoken by Jehovah
18  The people are afraid, but Moses comforts them
21  Idolatry is forbidden
23  Of what sort the altar should be

What do the individual words in Exodus 20:17 mean?

Not You shall covet house of your neighbor not wife of your neighbor nor his manservant nor his maidservant nor his ox nor his donkey nor anything that [is] your neighbor -
לֹ֥א תַחְמֹ֖ד בֵּ֣ית רֵעֶ֑ךָ לֹֽא־ אֵ֣שֶׁת רֵעֶ֗ךָ וְעַבְדּ֤וֹ וַאֲמָתוֹ֙ וְשׁוֹר֣וֹ וַחֲמֹר֔וֹ וְכֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר לְרֵעֶֽךָ פ

תַחְמֹ֖ד  You  shall  covet 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: חָמַד 
Sense: to desire, covet, take pleasure in, delight in.
בֵּ֣ית  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
רֵעֶ֑ךָ  of  your  neighbor 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: רֵעַ  
Sense: friend, companion, fellow, another person.
אֵ֣שֶׁת  wife 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
רֵעֶ֗ךָ  of  your  neighbor 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: רֵעַ  
Sense: friend, companion, fellow, another person.
וְעַבְדּ֤וֹ  nor  his  manservant 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
וַאֲמָתוֹ֙  nor  his  maidservant 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמָה  
Sense: maid-servant, female slave, maid, handmaid, concubine.
וְשׁוֹר֣וֹ  nor  his  ox 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שֹׁור  
Sense: ox, bull, a head of cattle.
וַחֲמֹר֔וֹ  nor  his  donkey 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חֲמֹור 
Sense: (he)ass.
וְכֹ֖ל  nor  anything 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
לְרֵעֶֽךָ  [is]  your  neighbor 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: רֵעַ  
Sense: friend, companion, fellow, another person.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation

What are the major concepts related to Exodus 20:17?

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