do not covet

the roadmap to national restoration 2014 apr 04
learning righteousness and wickedness from the ten commandments 2012 nov 19

1st commandment: have no other gods before God 2012 nov 20
2nd commandment: you shall not make idols 2012 dec 09
3rd commandment: do not profane YHVH’s name 2012 dec 18
4th commandment: honor the Sabbath day 2012 dec 21
5th commandment: honor your father and mother 2013 jan 07
6th commandment: do not commit murder 2013 jan 16
7th commandment: do not commit adultery 2013 jan 24
8th commandment: do not steal 2013 feb 13
9th commandment: do not bear false witness 2013 feb 25

God will do three things — hear from heaven, forgive our sin, and heal our land — after His people do three things — humble themselves and pray, seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways (2 Chr 7:14). The cooperation of atheists and the ungodly is not required. We are examining the summary of Torah, God’s definition of righteousness and wickedness, in the Ten Commandments, in order to understand what He considers wicked about our ways, from which He is waiting for us to turn.

The Ten Commandments are given in Deu 5. The 10th commandment, Do not covet, is explained in Deu 24:10-26:15. Following is the summary of what Deu 24:10-26:15 teaches ‘Do not covet’ means. Please visit the links for the fascinating in-depth analysis. But the real reason for the in-depth analysis, is so that we can recognize any wicked way among us, in falling short, and repent of it! As His people do so, He will hear us from heaven, will forgive us these sins, and will heal our land!

The Hebrew paragraph divisions are:

Deu 24:10-13 {s} Do not covet the pledge
Deu 24:14-15 {s} Do not covet the wages of your hired men
Deu 24:16 {s} Do not covet revenge so that you put to death the innocent for the guilty
Deu 24:17-18 {s} Do not covet the pledge that belongs to the poor
Deu 24:19 {s} Do not covet the grain that is for the poor
Deu 24:20-22 {s} Do not covet the fruit that is for the poor
Deu 25:1-4 {s} Do not withhold what is justly due the wicked or the ox
Deu 25:5-10 {s} Do not withhold seed that is justly due the dead brother
Deu 25:11-12 {s} Do not withhold just punishment
Deu 25:13-16 {p} Do not covet gain from unjust weights or measures
Deu 25:17-19 {p} Do not withhold what is justly due to Amalek
Deu 26:1-11 {s} Do not withhold the firstfruits that are justly due
Deu 26:12-15 {s} Do not withhold the tithe of the 3rd year that is justly due

The ancient Hebrew pictographs for covet, Strong’s H183, avah, is the aleph + vav + hey; strength coupled with longing or sighing, i.e. strong longing after (and in most cases, for oneself instead of for others). As we can see from the paragraph divisions, there is more to Do not covet than lusting for something that you do not have. It also includes grasping on to something that you do have, but which is due to another. So Torah instructs first, what is due to the disadvantaged, being careful not to withhold what is justly due. The section on not withholding what is justly due is concluded with the admonition against unjust weights and measures. And finally we have a strong paragraph division, something that we have not seen since the explanation for Do not murder! The strong theme reveals how to do no harm to a neighbor. The Torah then leaves the instruction concerning our individual responsibility to our neighbors, and moves on to what is justly due Amalek and the Levites; or, not withholding what is due as our national responsibility. The 10th commandment is then summarized by the Deu 24:10-26:15 chiastic structure, which reveals even more truths.