Prohibition of coveting

Coveting is forbidden by God

In the Ten Commandments

Exodus 20:17 ““You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”” ;

Romans 7:7–8“What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead.”

Coveting is provoked by the law that forbids it.

See also Ro 13:9–10

Through the prophets

Is 5:8; Is 57:17; Eze 33:31; Am 2:6; Am 5:11–12; Am 8:5–6; Mic 2:2

In Jesus Christ’s teaching

Matthew 6:19–21 NKJV

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

See also Lk 12:15

Coveting has some terrible consequences

2 Sa 11:2–4 Adultery; 1 Ki 21:18–19 murders

Failure to enter the kingdom of heaven:

Mt 18:1–3; Mk 9:33–35; 1 Co 6:9–10

Ac 5:3–10 God’s judgment

Further examples of coveting

Joshua 7:21 NKJV

When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. And there they are, hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, with the silver under it.”

See also Pr 30:16; Je 6:13; Je 8:10; Dt 7:25; Jos 22:20 Achan; 1 Sa 2:12–15 Eli’s sons; 1 Sa 8:3 Samuel’s sons; 1 Sa 15:9–10 Saul; Hab 2:5 Israel’s enemies are likened to the grave, always swallowing people and never satisfied; Ac 8:13–23 Simon the sorcerer

Believers may pray to be free from coveting

Psalm 119:36 NKJV

Incline my heart to Your testimonies, And not to covetousness.

Godly people claim not to have coveted

Samuel

1 Samuel 12:3–5 NKJV

Here I am. Witness against me before the Lord and before His anointed: Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed, or from whose hand have I received any bribe with which to blind my eyes? I will restore it to you.” And they said, “You have not cheated us or oppressed us, nor have you taken anything from any man’s hand.” Then he said to them, “The Lord is witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.” And they answered, “He is witness.”

Paul

Acts 20:33 NKJV

I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel.

See also 2 Co 11:9; 1 Co 9:12; 1 Th 2:5; 2 Co 7:2; 2 Co 12:14–18

Coveting as a commendable earnest desiring

A desire for the greater spiritual gifts:

1 Co 12:31; 1 Co 14:1; 1 Co 14:39

1 Ti 3:1 a desire to serve in a leadership role in the church