Deuteronomy 5:21

21 Do not desire your neighbor's wife or covet your neighbor's house, his field, his male or female slave, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.^{[a] [b]}

Deuteronomy 5:21 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 5:21

Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife
Here a neighbour's wife is put before his house, different from ( Exodus 20:17 ) and "his field" is added, which with what follows take in everything that is a man's property; and which is not to be desired or coveted in an unlawful manner by another, and much less should any means be made use of to deprive him of it; but "lust" is the thing intended and prohibited, be it after what it may, which is another man's: see ( Matthew 5:28 ) ( Romans 7:7 ) , of a man's field, see ( Isaiah 5:8 ) ( Micah 2:2 ) .

Deuteronomy 5:21 In-Context

19 Do not steal.

20 Do not give dishonest testimony against your neighbor.

21 Do not desire your neighbor's wife or covet your neighbor's house, his field, his male or female slave, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

22 "The Lord spoke these commands in a loud voice to your entire assembly from the fire, cloud, and thick darkness on the mountain; He added nothing more. He wrote them on two stone tablets and gave them to me.

23 All of you approached me with your tribal leaders and elders when you heard the voice from the darkness and while the mountain was blazing with fire.

Footnotes

• [a]. Rm 7:7
• [b]. Mt 19:18-19; Mk 10:19; Lk 18:20; Rm 13:9