The Ninth and Tenth Commandments

These two commandments were particularly addressed to the Jews, but they concern us also in part. The Jews did not interpret them as relating to unchastity and theft, because these vices are sufficiently forbidden above. They considered they were keeping the commandments when, outwardly, they obeyed the injunctions and prohibitions expressed by them. God, therefore, added these two commandments to teach them that it was a sin and a forbidden thing to desire the wife or the property of a neighbor, or to form plans to bring them into one's power. Especially was there need of these commandments because of the fact that under Jewish rule men-servants and maid-servants were not free, as now, to serve for wages at their own pleasure; in body and in all they had they were their master's property, the same as his cattle and other possessions. And every man had power publicly to dismiss his wife by giving her a writ of divorcement and to take another wife. So there was danger among them that, if a man cared for the wife of another, he might take occasion to put aside his own wife and estrange the other man's from him and secure her as his own. They considered such action no more a sin or disgrace than it is now for a master to dismiss his own servants or entice his neighbor's from him.

Therefore, I say, they rightfully interpreted the command (though it has a wider application) to mean that none should covet or purpose to obtain for himself another's property, whether wife or servants, whether house, fields, meadows or cattle, to the injury of his neighbor, though apparently by legitimate means and with a show of right. Above, the seventh commandment forbids us to appropriate or withhold the property of another when we have no right to do so. Here, again, we are forbidden to deprive our neighbor of anything of his own even when, in the eyes of the world, we could honorably do it, without accusation or blame for fraudulent dealing.

Such is human nature that no one of us desires the other to possess as much as himself, and each secures as much as he can, without regard to his neighbor's interests. Yet we want to be thought upright. We dress ourselves up to conceal our roguery. We seek and invent ingenious devices and clever frauds, such as are now daily contrived with cunning skill, under the guise of justice. We even boast of our roguery with arrogance, and want it called shrewdness and foresight instead of roguery. Herein jurists and lawyers assist. They distort and stretch the law, construing it to their purpose, disregarding justice and their neighbor's needs. And, briefly, he who is most astute and experienced in such art is best served by the law; for, as they say themselves: The law helps those that keep their eyes open (Vigilantibus jura subveniunt).

This last commandment, then, is not addressed to those whom even the world recognizes as knaves, but to the most righteous—to such as wish to be commended as honest and upright in not having offended against the preceding commandments. Of this class were the Jews especially, and in it today are found squires, lords and princes not a few. The common people belong to the relatively lower scale which the seventh commandment has in view; these do not mince questions of honor and right in acquiring property.

These deceptions are most frequent in legal actions brought for the purpose of separating our neighbor from his property and thus acquiring it ourselves; for example, when an inheritance or real estate becomes subject to litigation. Then anything that has the appearance of right is snatched at, decked and paraded in such a way as to gain the point, and a title to the property is secured which no one can call in question or dispute. Another example is that of a man who eagerly desires a castle, a town, an earldom, or other great estate, and practices all sorts of financiering through friendship and all possible means, until the property in question is taken from the owner and adjudicated to him, title and lawful possession being attested by the ruler with letters patent and princely seal.

The same practice obtains in ordinary commercial business. One adroitly appropriates beyond recovery that which belongs to another, or harasses and annoys him at every opportunity, until under necessity he cannot avoid debt or distress, and, unable to escape without damage, he finally loses half or more of his possessions. And yet it must not be considered that the property was acquired wrongfully, or stolen, but rather that it was honestly purchased. Hence the sayings, "First come, first served," and, "Let each look out for his own interest, and the others take what they can get." Who is ingenious enough to imagine all the various methods by which advantage may be taken under the appearance of fair dealing? The world does not consider such methods wrong and does not recognize that the neighbor is taken advantage of and compelled to sacrifice what he cannot spare without injury. Yet no one will admit having done harm, although it is evident that his methods and reasons are false.

Now, the same was practiced in ancient times also in regard to women. Men have ever had devices wherewith one who was pleased with another man's wife so managed—either himself or through another (for there were many contrivances)—that the husband was alienated from that wife or she herself opposed him and so conducted herself that he was obliged to renounce her and abandon her to the other man. Undoubtedly this was a common practice under the law among the Jews, for we read even in the Gospel (Mt 14, 3-4) that King Herod took his own brother's wife while the latter was still living, and yet desired to be regarded a good and upright man. So Saint Mark testifies in chapter 18, verse 19. Such examples, I trust, will not be found among us, because it is forbidden in the New Testament that those who are married shall separate; though it may occur that a man entices from another his betrothed who has a large dowry. But it is not at all uncommon among us that one deprives another of his man-servant or maid-servant by estranging them from him or enticing them with persuasive words.

However these things may be, we must remember that God would not have us deprive our neighbor of anything that is his, letting him suffer while we satisfy our greed, even though we may keep the property with honor in the sight of the world. It is an underhanded knavery, however disguised by legerdemain to escape publicity. For though you may go your way as if you had done no one a wrong, you have trespassed upon your neighbor's rights. And though your action be not called stealing and cheating, yet it is coveting your neighbor's property; it is desiring to deprive him of it against his will, and begrudging him what God gave him. Although the judge and everyone else must allow you possession, God will not, for he sees your wicked heart and the deceit of the world. Where an inch is given, the world will take a yard, and open injustice and violence result.

May, then, the ordinary understanding of the commandment abide with us: We are not to desire harm to our neighbor nor to aid in bringing it about; we are willingly to leave him in possession of what is his own and, further, to promote his property interests as we would have him do to us. Let us understand the commandment to be directed particularly against envy and wretched avarice, God's purpose being to remove the cause and source of our injuries to our neighbor. In plain words, therefore, he expresses it: "Thou shalt not covet," etc. For, above all, he would have our hearts pure, although so long as we live upon earth we shall not fully succeed in this. This commandment, then, like the others, remains our constant monitor and becomes the recorder of our righteousness before God.