Q81. What does the tenth commandment forbid?
The tenth commandment forbids being unhappy with what we have, being jealous of what others have, and wanting things that belong to someone else.
Scripture Proofs — King James Version
1 Kings 21:4
“And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.”
Esther 5:13
“Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”
1 Corinthians 10:10
“Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.”
Galatians 5:26
“Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.”
James 3:14, 16
“But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. … For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.”
Romans 7:7–8
“What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.”
Romans 13:9
“For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”
Deuteronomy 5:21
“Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour's.”
Parent Guide
Discuss this question together
Discussion Questions
- 1
What three things does the tenth commandment forbid?
- 2
Why do you think God cares about jealousy, since no one else can see it?
- 3
What is one thing you tend to feel jealous about, and what could you say to God when that feeling comes?
Illustration
Jealousy is like holding a hot potato. Nobody else might see it in your hand, but it still burns you. Being jealous of a friend’s new bike does not hurt your friend at all, but it makes you miserable and ungrateful for what you already have.
Application
Because God sees your heart and wants to free you from jealousy, talk to him honestly when that feeling shows up. You do not have to pretend it is not there. Just say, "God, I feel jealous right now. Help me trust that you give me what I need."