Comments on: Bible-Based Morality? Commandments 7-10

By: Ray_Light

Ray_Light — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 23:28:24 +0000

4) “Do you have any idea what would happen to the U.S. economy if we stopped coveting those things we didn’t already have?”

First of all, the notion of “greed is good” presented here is a little frightening. Secondly, the Great Depression and the U.S. economy don’t really play into this argument. The tenth Commandment does not say we should never “like” or “buy” anything, it says we should not “covet” what belongs to someone else.

Coveting goes beyond simply admiring someone else’s possessions or thinking how much you would like to have what they do. Coveting means to envy the other person and resent the fact that they have what you don’t.

Some of the other Commandments speak against wrongful desires or actions that might hurt our “neighbor;” this one speaks against wrongful desires merely to gratify ”ourselves.” (Just to clarify, "wrongful" meaning “inordinate, immoderate, excessive, unrestrained, uncontrolled, not within proper or reasonable limits.”)

Final comment on next page >

By: Ray_Light

Ray_Light — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 23:22:57 +0000

Second, Onan was not killed for “refusing to impregnate his dead brother’s wife.” As this was already discussed during the second Commandment the information will be the same. The story of Onan has to do with the law explained in Deuteronomy 25:5-10 . The purpose of the law was to ensure that a childless widow would have a son to care for her and receive her late husband’s inheritance; without a child the widow would have no possessions, no home, etc. Because Tamar’s husband had no children, there was no family line for the inheritance and the blessing of the covenant to continue through. Onan was having sex with her, but because he did not want her to have children he would basically use the “pull out method” each time hence, “spilling his seed” or “wasting his seed on the ground.” That meant she would not have children, but also that he could keep having sex with her. While that may not be adultery, it does seem very close to rape or in the very least, sexually abusive.

By: Ray_Light

Ray_Light — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 02:28:42 +0000

"If anything, it’ll probably just stop people from marrying in the first place. Because – when you get right down to it – this Commandment seems to allow unmarried people to have sex with whoever they want, doesn’t it?"

The seventh Commandment says do not commit adultery, it is that simple, but time and again in these posts arguments are concocted around what is “not” said. While it seems clear that no real argument exists here perhaps we should spend a bit of time on it in case some may actually buy into it.

By: Ray_Light

Ray_Light — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 07:34:42 +0000

Paul sums up the second part of the Commandments (those that deal with our relationship with our fellow man) like this:

“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not covet,’ and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Loves does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” Romans 13:8-10

By: Ray_Light

Ray_Light — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:31:53 +0000

3) “Is it ok for your wife to covet your neighbor’s husband?”

It is not right to covet period. The fact that the wording is masculine does not mean that it only applies to men. This is just another awkward attempt to twist Biblical meaning around in the hopes of creating some sort of argument where there is none.

By: Ray_Light

Ray_Light — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:29:45 +0000

2) “Is coveting your neighbor’s manservant – a euphemism for “slave” – worse than your neighbor having a “manservant” in the first place?”

Although the most basic concept of a manservant (ebed in Hebrew) is a slave, slavery in the Bible was not the same as the slavery in modern times. The period of slavery was limited to six years (Exodus 21:2 ). Slaves had rights and protection under the Law (Exodus 21:20 ). It was also possible for slaves to attain positions of power and honor (Genesis 24:2 ; 41:12).

In addition, the people under the king were called his servants; as well as his officers, officials, ambassadors, vassal kings, and tributary nations. Ebed was also a humble way of referring to one’s self when speaking to another of equal or superior rank and, of course, to the worship of God and those who minister or serve Him. “The phrase ‘the servant of the Lord’ is the most outstanding reference to the Messiah in the Old Testament, and its teachings are concentrated at the end of Isaiah (42:1, 19; 43:10; 49:3, 5-7; 52:13; 53:11).”

By: Ray_Light

Ray_Light — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:28:40 +0000

To answer your questions:

1) “Is coveting your neighbor’s wife the moral equivalent of coveting his farm animals?”

The Bible does not say your neighbor’s wife is the equivalent of their farm animals. It says not to covet them, and coveting is coveting no matter what the object; hence “nor any thing that is thy neighbor’s (Exodus 20:17 ).”

By: Ray_Light

Ray_Light — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:27:49 +0000

The word “neighbor” is used in a few of the Commandments and also used in argument against them. So does “neighbor” really mean “no lying to other members of our tribe” as this post suggests? In most cases when the Bible uses the word “neighbor” it means more than just the folks next door. The Hebrew word “rea” basically means “another person.” That is a very broad range of people covering anyone from a lover (Hosea 3:1 ), a close friend (Job 2:11 ), an acquaintance (Proverbs 6:1 ), an adversary in court (Exodus 18:16 ), or an enemy in combat (2 Samuel 2:16 ). It is these “widely inclusive” meanings that make its use in the Ten Commandments so appropriate.

“Honor your father and mother; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 19:19

By: Ray_Light

Ray_Light — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:27:37 +0000

Here are a few texts reinforcing that same teaching. Note words other than “bear false witness” such as “defraud” and “deal falsely.”

“You shall not bear a false report; do not join your hand with a wicked man to be a malicious witness.” Exodus 23:1

“You shall not follow a multitude in doing evil, nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after a multitude in order to pervert justice;” Exodus 23:2

“Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent or the righteous, for I will not acquit the guilty.” Exodus 23:7

“You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another.” Leviticus 19:11

“You know the commandments, Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.” Mark 10:19

By: Ray_Light

Ray_Light — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:26:28 +0000

Again the Bible is said to say what it does not say because it does not say it… How does that make any sense? The ninth Commandment concerns both ours, and our neighbor's “good name.” It forbids speaking falsely on any matter, lying, equivocating, and/or conspiring to deceive our “neighbor.” Speaking unjustly to hurt his reputation, bearing false witness against him, slandering, backbiting, and tale-bearing him. Also, making what is already done worse than it is and/or trying to raise our reputation with the ruin of theirs. Think about how often you see those things happening every day.