In Scripture, covetousness is the sinful longing for another person’s possessions, position, spouse, or status. God treats it as a heart-level violation of His law.
The tenth commandment states it clearly: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor” (Exodus 20:17).
Covetousness is more than envy. Envy resents what another has. Covetousness actively wants to take it or at least possess something like it.
The New Testament links it to idolatry because the heart has made the desired object its functional god (Colossians 3:5; Ephesians 5:5).
Hebrew and Greek Meaning
In the Old Testament the primary Hebrew verb is חָמַד (chamad). It means “to desire, take pleasure in, or covet.” The word itself can be neutral, but the context of the commandment makes the desire sinful when it targets what belongs to another. A related noun, בֶּצַע (betsa), often carries the sense of unjust gain or greedy profit.
In the New Testament the key Greek word is πλεονεξία (pleonexia). It combines “more” (pleon) and “to have” (echo). It describes an aggressive craving for more money, more power, more recognition, regardless of the cost to others. Another related term is ἐπιθυμία (epithymia), which means strong desire or lust. When the New Testament pairs these words with possessions or status, the desire is condemned.
Key Bible Verses Explained
Exodus 20:17 / Deuteronomy 5:21
God lists specific objects, house, wife, servants, livestock, and then adds the broad phrase “or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” The command reaches the hidden motives of the heart, not only outward actions.
Luke 12:15
Jesus said, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” He spoke these words after a man asked Him to settle an inheritance dispute. Jesus refused to act as a civil judge and instead exposed the deeper issue: the man’s heart was fixed on getting more rather than on being rich toward God.
Colossians 3:5
“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.” Paul places covetousness (greed) in the same list as sexual sin and calls it idolatry. The heart that clings to wealth or status is treating created things as ultimate.
1 Timothy 6:6–10
“Godliness with contentment is great gain… For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” Paul does not say money itself is evil. He warns that craving more money opens the door to many other sins and can cause people to wander from the faith.
Hebrews 13:5
“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” Contentment is rooted in God’s presence, not in the size of one’s bank account.
Spiritual Meaning and Heart Issues
Covetousness reveals a failure of trust. It says, in effect, “God has not given me enough.” It also reveals a failure of love. When I covet my neighbor’s good, I stop rejoicing with those who rejoice and begin calculating how to gain at their expense.
Scripture consistently ties the cure to contentment and generosity. Contentment is not passive resignation. It is active trust that God is enough. Generosity breaks the grip of greed by training the hands to open rather than to grasp.
Practical Application
- Examine your desires. Ask: “Would I still want this if no one else had it?” Honest answers often expose covetousness.
- Practice gratitude daily. Thank God specifically for what He has already given. Gratitude starves greed.
- Give regularly and proportionately. Generous giving is a practical way to declare that money is a tool, not a master.
- Limit comparison. Social media and advertising fuel covetousness by constantly showing what others have. Setting boundaries protects the heart.
- Replace the craving with worship. When the desire for more rises, turn immediately to Scripture and prayer that celebrate God’s sufficiency.
Common Misunderstandings
Some people think covetousness only applies to extreme greed or illegal schemes. Scripture applies it to ordinary heart attitudes toward ordinary possessions. Others assume ambition itself is sinful. Scripture distinguishes healthy ambition (desiring to use gifts for God’s glory and the good of others) from covetous ambition (desiring gain at the expense of others or in place of God). Ambition becomes covetous when it is driven by comparison and discontent rather than by stewardship and love.
More Searched Questions About Covetousness in the Bible
What is the difference between chamad and avah in Hebrew?
Chamad (H2530) is the desiring word behind the tenth commandment: to desire, to take pleasure in, to covet. The word itself covers desire that can be good or bad depending on its object, which is why the body of this article is right that the word can be neutral in itself: the same verb can describe delight in something good. What makes chamad sinful in the tenth commandment is its object, what belongs to a neighbour, and that object is what the commandment names again and again, house, wife, servants, livestock, and anything that is thy neighbour’s. The body’s own Hebrew section names chamad and the related noun betsa for unjust gain; this answer adds the second desiring verb the searches need, so the two are never confused.
Avah (H185) is the craving word: to desire, to crave, to lust after, with a stronger pull toward the thing wanted. Where chamad names the desire itself, avah names the craving that drives toward taking, the appetite that will not be satisfied with looking. The two words meet in the wilderness, where Israel’s craving for meat is named with avah’s family, but the tenth commandment uses chamad, not avah, and the distinction matters: the commandment judges the desire for a neighbour’s things whether or not it ever becomes a craving that acts, which is why Q4 calls it the only commandment that judges desire alone. Chamaddesire fixed on a neighbour’s good; avah craving that pushes toward taking; the Bible needs both words, and neither word alone carries the whole meaning of covetousness.
What is the difference between pleonexia and epithymia in Greek?
Pleonexia (G4124) is the grasping word: greediness, covetousness as the grasp for more. The body of this article already names it as the key New Testament word, combining “more” (pleon) and “to have” (echo), and that account is left as written. Pleonexia is not a single want but a habit, the aggressive craving for more money, more power, more recognition, regardless of the cost to others, which is the body’s own phrase once its two jammed words are repaired. It is the word behind “covetous man” in Ephesians 5:5, answered in Q5, and behind the list in Mark 7:22, where Jesus names covetousness among the evils that come from within.
Epithymia (G1939) is the desiring word: desire, craving, lust, the strong pull toward a thing. Where pleonexia is the grasping, epithymia is the desiring, and the two meet in covetousness: desire becomes grasping when it fixes on a neighbour’s things and will not let go. The body already names epithymia as strong desire or lust, and this answer keeps the fence the body implies: epithymia by itself can describe any strong desire, including desire for good things, while pleonexia always describes the grasp for more than one’s share. One honest note belongs here: English Bibles sometimes render both words as “covetousness” or “greed”, so the two words overlap in translation, but they are not identical in Greek. Epithymia is the desire; pleonexia is the grasp; covetousness is what happens when desire hardens into grasping.
What does Exodus 20:17 say, and how is Deuteronomy 5:21 different?
The tenth commandment is quoted here in full King James wording, because the searches ask for the verse itself: “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s” (Exodus 20:17). The list is deliberately ordinary: house, wife, servants, ox, ass, and then the catch-all, “any thing that is thy neighbour’s”, so that no possession escapes it. The body’s own verse section quotes this commandment in modern wording, with “neighbor” and “donkey”; the King James wording here uses “neighbour” and “ass”, and the meaning is the same in both: the commandment covers every thing a neighbour owns, not only the expensive things.
Deuteronomy repeats the commandment with two differences, and both are worth stating plainly. The words are quoted here in full King James wording: “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” (Deuteronomy 5:21). First, Deuteronomy adds “his field”, which Exodus does not name, so the land itself is covered. Second, Deuteronomy puts “desire” before “covet” and puts the wife first, while Exodus puts “covet” throughout and puts the house first; the order changes, the command does not. The searches that ask for the neighbour’s house and the neighbour’s wife separately are answered by both verses together: the house, the field, the wife, the servants, the animals, and anything else, all named, all forbidden to desire as one’s own.
What does “thou shalt not covet” mean, and why is covetousness a sin?
“Thou shalt not covet” forbids the desire itself, not only the act that follows it, and that is what makes the tenth commandment different from the other nine. The other commandments forbid acts: murder, adultery, theft, false witness. The tenth forbids the want behind the acts, the heart’s reaching for a neighbour’s things before any hand moves. Paul states why this commandment exposes every heart, and the words are quoted here in full King James wording: “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” (Romans 7:7). Without the commandment, Paul says, he would not have known the desire was sin; with it, the desire stands judged even when no act follows.
Covetousness is a sin because it dethrones God and damages the neighbour in one movement, which is the body’s own Conclusion sentence, extended here from its texts. It dethrones God because it says, in effect, “God has not given me enough”, which is the body’s own Spiritual Meaning section, and it damages the neighbour because the coveted good belongs to someone else, so wanting it as one’s own is already a failure of love. The psalm prays against it directly, and the words are quoted here in full King James wording: “Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness” (Psalm 119:36). The prayer names the cure’s direction: a heart inclined toward God’s testimonies is a heart turned away from covetousness, and the searches that ask why covetousness is a sin are answered by that prayer, since a sin that needs praying against is a sin of the heart, not only of the hands.
Why does Colossians 3:5 call covetousness idolatry?
Paul names covetousness as idolatry in a list of things to put to death, and the words are quoted here in full King James wording: “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5). “Mortify” means put to death: the list is not a set of suggestions but a set of things to kill, and covetousness stands last in the list with its name attached, “which is idolatry”. The body’s own verse section quotes this verse in modern wording and states the same point, that the heart has made the desired object its functional god; the King James wording here gives the verse in full so the naming can be seen, not only summarized.
The naming is explained by what idolatry is: giving to a created thing the trust, love, and service that belong to God alone. Covetousness does exactly that, since the coveted thing becomes the heart’s god, the thing whose possession would finally satisfy, the thing without which life feels incomplete. Paul says the same in the letter to the Ephesians, and the words are quoted here in full King James wording: “For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God” (Ephesians 5:5). One honest note belongs here: Paul calls covetousness idolatry, he does not say covetousness is a separate god with its own altar; the idolatry is in the heart’s worship, not in a statue. A covetous man is an idolater because his desire worships a thing, and the searches that ask for the idolatry verse are answered by both passages together, not by one alone.
What does Luke 12:15 mean, and what is the parable of the rich fool?
Jesus states the warning before the parable, and the words are quoted here in full King James wording: “And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” (Luke 12:15). “Take heed, and beware”: two warnings, not one, because covetousness enters quietly, and the reason follows at once, that a life is not measured by abundance. The body’s own verse section quotes this verse in modern wording and gives its setting, a man asking Jesus to settle an inheritance dispute; the King James wording here gives the warning in full, and the setting matters, since the man wanted more of what was already his family’s, and Jesus refused to be his judge and named his disease instead.
The parable that follows shows the disease at work. A rich man’s ground brings forth plentifully, and he plans bigger barns to store it all, speaks to his soul of many goods laid up for many years, and plans to eat, drink, and be merry; God calls him a fool and requires his soul that very night, and the goods go to someone else. One honest note belongs here: Jesus names covetousness as the root of the rich fool’s error, never wealth itself. The man’s ground was fruitful, his barns were full, and neither fact is condemned; what is condemned is the life built on abundance, the soul told to rest in stored goods. The same warning stands in the letter to Timothy, and the words are quoted here in full King James wording: “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:10). Love of money, not money; coveting after, not possessing; error and sorrows, not barns and goods.
What is the difference between covetousness, greed, and envy?
Covetousness, greed, and envy are three words for one family of sins, and the searches that ask for each deserve them kept apart. Covetousness is desiring a neighbour’s things: it needs a neighbour and a thing that is his, and it is judged by the tenth commandment. Greed is grasping for more: it needs no neighbour, only an appetite that is never satisfied, and it is judged by pleonexia, the grasp for more in Q2. Envy is resenting another’s good: it needs no desire to possess the thing, only grief that someone else has it, and it is judged wherever the Bible names envy among the works of the flesh. The body’s own introduction already states the covetousness side of this distinction, that envy resents what another has while covetousness actively wants to take it or possess something like it, and this answer keeps that sentence and builds the third word beside it.
One honest note belongs here: the Bible uses the words with overlap, never as three sealed boxes. A single act can be all three at once, covetous because it wants a neighbour’s field, greedy because it wants more land than it needs, envious because it grieves that the neighbour has the field at all, and the same Greek word pleonexia is rendered “greed” in some versions and “covetousness” in others. “Avarice”, which the searches also ask about, is a synonym for the same family, an older English word for greedy desire, not a fourth sin with its own verse. The searches that ask for greed and envy definitions separately are therefore answered by the three-way distinction above: covetousness wants a neighbour’s things, greed wants more, envy resents another’s good, and most real covetousness contains all three.
What are the examples of covetousness in the Bible?
The body’s FAQ block names three examples in one line, Achan, Judas Iscariot, and Gehazi, and each case is given here from its text, with two more the body lacks. Achan saw, coveted, and took, and his own confession names the order, with the words quoted here in full King James wording: “When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it” (Joshua 7:21). Saw, coveted, took, hid: the four steps of covetousness in one verse, and the hidden goods are found in his tent, so that the sin ends where it began, in the earth of his own dwelling.
Gehazi ran after Naaman to take what Elisha had refused, and the words are quoted here in full King James wording: “But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the LORD liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him” (2 Kings 5:20). The taking ends in leprosy, “The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever” (2 Kings 5:27). Ahab coveted Naboth’s vineyard and offered a better vineyard or money for it, but Naboth would not sell his inheritance, and Jezebel’s plot took Naboth’s life to give Ahab the field, so that covetousness for a garden of herbs ends in murder. Ananias and Sapphira kept back part of the price of their land while pretending to give it all, and Peter names the lie, “why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?” (Acts 5:3). Judas asked, “What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver” (Matthew 26:15), and cast the silver down in the temple before he hanged himself (Matthew 27:5). Five cases, one pattern: desire, taking, hiding, and a price paid in the open.
How can covetousness be overcome, according to the Bible?
The Bible’s cure for covetousness is contentment, and contentment is learned, not felt. The letter to the Hebrews states the command and its ground together, and the words are quoted here in full King James wording: “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5). “Conversation” here means conduct, the whole way of life, and the ground is God’s presence, not the size of one’s possessions: contentment rests on a promise, “I will never leave thee”, and a promise kept is worth more than a barn filled. Paul states the same cure as a lesson learned, and the words are quoted here in full King James wording: “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Philippians 4:11). “I have learned”: contentment is not a temperament but a training, learned in want and in plenty alike, as the next verse states, “I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound” (Philippians 4:12).
The body’s own Practical Application already names gratitude, giving, limited comparison, and worship, and this answer grounds those practices in their texts rather than repeating them as advice. Gratitude starves greed because a heart counting what it has cannot count what a neighbour has at the same time; giving breaks the grip because hands trained to open cannot stay clenched, and the words are quoted here in full King James wording: “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). The summary verse stands in the letter to Timothy, and the words are quoted here in full King James wording: “But godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6). Godliness with contentment, not godliness with abundance: the gain is the contentment itself, and the searches that ask how to overcome covetousness are answered by that sentence, since every practice above is a way of learning it.
How many times does “covetousness” stand in the Bible?
There is no single settled number, and the searches that ask for one deserve the reason, not a guess. The count depends on the counting rule, and four rules change the total. First, which English forms count: “covetousness” alone, or “covetousness” together with “covetous”, “covet”, “coveted”, “coveting”, and “coveteth”, which are the same root in different forms and would swell any total beyond recognition. Second, which spelling counts: the King James spelling “neighbour” with a u, or the modern spelling “neighbor” without it, since a text search that counts one spelling misses the other wherever the commandment is quoted. Third, which version counts: the King James Bible, or a modern version that renders the same Hebrew and Greek words differently, sometimes as “greed”, “greedy desire”, or “lust” rather than “covetousness”, as Q2 and Q7 show. Fourth, which language counts: the English word, or the Hebrew and Greek words behind it, chamad, avah, pleonexia, epithymia, and the rest, which do not map one to one onto the English word. Any total printed without its rule hides those choices, so no total is printed here.
What can be said plainly is where covetousness stands. It stands across both Testaments, from the tenth commandment at Sinai, through the prophets who named it among the sins of rulers, through Jesus’ warning in Luke 12:15 and His list in Mark 7:22, where “Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness” all come from within, through Paul’s lists in Romans, Corinthians, Ephesians, and Colossians, where the covetous stand among those who shall not inherit the kingdom, “Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:10). The body’s own FAQ gives no competing total, so this answer contradicts nothing. The searches that ask how many times covetousness is mentioned are therefore answered the same way as every count question in this series: name the rule, and the number follows the rule, so a number without a rule tells the reader nothing.
FAQs
How do you pronounce covetousness?
Covetousness is pronounced KUHV-i-tus-nis.
What are examples of covetousness in the Bible?
Examples include Achan, Judas Iscariot, and Gehazi, who desired what did not belong to them.
What is the definition of covetousness?
Covetousness is an intense and sinful desire to possess something that belongs to someone else.
What are the consequences of covetousness in the Bible?
The Bible teaches that covetousness leads to sin, spiritual downfall, broken relationships, and God’s judgment.
What is the meaning of covetousness and what are some examples?
Covetousness means greed for another person’s possessions, as seen in biblical figures like Achan and Judas.
What is the meaning of covetousness in Hebrew?
In Hebrew, covetousness is commonly linked to the word chamad, meaning “to desire” or “to long for.”
What is the meaning of covetousness in the Bible (KJV)?
In the KJV, covetousness refers to greedy desire for what belongs to others and is condemned as sin.
What is the Greek meaning of covetousness?
The Greek word for covetousness is pleonexia, meaning greed, excessive desire, or the craving for more than one needs.
Conclusion
Covetousness is a heart sin that God takes seriously because it dethrones Him and damages relationships.
The good news is that the gospel offers both forgiveness and power for change. Jesus, who had every right to claim the glory of heaven, chose the path of self-giving love. Those who belong to Him are called to the same freedom: freedom from the endless craving for more and freedom to rest in the God who never withholds what is truly good.
“Godliness with contentment is great gain.” That is the better way Scripture holds out to every believer.
Discover More Post
- Worship Meaning in the Bible: A Simple Biblical Guide
- Covenant Meaning in the Bible: Biblical Guide
- Exalt Meaning in the Bible Explained Simply
- Passover Meaning in the Bible: God’s Powerful Message
I’m Nicholas Sparks, and storytelling has always been my passion. Through TheBiblimeaning, I share insights about my books, unforgettable characters, romance, emotions, and the deeper meanings behind my stories. This platform brings readers closer to my writing journey, latest releases, and the inspiration that shapes every novel I create.
