THE NINTH (TENTH) COMMANDMENT:¹ "Thou shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbor's

Goods."

"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods." There is this difference

between the divine and the human laws that human law judges only deeds and

words, whereas the divine law judges also thoughts. The reason is because

human laws are made by men who see things only exteriorly, but the divine

law is from God, who sees both external things and the very interior of

men. "Thou art the God of my heart."² And again: "Man seeth those things

that appear, but the Lord beholdeth the heart."³ Therefore, having

considered those Commandments which concern words and deeds, we now treat

of the Commandments about thoughts. For with God the intention is taken for

the deed, and thus the words, "Thou shalt not covet," mean to include not

only the taking by act, but also the intention to take. Therefore, it says:

"Thou shalt not even covet thy neighbor's goods." There are a number of

reasons for this.

The first reason for the Commandment is that man's desire has no limits,

because desire itself is boundless. But he who is wise will aim at some

particular end, for no one should have aimless desires: "A covetous man

shall not be satisfied with money."⁴ But the desires of man are never

satisfied, because the heart of man is made for God. Thus, says St.

Augustine: "Thou hast made us for Thee, O Lord, and our heart is restless

until it rests in Thee."⁵ Nothing, therefore, less than God can satisfy the

human heart: "Who satisfieth thy desire with good things."⁶

The second reason is that covetousness destroys peace of heart, which is

indeed highly delightful. The covetous man is ever solicitous to acquire

what he lacks, and to hold that which he has: "The fullness of the rich

will not suffer him to sleep."⁷ "For where thy treasure is, there is thy

heart also."⁸ It was for this, says St. Gregory, that Christ compared

riches to thorns.⁹

Thirdly, covetousness in a man of wealth renders his riches useless both to

himself and to others, because he desires only to hold on to them: "Riches

are not comely for a covetous man and a niggard."¹⁰ The fourth reason is

that it destroys the equality of justice: "Neither shalt thou take bribes,

which even blind the wise, and pervert the words of the just."¹¹ And again:

"He that loveth gold shall not be justified."¹² The fifth reason is that it

destroys the love of God and neighbor, for says St. Augustine: "The more

one loves, the less one covets," and also the more one covets, the less one

loves. "Nor despise thy dear brother for the sake of gold."¹³ And just as

"No man can serve two masters," so neither can he serve "God and mammon."¹⁴

Finally, covetousness produces all kinds of wickedness. It is "the root of

all evil," says St. Paul, and when this root is implanted in the heart it

brings forth murder and theft and all kinds of evil. "They that will become

rich, fall into temptation, and into the snare of the devil, and into many

unprofitable and hurtful desires which drown men in destruction and

perdition. For the desire of money is the root of all evil."¹⁵ And note,

furthermore, that covetousness is a mortal sin when one covets one's

neighbor's goods without reason; and even if there be a reason, it is a

venial sin.¹⁶