King James Audio Bible
Ten Commandments | The Ninth Commandment: ‘Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbour’s Wife’
The ninth commandment, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, is interpreted as a commandment against adultery. It has a broader application to encompass any form of envy or coveting of a person’s spouse or sexual partner. It is an instruction for Christians in terms of their intimate relationships.
‘Adultery refers to marital infidelity. When two partners, of whom at least one is married, have sexual relations, they commit adultery.’ (CCC 2380)
‘Adultery is an injustice. He who commits adultery fails in his commitment.’ (CCC 2381)
The commandment is a call for Christians to respect the exclusive and committed relationships of others, rather than desiring to be in that relationship oneself. This can apply not only to marital relationships; also to any form of committed and exclusive romantic or sexual relationships.
The commandment is a call to respect other people’s personal and sexual space.
Pope Francis, in his exhortation Amoris Laetitia, states: ‘The ninth commandment reminds us of the gravity of sins of coveting and envy.’ He adds: ‘We are called to combat all forms of coveting, so as to cultivate a pure and simple heart, detached from everything and directed towards God.’
Christian Respect For Relationships
The commandment of not coveting thy neighbour’s wife is also linked with the commandment of loving our neighbour as ourselves (Mark 12:31). The Commandment calls on Christians to respect and honour the relationships of others, which is a fundamental part of loving our neighbours as ourselves.
In the context of today’s society, the ninth commandment can be applied in various situations, for example, in the workplace, friendships, social gatherings, and online interactions. It calls on Christians to refrain from engaging in behaviour that would violate the intimacy and commitment of others, such as flirting with someone who is in a committed relationship, or spreading rumours about someone’s relationship.
The commandment instructs Christians to respect and honour the relationships of others, including committing not to engage in any kind of adultery, but also to refrain from any behaviour that would violate the intimacy and commitment of others.
It’s a call for Christians to cultivate contentment and gratitude in their own lives, and to respect the boundaries and commitment of others. It’s also a call to love our neighbour as ourselves and treat others with respect, and as such, it is an important commandment that guides us in today’s society, in how we treat and relate with other people in our daily lives.
Is The Ninth Commandment Sexist?
The ninth commandment, ‘Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife,’ has been interpreted by some as being sexist because it only specifically references a man not coveting another man’s wife, rather than addressing both men and women equally.
Many interpret the commandment as a broader instruction against coveting any person’s sexual partner or spouse, regardless of the gender of the parties involved.
The Catechism states: ‘Adultery refers to marital infidelity. When two partners, of whom at least one is married to another party, have sexual relations—even transient ones—they commit adultery.’ (CCC 2380) This interpretation of the commandment applies to both men and women equally, and prohibits any form of infidelity or coveting in a marital or committed relationship.
It’s worth noting that the biblical context in which this commandment was written, the patriarchal society, wives and women in general, didn’t have the same rights, power or opportunities than men had. The commandment had to be phrased in a way that would be widely understood and accepted by the society of the time.
Does The Ninth Commandment Disrespect Women?
People have argued that the ninth commandment disrespects women because it speaks of a woman in terms of property, and implies that she is something to be possessed or coveted by a man.
Others say that the commandment is part of a larger set of Ten Commandments, which as a whole set is seen as a comprehensive guide for moral conduct, and addresses issues such as honouring one’s parents, not stealing or murder, and not bearing false witness.
It has been said that the commandment be read and interpreted in the light of the Gospel and the teachings of the Church and the entire tradition. The commandment are not laws, but rather teachings and guidance to develop a moral life, and in this sense, it should not be seen as disrespectful to women, but rather as a reminder for all people to respect and honour the relationships of others, and to cultivate contentment and gratitude in their own lives, and treat others with respect.
Additionally, interpreting the commandment in light of the teachings of the Church and the Gospel, it can be seen as a reminder to all people to respect the boundaries and commitment of others and to refrain from any behaviour that would violate the intimacy and commitment of others, it also calls for all people to cultivate contentment and gratitude in their own lives, and to treat others with respect and fairness.
Does The Commandment Prohibit Sexual Desire?
The commandment ‘Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife’ does not prohibit sexual desire in and of itself. Sexual desire is a natural and normal part of human experience. The commandment addresses the issue of coveting or desiring something that belongs to someone else, specifically in terms of their intimate relationships. It is not a prohibition on sexual desire but rather a commandment to respect the boundaries and commitment of others, not to cross them for personal gain or desire, and not to act on that desire in a way that would violate the intimacy and commitment of others.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: ‘Chastity means the successful integration of sexuality within the person and thus the inner unity of man in his bodily and spiritual being. Sexuality, in which man’s belonging to the bodily and biological world is expressed, becomes personal and truly human when it is integrated into the relationship of one person to another, in the complete and lifelong mutual gift of a man and a woman.’ (CCC 2337)
According to Christian teachings, sexual desire and activity are appropriate and good within the context of marriage and committed relationships, as long as these relationships are consensual and loving. However, sexual desire that leads to coveting or violating the commitment of others is not in line with the teachings of the faith and is sinful.
In today’s Bible verses, the confrontation continues between Jesus and the Jewish authorities, who now send Pharisees and Herodians, themselves mutually hostile, to seek to provoke and condemn Jesus [ … ]
Christian Art | Our Lord Jesus On The Cross | God The Father | God The Son Office Of Readings | Advent December 23rd | A Reading From The Treatise Of Saint Hippolytus Against The Heresy Of Noetus | The Hidden Sacrament Is Revealed ‘The hidden sacrament is revealed.’ In this reading, Saint Hippolytus writes against the Noetic heresy, which denied the real distinction between the Father and the Son by treating them as the same person acting under different names. The purpose of Saint Hippolytus is to defend the Church’s confession of one God who is not solitary, but who exists with his Word and Spirit. Hippolytus begins by setting a principle: knowledge of God comes from the Holy Scriptures, not from speculation or private reasoning. Faith is not shaped by human preference but by what God has chosen to reveal. The Father determines how He is believed, the Son how He is glorified, and the Spirit how He is received. This establishes Scripture as the rule of faith and guards against theological invention. Hippolytus then affirms that God existed alone before creation, with nothing co-eternal alongside Him. At the same time, God was not without reason, wisdom, or power. Hippolytus insists that plurality within God does not compromise divine unity. God contains within himself Word, wisdom, and counsel. Creation begins when God wills and manifests His Word. The Word is not created from nothing but proceeds from God and acts as the agent of creation. The Word is first invisible to the created world, though known to God. When God chooses, He makes the Word visible, described as ‘Light of Light’. This language safeguards both distinction and unity: the Word comes from God and reveals God, without being separate from Him. The manifestation of the Word is ordered towards salvation, so that the world may see and be saved. Hippolytus identifies this Word clearly with the Son of God. Through him all things were made, and he alone comes forth from the Father. The Law and the prophets belong to the same saving plan. God speaks through them by the Holy Spirit, so that they proclaim not their own ideas but the Father’s will. Revelation is therefore coherent: creation, prophecy, and incarnation belong to one divine purpose. Hippolytus appeals to the Gospel of John to show continuity between prophecy and fulfilment. The Word spoken of by the prophets is the Word made flesh. Though the world was made through him, it failed to recognise him. This failure does not negate God’s plan but reveals the depth of the mystery now disclosed. A Reading From The Treatise Of Saint Hippolytus Against The Heresy Of Noetus | The Hidden Sacrament Is Revealed There is, brethren, one God, the knowledge of whom we gain from the Holy Scriptures and from no other source. Whatever things the Holy Scriptures declare, at these let us look; and whatever they teach, let us learn it; and as the Father wills our belief to be, let us believe; and as he wills the Son to be glorified, let us glorify him; and as he wills the Holy Spirit to be bestowed, let us receive him. Not according to our own will, nor according to our own mind, nor yet storming by force the things which are given by God, but even as he has chosen to teach them by the Holy Scriptures, so let us discern them. God, subsisting alone, and having nothing coeval with himself, chose to create the world. And conceiving the world in mind, and willing and uttering the Word, he made it; and at once it appeared, formed it in the way he desired. For us it is sufficient simply to know that nothing was coeval with God. Outside him there was nothing; but he, while existing alone, yet existed in plurality. For he did not lack reason, or wisdom, or power, or counsel. All things were in him, and he was the All. At a time and in a manner chosen by him he made his Word manifest, and through his Word he made all things. He bears this Word in himself, as yet invisible to the created world. He makes him visible, uttering the voice first, and begetting him as Light of Light. He presents him to the world as its Lord; and whereas the Word was visible formerly to God alone, and invisible to the world which is made, God makes the Word visible in order that the world might see him and be able to be saved. This is the mind which came forth into the world and was manifested as the Son of God. All things came into being through him, and he alone comes from the Father. He gave us the Law and the prophets; and in giving them, he made them speak by the Holy Ghost, in order that, receiving the inspiration of the Father’s power, they might declare the Father’s counsel and will. Thus, then, was the Word made manifest, even as the blessed John says. For he sums up the things that were said by the prophets, and shows that this is the Word, by whom all things were made. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made by him, and without him nothing was made. And later, The world was made by him, and the world did not know him; he came to his own, and his own did not receive him. Christian Prayer With Jesus Lord God,You are one, and from You come the Word and the Spirit.You have chosen to make Yourself known, not by human effort,but by what You have revealed in the scriptures. You spoke Your Word, and all things were made.You made that Word visible, so that the world might see and be saved.Grant that we may receive what You give,believe what You teach,and worship You as You have shown Yourself to be. Keep us […]
The sermon begins with a triumphant proclamation: ‘Christ is risen! He has burst open the gates of hell and let the dead go free.’ This dramatic image immediately places the Resurrection within the context of the Harrowing of Hell, a traditional doctrine in early Christianity that sees Christ descending into the realm of the dead to liberate the righteous. The Resurrection is not limited to the physical body of Jesus—it triggers a universal release and upward movement: the dead rise, the Church is renewed through baptism, and the doors of heaven are opened [ … ]
