40 Bible Verses on Covetousness: A Path to Contentment
40 Bible verses on Covet, about avoiding greed and learning to be content.
These verses can help us lead happier and simpler lives.
40 Bible Verses on Covet
1. Exodus 20:17
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house…”
Meaning – This commandment explicitly forbids coveting anything that belongs to others.
2. Deuteronomy 5:21
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife…”
Meaning- Similar to Exodus 20:17, it emphasizes not desiring what is not rightfully yours.
3. Romans 7:7
“I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, ‘Do not covet.'”
Meaning – Paul discusses how the law reveals the sinful nature of covetousness.
4. Hebrews 13:5
“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have…”
Meaning – Advises contentment and warns against the love of money, a form of covetousness.
5. Luke 12:15
“Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
Meaning- Jesus warns against greed, which is essentially covetousness.
6. Colossians 3:5
“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.”
Meaning – Labels greed (or covetousness) as idolatry.
7. Ephesians 5:3
“But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.”
Meaning- Greed, another form of covetousness, is deemed improper for believers.
8. 1 Timothy 6:10
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.”
Meaning – Describes the love of money, a form of covetousness, as a root of evil.
9. Psalm 119:36
“Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain.”
Meaning – A prayer to be guided away from covetous desires.
10. Proverbs 28:16
“A ruler with no understanding will oppress his people, but one who hates dishonest gain will have a long life.”
Meaning- Warns against the coveting of dishonest gain, especially by those in power.
11. 1 Corinthians 5:11
“But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy…”
Meaning – Instructs believers to avoid association with greedy, covetous individuals.
12. 1 Corinthians 6:10
“Nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”
Meaning- Lists the greedy, another word for covetous, among those who will not inherit God’s kingdom.
13. Isaiah 57:17
“Because of the greed of their unjust gain I was angry and struck them; I hid my face and was angry…”
Meaning – God expresses anger towards greed and unjust gain, forms of covetousness.
14. Jeremiah 6:13
“From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit.”
Meaning- Depicts a society where everyone, including religious leaders, is covetous.
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15. Ezekiel 33:31
“They come to you in the guise of seeking my advice; they sit in front of you as my people, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain.”
Meaning – Warns against those who pretend to seek God but are actually driven by covetousness.
16. Micah 2:2 –
“They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them. They defraud a man of his home, a fellowman of his inheritance.”
Meaning – Condemns the act of coveting and seizing property unjustly.
17. Habakkuk 2:9
– “Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain, setting his nest on high to escape the clutches of ruin!”
Meaning – Warns against building wealth through covetous and unjust means.
18. Proverbs 1:19
– “Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the life of those who get it.”
Meaning- Highlights the dangers of pursuing wealth through covetousness.
19. Proverbs 15:27
– “The greedy bring ruin to their households, but the one who hates bribes will live.”
Meaning- Suggests that greed and covetousness can destroy families.
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20. Proverbs 21:26
– “All day long he craves for more, but the righteous give without sparing.”
Meaning – Contrasts the covetous with the generous.
21. Proverbs 23:4
– “Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness.”
Meaning- Advises against exhausting oneself for wealth, implying a warning against covetousness.
22. Luke 8:14
– “The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.”
Meaning- Warns that the desire for riches can hinder spiritual growth.
23. Matthew 6:24
– “You cannot serve both God and money.”
Meaning- Jesus teaches that devotion to God is incompatible with covetousness for money.
24. Mark 4:19
– “But the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.”
Meaning- Suggests that the desire for wealth can obstruct spiritual understanding.
25. 1 Timothy 6:9 –
“Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.”
Meaning – Warns of the dangers and temptations associated with the desire to be rich.
26. 2 Peter 2:3
– “In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories.”
Meaning- Warns against false teachers motivated by greed and covetousness.
27. Proverbs 11:6
– “The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires.”
Meaning – Indicates that evil desires, including covetousness, lead to entrapment.
28. Proverbs 28:22
– “The stingy are eager to get rich and are unaware that poverty awaits them.”
Meaning- Warns that stinginess, a form of covetousness, can lead to poverty.
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29. Psalm 10:3
– “He boasts about the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord.”
Meaning- Describes the wicked as boasting in their greed.
30. James 4:2
– “You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight.”
Meaning- Links covetous desires to conflict and wrongdoing.
31. Proverbs 14:30
– “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.”
Meaning- Suggests that envy, a form of covetousness, can have harmful effects on oneself.
32. 1 Kings 21:2
– “Ahab said to Naboth, ‘Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth.'”
Meaning – Shows King Ahab’s covetous desire for Naboth’s vineyard.
33. Proverbs 12:12
– “The wicked desire the plunder of evil men, but the root of the righteous yields fruit.”
Meaning- Depicts the wicked as coveting the gains of others.
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34. Proverbs 28:25
– “The greedy stir up conflict, but those who trust in the Lord will prosper.”
Meaning- Suggests that greed, a form of covetousness, leads to conflict.
35. Ecclesiastes 5:10
– “Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.”
Meaning- Portrays the never-ending dissatisfaction that comes from covetousness for wealth.
36. Luke 12:21
– “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
Meaning- Jesus warns against storing up earthly wealth, implying the danger of covetousness.
37. Philippians 4:12
– “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation…”
Meaning- Paul speaks about contentment as the antidote to covetousness.
38. Proverbs 30:8-9
– “Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.”
Meaning- A prayer for contentment and a guard against the covetousness of both poverty and riches.
39. Ezekiel 34:18
– “Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet?”
Meaning- God’s rebuke to those who are not content with what they have and covet more.
40. Acts 20:33
– “I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.”
Meaning- Paul’s assertion of his lack of covetousness in his ministry.
These 40 verses from the Bible on Covet teach us a lot about how to avoid wanting too much and to be happy with what we have.
They tell us that being greedy isn’t good and show us how to enjoy a simple, happy life. Following these ideas can make our lives better and more peaceful.
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