15 Bible Verses About Covetousness
"St. John distinguishes three kinds of covetousness or concupiscence: covetousness of the flesh, covetousness of the eyes, and pride of life" (No. 2514 of the ). Covetousness constitutes a .
Discover with Hozana these 15 passages and about covetousness.
15 Biblical Passages About Covetousness
"They gave in to their craving in the wilderness; there they put God to the test." (Psalm 106:14, note: French uses Ps. 105:14, equivalent to Ps. 106:14 in NIV)
"The fascination of wickedness obscures what is good, and roving desire perverts the innocent mind." (Wisdom 4:12, note: Deuterocanonical book, not in NIV)
"Daniel ordered him to be removed, and had the other one brought in. He said to him, 'You offspring of Canaan and not of Judah, beauty has seduced you and lust has perverted your heart!'" (Daniel 13:56, note: Deuterocanonical book, not in NIV)
"But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." ( 5:28)
"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." ( 4:19)
"Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another." (Romans 1:24)
"Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires." (Romans 6:12)
"What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, 'You shall not covet.'" (Romans 7:7)
"Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh." (Romans 13:14)
"Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." ( 5:24)
"All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath." (Ephesians 2:3)
"At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another." (Titus 3:3)
"Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God." (1 Peter 4:1-2)
"If this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings;" (2 Peter 2:9-10, note: NIV verse 10 continues the sentence but the French text stops at "Gloires")
"For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world." (1 John 2:16)
With Hozana, Let Us Not Fall into Covetousness!
With Hozana, to avoid falling into covetousness, let us learn to love truly in a chaste and selfless way.
To do this, you can join these prayer proposals:
Ask the Virgin Mary for purity with this with Mary.
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Other Questions About Covetousness in the Bible
What is covetousness of the flesh according to the Bible?
The "flesh" refers not only to the physical body but also to the human soul. Covetousness of the flesh encompasses cravings that arise and drive us toward consumption or the desire to possess things or people—opposed to spiritual desires (which may manifest in the flesh but originate from God and are deeply rooted within us).
How to overcome covetousness according to the Bible?
Overcoming covetousness requires a daily commitment to redirect our focus toward God and eternal goods. It involves small, everyday conversions that turn our hearts and desires toward Him: "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires" (Ephesians 4:22). With the Holy Spirit's help, we can begin this work by identifying what fuels our covetousness and adopting new habits.
What are the dangers of covetousness?
The primary danger is that covetousness leads us into sin and distances us from God—the only true source of peace and joy. Seeking to quench our thirst through fleeting pleasures leaves us unsatisfied and fails to fulfill the deepest longing within each of us: to love and be loved. As James warns:
"When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death" (James 1:13–15).
