What is the difference between the sixth and the ninth commandments of the Ten Commandments?

Question

the sixth commandment:
You shall not commit adultery.

the ninth commandment:
You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.

Answer 1

adultery deals with lust
covet is talking about greed

It is not about actions and thoughts...it is two different things completely! When God commanded "You shall not commit adultery.", he meant in your mind, in your heart, AND in the physical sense.
When he said "You shall not covet you neighbor's house, wife, etc..." He meant for us not to wish to have what someone else has; to feel envious, or resentful. He wants us to realize he can supply what we need.

2 very different commandments!

Answer 2

The 6th deals with respecting your own marriage, while the 9th deals with respecting someone else's.

Basically, a bachelor CANNOT break the 6th commandment because he has no wife, but he CAN break the 9th.

On the other hand, a husband can break one of them and/or both of them.

For example he could instantly break both commandments by cheating on his wife with his neighbor's. However, a husband would only break the 9th if he yearned for his neighbor's wife while refusing to cheat on his own. Likewise, he could break the 6th by sleeping with a bachelorette but that wouldn't break the 9th.

Answer 3

The sixth commandment prohibits one from actually doing it. It not only defiles your body, as God's created wonder, but it also defiles the body of the other person. The ninth commandment warns one not to desire for the other man's wife (or husband). It defiles your mind that is supposed to be the seat of your will and intelligence - created to glorify God and minister His creation.

Answer 4

6 = action
9 = feeling

To commit adultery is an act. You can't commit adultery without something happening between two people.

To covet your neighbor's wife is a feeling. It's lustful thoughts towards someone who is bound to another.

Answer 5

They appear to be very similair but there are difference.

The sixth commandment is, thou shalt not do adultery, that is to say, thou shalt not have fleshly company with another man's wife. In this commandment it is forbidden and defended all manner sin of the flesh which is called generally lechery, which is a right foul sin and villainous. How be it that there is some branch of it that is not deadly sin, as oft movings of the flesh that may not be eschewed, which men ought to restrain and refrain as much as they may. And this cometh oft times by outrageous drinking and eating, or by evil thought, or foul touching, for in such things may be great peril. And in this commandment is defended all sin against nature, in what manner it be done in his person or other.


The ninth commandment is that thou shalt not desire the wife of thy neighbour, nor shalt not covet her in thine heart, that is to say, thou shalt not consent to sin with her with thy body. This commandment defendeth to desire to have company with all manner women out of marriage, and the evil signs that be without forth make men for to draw them to sin, as the evil words of such matter, or the foul and evil attouching, kissing, handling and such other. And the difference between this commandment and the sixth aforesaid is that, the sixth commandment forbiddeth the deed without forth, and this forbiddeth the consenting within forth; for the consenting within forth to have company with a woman that is not his by marriage is deadly sin, after the sentence of the gospel that saith: Who that seeth a woman and coveteth her in his heart, he hath now sinned in his heart and deadly. This is to understand of the consenting expressed in his thought.

Answer 6

The two are clearly different. The 6th for Catholics (or 7th if you are Jewish, Orthodox or Protestant) is about breaking the bond of marriage.

The 9th (or 10th for Jews, Orthodox or Protestants) is condemning coveting the belongings or relationships that belong to others.

Answer 7

9th Commandment

Answer 8

read all of the ninth---don't covet anything that is your neighbor's, not his wife, house, car, money, boat, family, job, dog, golf clubs, football trophies and so on

Answer 9

The second is more of a thought police thing. Of course, you can't really prevent yourself from wanting something, so this commandment is even more unrealistic than the rest.

The purpose of rules in religion is not to keep people from doing them. It's to keep the converts feeling guilty more so they fill the pews and empty their pockets.

Answer 10

The sixth says you won't "Do" her.

The ninth only says that you won't think about "Doing" her.