Covet, Covetous, Covetousness

"to fix the desire upon" (epi, "upon," used intensively, thumos, "passion"), whether things good or bad; hence, "to long for, lust after, covet," is used with the meaning "to covet evilly" in Acts 20:33 , of "coveting money and apparel;" so in Romans 7:7; 13:9 . See DESIRE , FAIN , LUST.

is rendered "covet earnestly," in 1—Corinthians 12:31 , AV; RV, "desire earnestly," as in 1—Corinthians 14:39 (AV "covet"). See AFFECT , DESIRE , ENVY , JEALOUS , ZEALOUS.

"to stretch after," is rendered "covet after" in 1—Timothy 6:10 , AV; RV, "reaching after." See DESIRE , REACH.

"a luster after" (akin to A, No. 1), is translated in 1—Corinthians 10:6 , in verbal form, "should not lust after." See LUST.

denotes "coveting," Romans 7:7,8 , RV; AV, "lust" and "concupiscence;" the commandment here referred to convicted him of sinfulness in his desires for unlawful objects besides that of gain. See DESIRE , LUST.

"covetousness," lit., "a desire to have more" (pleon, "more," echo, "to have"), always in a bad sense, is used in a general way in Mark 7:22 (plural, lit., "covetings," i.e., various ways in which "covetousness" shows itself); Romans 1:29; Ephesians 5:3; 1—Thessalonians 2:5 . Elsewhere it is used, (a) of material possessions, Luke 12:15; 2—Peter 2:3; 2—Corinthians 9:5 (RV, "extortion"), lit., "as (a matter of) extortion" i.e., a gift which betrays the giver's unwillingness to bestow what is due; (b) of sensuality, Ephesians 4:19 , "greediness;" Colossians 3:5 (where it is called "idolatry"); 2—Peter 2:14 (AV, "covetous practices"). See EXTORTION.

lit., "(eager) to have more" (see B, No. 3), i.e., to have what belongs to others; hence, "greedy of gain, covetous," 1—Corinthians 5:10,11; 6:10; Ephesians 5:5 ("covetous man").

lit., "money-loving," is rendered "covetous" in the AV of Luke 16:14; 2—Timothy 3:2; RV, "lovers of money," the wider and due significance.

No. 2, with negative prefix, is translated "without covetousness" in Hebrews 13:5 , AV; RV, "free from the love of money." In 1—Timothy 3:3 , the AV has "not covetous," the RV, "no lover of money."