what does the 7th commandment mean?

“You shall not steal,” is another simple, straightforward commandment we’ve all heard before. It’s the
same kind of universal law as “Do not murder” and “Do not commit adultery” — of course we know do
not steal.

But then, like we’ve been finding with this second table of the Ten Commandments, each of these
commandments look simply — but they’re like the little stray thread on your jacket that when you start
to pull it, it just keeps going and going.

In their broader, fuller, and truest sense each of these commandments are rooted in foundational truths
that create all kinds of implications for how we live, and by that they envision the best possibilities for
humanity, and by that they display the wisdom of God.

God is wise in how he tells us to live, and that’s especially the case in the eighth commandment: “You
shall not steal.”

And this morning we’re going to look at five things the Bible teaches us in relation to this
commandment, and since there are five things, the outline of the sermon is sort of like a play: there are
five different acts that I want us to see. Each of these five acts are connected and tied together, and as a
whole they give us a vision for how to think about our relationship to goods and wealth. Because that’s
the main theme of the eighth commandment.

https://www.citieschurch.com/sermons/you-shall-not-steal

What Are the Effects of Stealing on Society?

Stealing from businesses and homes negatively affects society on many social and economic levels.
Businesses raise prices and increase security. Taxes may increase for everyone. There is an added
burden on police and courts, and people become distrustful, fearful and isolated as local crime levels
rise.

Businesses deal with the threat of stealing from both shoplifters and employees. When a business loses
a significant amount of revenue to crime, it is forced to increase prices to offset the loss. The
implementation of security cameras, metal detectors and guards is meant to reduce theft.

A loss of tax revenue due to stealing can mean taxes are higher for everyone. In addition, both customer
and employee morale can be negatively impacted by a chronic shoplifting problem. Prevailing paranoia
can impact business. People can be unfairly suspected to be thieves based on race, age or appearance.
This problem can persist in individual stores and in society at large.
Robbery and home invasion causes a similar increase in security measures. It can drive property values
down when a neighborhood gains a reputation for high crime levels. The atmosphere of fear affects
relationships among neighbors, and families become more isolated.

Local police and courts also become bogged down with cases of petty theft, which can impact their
ability to prevent and prosecute more serious crimes.

https://www.reference.com/world-view/effects-stealing-society-6b8d4bdfea4e9127

What does 10th commandment mean?

“Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods.”

The Tenth Commandment forbids the wanting or taking of someone else’s property. Along with the
Seventh Commandment, this commandment condemns theft and the feelings of envy, greed, and
jealousy in reaction to what other people have.

https://www.dummies.com/article/body-mind-spirit/religion-spirituality/christianity/catholicism/
catholicism-and-the-ten-commandments-192630/

Catholic teaching on the prohibition of greed and envy center around Christ's admonishments to desire
and store up treasure in Heaven rather than on Earth, "For where your treasure is, there'll your heart be
also. The tenth commandment is regarded as completing and unfolding the ninth. The tenth
commandment forbids coveting the goods of another, as the root of the stealing and fraud forbidden by
the commandment, "You shan't steal.

Covetous desires create disorder because they move beyond satisfying basic human needs and "exceed
the limits of reason and drive us to covet unjustly what is not ours and belongs to another or is owed to
him.

Envy is a capital sin that includes sadness at the sight of another's goods and the immoderate desire to
acquire them for oneself. The baptized person should resist envy by practicing good will and rejoicing
and praising God for material blessings granted to neighbor and brother.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thou_shalt_not_covet#:~:text=%22You%20shan't%20covet
%22,banished%20from%20the%20human%20heart.

What does covet mean?

If you covet something, you eagerly desire something that someone else has. If it's 95 degrees out and
humid, you may find yourself coveting your neighbor's air conditioner.

If the word covet sounds familiar, you're thinking of the Tenth Commandment: "Thou shalt not covet thy
neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor
his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor's." Basically, this means you should be happy with
your electronic gadgets and not be jealous when a friend gets something better.

https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/covet