Catechism for Young Children · Question 101 of 145

What is the tenth commandment?

A.The tenth commandment is, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor’s.

What does this answer mean?

The tenth commandment is, 'Thou shalt not covet' anything that belongs to our neighbor. To covet is to want what belongs to someone else in a wrong way. This commandment looks at the desires of the heart. It shows that God cares about what we want as well as what we do.

What can we ask our children?

  1. What is the tenth commandment?
  2. What does 'covet' mean?
  3. Can someone break this commandment without anyone seeing?

Can I print this question?

Yes. Every printable here is free for home, church and co-op use. Press Print on any of these pages for a clean sheet.

Text: Catechism for Young Children: Being an Introduction to the Shorter Catechism, Presbyterian Board of Publication (copyright entered 1840). Public domain (1840).

Checked against a second edition on November 15, 2026. Explanation and questions by Household Theology Press. Last updated November 15, 2026.