Westminster Shorter Catechism · Question 79 of 107
Which 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 manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s.
Which Bible passages support this answer?
The Westminster Assembly attached these Scripture proofs to answer 79. Read them together and ask what each one shows about the answer.
- Exodus 20:17
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that belongs to your neighbor.” (NET)
What does this answer mean?
The tenth commandment is 'Thou shalt not covet' anything that is our neighbor's: house, wife, servants, animals, or anything else. To covet is to want what belongs to someone else in a wrong way. This commandment looks into the heart.
What can we ask our children?
- Can you say the tenth commandment?
- What does it mean to covet?
- Can someone break this commandment without anyone else knowing?
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.
- Memory card for question 79 (fold-over card, question on the front)
- Copywork page for question 79 (trace, then copy)
- Memory cards for questions 71 to 80
- Copywork for questions 71 to 80
- All Westminster Shorter Catechism printables
Text: The Shorter Catechism, constitutional text of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Public domain (1647). Proof references: Scripture proofs added by the Westminster Assembly, as transcribed by The Westminster Standard. Scripture quotations are from the NET Bible; see permissions.
Checked against a second edition on November 15, 2026. Explanation and questions by Household Theology Press. Last updated November 15, 2026.