The Bible Doesn't Say That: 40 Biblical Mistranslations, Misconceptions, and Other Misunderstandings

by Joel M. Hoffman

Even these clear and direct statements are not beyond the reach of revisionism. The clearest case is the commandment variously numbered 9, or 9 and 10: “Do not covet.” The Hebrew verb there (chamad) does not actually mean “covet” but rather means “take.” However, a related verb, nechmad—which shares the Hebrew root Ch.M.D—means “desirable.” Some people therefore thought that chamad, too, should have something direct to do with desire. But that’s not how language works. (For instance, “host” and “hostile” share a root in English, but a host doesn’t have to be hostile.) And other instances of the verb chamad clearly point in the direction of “take.” We don’t know for sure how “taking” is different from “stealing,” but one reasonable guess is that “stealing” is taking with no intent to return the stolen property, while someone who “takes” might plan on giving it back, perhaps before the owner notices that it is gone.