The tenth commandment strikes at the very root of all sins, prohibiting the selfish desire, from which springs the sinful act. He who in obedience to God's law refrains from indulging even a sinful desire for that which belongs to another will not be guilty of an act of wrong toward his fellow creatures.

Det tiende bud rammer alle synder i deres udspring, idet det forbyder egenkærligt begær, hvorfra den syndige handling har sin oprindelse. Den, der i lydighed mod Guds lov afholder sig fra at nære selv et syndigt begær efter en andens ejendom, vil ikke gøre sig skyldig i uret mod sine medmennesker.