Exodus 20:15Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Moreover, offenders include those who knowingly purchase stolen goods to obtain them at a lesser value, those who pass counterfeit currency as real money or misrepresent inferior products as quality items, as well as workers who underperform yet still receive their wages. This also pertains to individuals who fail to compensate their laborers or who withhold lost property from its rightful owner. Those who breach contracts, neglect responsibilities tied to orphans, widows, churches, or schools, and those who offer bribes to judges for unjust decisions are also guilty. Furthermore, people who solicit alms without genuine need and merchants who misrepresent inferior products as superior are in error.

Other violations include selling items for more than their true value or purchasing them for less, colluding with other vendors to manipulate prices, or exploiting inexperienced buyers or sellers. The command is also breached by those who act against proper authorities or who fail to provide honest accounting to their peers. Deceptive individuals claiming bankruptcy to profit off others’ funds, laborers who overcharge, and anyone who misuses the possessions of others are equally culpable. Those who participate in games of chance with minors or strangers with the intent to deceive violate this commandment as well.

Additionally, damaging another's property or moving property boundaries to encroach upon a neighbor's land is sinful. Cutting down a brother's trees or stealing livestock also results in punishment according to civil law, such as exile or amputation. Those who engage in forgery by altering documents are subject to severe consequences. All these actions represent theft, and restitution is required for forgiveness.

The key offenses include: robbery, which refers to the outright, forceful seizure of someone else's belongings; theft, or the covert taking of another's property; deceit, or the act of claiming another’s possessions through trickery—such as exchanging counterfeit currency for real money, or giving inferior goods instead of quality items, using false measures to shortchange customers, hiding assets to evade debts, or failing to honor contracts or promises made; sacrilege, the wrongful appropriation of what has been consecrated to God and belongs to the Church; spiritual sacrilege, where individuals receive sacred positions not based on merit but rather for personal gain; bribery, which involves accepting compensation from subordinates or defendants and, out of self-interest, favoring the unworthy, exonerating the guilty, and oppressing the innocent; idleness, where individuals accept payment without fulfilling work obligations, thereby stealing the compensation as well as the potential benefits they could have contributed to their employer and society; similarly, when capable individuals choose to beg rather than work for their sustenance; extortion, when, under the pretense of legality but in clear violation of justice and compassion, they unlawfully seize another’s possessions or labor, even capitalizing on the misfortunes of their neighbors; for instance, when lenders impose excessive interest on their debtors, or when employers extract undue burdens through excessive taxes or labor, especially during times of scarcity by charging exorbitant prices for essential goods. What virtues align with the eighth commandment? The prohibition of these sins highlights the virtues of selflessness, fidelity, justice, and compassion towards the impoverished. Is a lack of compassion for the poor a violation of the eighth commandment? A person who shows no mercy to the needy sins against the eighth commandment if they possess the means to assist them. Everything we possess is a gift from God, and the surplus we have is entrusted to us by His providence for the purpose of aiding those in need; thus, failing to share our excess constitutes stealing or concealing what rightfully belongs to others and the blessings bestowed upon us by God. What virtue counters the transgressions against the eighth commandment? The Gospel advocates for a virtue of generous relinquishment, not necessarily as a requirement for all, but as wise counsel for those who are fervent about acts of piety: a complete voluntary giving up of possessions. “If you want to be perfect, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven” (Matthew 19:21).