Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.
Jesus is speaking here to a wealthy young man who has just asked what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus responds by listing several of the Ten Commandments — the moral laws God gave to Moses in the Old Testament that formed the bedrock of Jewish ethical and religious life. Notably, Jesus adds 'do not defraud,' which is not one of the original Ten Commandments but draws from their spirit and echoes other Old Testament laws about fairness. Every commandment he lists governs how we treat other people, not the ones about worshipping God. This sets up a deeper, harder conversation: the young man will claim he's kept all of them, and Jesus will then point to something beneath the surface that the man has never been willing to touch.
Jesus, you see straight through my self-concept to my actual life. I don't want to be someone who checks the boxes while quietly taking from the people around me. Show me where I've defrauded someone — in big ways or small — and give me the courage to make it right. Amen.
When someone asks Jesus the biggest question imaginable — how do I have real, lasting life with God? — he doesn't open with theology or mystical experience. He opens with the ordinary. Don't kill. Don't cheat on your spouse. Don't steal. Don't lie. Don't take financial advantage of people. Honor your parents. It almost feels like a letdown. But Jesus is doing something shrewder than it appears: he's asking the young man to look at his *actual* life rather than his self-image. The commandments aren't an entry exam. They're a mirror. The addition of 'do not defraud' is where this gets interesting. It's not one of the standard ten. To defraud someone means to take what's rightfully theirs — through manipulation, technicality, silence when you should have spoken, or fine print designed to protect yourself at someone else's expense. You might never steal outright, but have you taken credit that belonged to someone else? Kept quiet when correcting an error would have cost you something? The commandments Jesus lists all share one thread: they're about whether the people around you can genuinely trust you. That question has a way of reaching into corners a simple checklist never does.
Jesus chose to list commandments about how we treat other people, not the ones about worshipping God. What does that emphasis suggest about the relationship between loving God and how we treat the actual humans in front of us?
If you held your life honestly up against these commandments — including 'do not defraud' — where would you feel the most discomfort? What makes that particular area hard to examine?
The young man claimed to have kept all these commandments, and Jesus didn't dispute that directly. Is it possible to follow moral rules outwardly while missing something deeper? What might that look like in a modern life?
Defrauding someone can be subtle — taking credit, staying silent about a mistake, writing one-sided agreements. How might those quieter forms of taking advantage show up in your workplace, family, or friendships?
Jesus started this conversation with the basics before going deeper. Is there a foundational area of how you treat others that you've been glossing over or assuming is fine? What would it look like to give it honest attention this week?
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
Exodus 20:17
Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
Exodus 20:12
Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Matthew 19:19
For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Romans 13:9
A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?
Malachi 1:6
And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
Matthew 19:17
Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.
Luke 18:20
Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
Deuteronomy 5:16
You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not testify falsely, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.'"
AMP
You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’”
ESV
'You know the commandments, 'DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, Do not defraud, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.''
NASB
You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”
NIV
You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ”
NKJV
But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.’ ”
NLT
You know the commandments: Don't murder, don't commit adultery, don't steal, don't lie, don't cheat, honor your father and mother."
MSG