October 2005 Archives
Wed Oct 5 12:47:23 PDT 2005
Covet == Usurp
Reading through the Bible, one of the mysterious words is "covet". It isn't the same as stealing, but it appears to mean something more than a simple desire or fantasy. Jesus said that from the thoughts of a man's heart, his lusts go forth. (Mark 7:21) It seems to mean a desire to do something unlawful, which leads to action.
In modern legal terms, we could compare coveting to alienation of affection.
The 1771 edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica has this word definition:
USURPATION, in law, is an injurious using or enjoyment of a thing for continuance of time, that belongs of right to another.
Can you think of an example of usurpation? Picking the fruit from a man's apple tree and taking it away is usurpation. Seducing a man's daughter is usurpation; for when she is defiled, he cannot sell her for a good price, or make a good match for her.