"Coveting" is not the same as desiring.
Covet is unhealthy desire.
Ahh. So coveting would be wanting something so much that I'm willing to steal it or something?
synonyms DESIRE, WISH, WANT, CRAVE, COVET mean to have a longing for. DESIRE stresses the strength of feeling and often implies strong intention or aim (desires to start a new life). WISH sometimes implies a general or transient longing especially for the unattainable (wishes for permanent world peace). WANT specifically suggests a felt need or lack (wants to have a family). CRAVE stresses the force of physical appetite or emotional need (craves sweets). COVET implies strong envious desire (covets his rise to fame).I think covet is not quite so illicit in English as you suggest.
The first translation of the Hebrew was into Aramaic and there the word used translates into our desire.
I also found this:
What does 'covet' refer to? In Exodus 34:24 this verb (hamad) appears where the context suggests the meaning 'to confiscate your home' and not 'to covet'. Rashi, following a strong Rabbinic tradition, interprets the eighth commandment that we typically render as 'You shall not steal' to refer to stealing people (ie. kidnapping), and then understands 'covet' in the Ten Commandments to mean stealing objects. Does 'covet' then mean 'to steal' (or planning to steal)? Is only the behaviour acted upon the desire prohibited, or is the desire itself forbidden? I assume the latter would be the most widely violated commandment. (I mean, come on, don't tell me you don't covet your neighbour's iPod?) This was also an issue for the Christian church. Must I confess for inward desire or only outward acts? In a rare act of biblical interpretation, Pope Pious V in 1567 ruled that mere desire was not to be considered sinful; notwithstanding, President Jimmy Carter famously once admitted to 'sinning' in his heart.ML/NJ