Ten Commandment: Numbering Scheme

Once again we are looking at the Ten Commandments. Yesterday we noted the two divisions of the Ten Commandments: The first four commandments are relevant to our relationship with God and the last six commandments are relevant to our earthly relationships. I then indicated this is what Jesus meant when he summarized all the Law and the Prophets in two commandments. Jesus said, "The Greatest Commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul. The second commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself.

Catholics and Protestants agree on the Ten Commandments, but they number them differently. I have created a chart to compare the Protestant versus Catholic Numbering. As a note, the Ten Commandments are mentioned twice in the Bible. First in Exodus 20 and the second time is found in Deuteronomy 5.

As you can see from the above graphic. Catholics combine "No other Gods" and "No Idols." To then compensate in the numbering, the command "Not to Covet" is broken down differently than the Protestant numbering.

Neither is right or wrong. Various cultures over the years have numbered them in various ways.

See you tomorrow!