Differences in How the Ten Commandments are Numbered

The Numbering of the Ten Commandments
A brief explanation from Neil MacQueen, Sunday Software,
of why they are numbered differently by different groups.

Sunday Software's Ten Commandments CD uses the regular Protestant-Orthodox-Reformed method of numbering the Ten Commandments. Some Roman Catholic churches, and most Lutheran churches number them differently.

The problem of "numbering" goes far back in history. Various Christian scholars, church leaders and denominations, as early as the 3rd Century A.D., differed in their method of numbering. The original Hebrew doesn't help and the verses are not numbered 1-10 in the Bible. Jewish tradition has the first commandment as "I am the Lord your God" which Christians scholars point out is not a commandment. It has been said that the Orthodox and Reformed Churches choose to highlight the injunction against graven images by breaking it out into its own commandment. Once you make one commandment into two, or two into one, the only other commandment you can possibly break into two or condense -to compensate and keep the total number at ten, is on the last commandment. Orthodox and Reformed Churches choose to keep both "covet" commandments (wife, and household) together as one commandment, while keeping separate to ideas which seem to be about two different things: "have no other gods," and "make no graven images." Ultimately, all three have merits, and its merely a matter of preference.

Jewish Numbering
Augustine-Luther Numbering
(many Roman Catholic churches and most Lutheran churches)
Orthodox-Reformed Numbering
(and most other Protestant churches)

Introduction And God spoke all these words, saying, And God spoke all these words, saying, "I am the LORD your God." And God spoke all these words, saying, "I am the LORD your God."

1st Word "I am the LORD your God." "You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a graven image" "You shall have no other gods before me."

2nd Word "You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a graven image." "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain." "You shall not make for yourself a graven image."

3rd Word "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain." "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy." "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain."

4th Word "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy." "Honor your father and your mother." "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy."

5th Word "Honor your father and your mother." "You shall not kill." "Honor your father and your mother."

6th Word "You shall not kill." "You shall not commit adultery." "You shall not kill."

7th Word "You shall not commit adultery." "You shall not steal." "You shall not commit adultery."

8th Word "You shall not steal." "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." "You shall not steal."

9th Word "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." "You shall not covet your neighbor's wife." "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."

10th Word "You shall not covet your neighbor's wife; and you shall not desire anything that is your neighbor's." "You shall not desire anything that is your neighbor's." "You shall not covet your neighbor's wife; and you shall not desire anything that is your neighbor's."

Take a look at our spectacular Ten Commandments CD software.
It features 360 degree interactive "photobubbles" shot on location on Mt. Sinai.

Copyright Neil MacQueen, Sunday Software

	Jewish Numbering	Augustine-Luther Numbering (many Roman Catholic churches and most Lutheran churches)	Orthodox-Reformed Numbering (and most other Protestant churches)
Introduction	And God spoke all these words, saying,	And God spoke all these words, saying, "I am the LORD your God."	And God spoke all these words, saying, "I am the LORD your God."
1st Word	"I am the LORD your God."	"You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a graven image"	"You shall have no other gods before me."
2nd Word	"You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a graven image."	"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain."	"You shall not make for yourself a graven image."
3rd Word	"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain."	"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy."	"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain."
4th Word	"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy."	"Honor your father and your mother."	"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy."
5th Word	"Honor your father and your mother."	"You shall not kill."	"Honor your father and your mother."
6th Word	"You shall not kill."	"You shall not commit adultery."	"You shall not kill."
7th Word	"You shall not commit adultery."	"You shall not steal."	"You shall not commit adultery."
8th Word	"You shall not steal."	"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."	"You shall not steal."
9th Word	"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."	"You shall not covet your neighbor's wife."	"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."
10th Word	"You shall not covet your neighbor's wife; and you shall not desire anything that is your neighbor's."	"You shall not desire anything that is your neighbor's."	"You shall not covet your neighbor's wife; and you shall not desire anything that is your neighbor's."