Explain this like I'm retarded b/c I am.
For sure! It blew my mind as well: There are technically 9 distinct commandments in Exodus 20, but the numbering varies depending on tradition because one of them is broken into two.
The confusion comes from the commandments about coveting. In the Catholic and Lutheran tradition, “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife” is treated as one commandment, and “You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods” is treated as a separate one. That’s how they get 10.
Meanwhile, in most Protestant traditions, the first two commandments are split: 1. “You shall have no other gods before me” 2. “You shall not make for yourself a graven image”
They combine the coveting parts into one, so it still adds up to 10.
But when you read Exodus 20 plainly, you’ll see there are really 9 direct imperatives from God. The numbering is man-made. Scripture doesn’t number them — tradition does. So how you divide them comes down to theological emphasis. Catholics emphasize internal sin like lust and envy as separate violations, which is why they split the coveting. Protestants emphasize idolatry and fear graven images, so they split the first.
Bottom line — there are 9 commands, and traditions divide one of them differently to get to 10. That’s where the difference comes from.
So basically it all hinges on whether or not you treat women as property. God bless the 9 amendments
The Whole Counsel of God podcast from the EOC gives a wonderful verse by verse breakdown starting in the Gospel of St. Luke to through Exodus so far. He gives context and a breakdown of each verse. If you’re interested I would check it out. It took me a solid year to go through what he’s got so far, but if you want to start in the Genesis, it’s great. There’s actually some really funny parts of the Bible.
And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments. Exodus 34:28 KJV
And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone. Deuteronomy 4:13 KJV
And he wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments, which the LORD spake unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly: and the LORD gave them unto me. Deuteronomy 10:4 KJV
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