Two Texts With Numbering Schemes
The two texts commonly known as the Ten Commandments are given in two books of the Bible: Exodus 20:1–17andDeuteronomy 5:4–21.
Religious groups use one of three historical divisions of Exodus 20:1–17 into ten parts tabulated below:
- Phi. The Philonic division is the oldest, from the writings of Philo and Josephus (first century), which labels verse 3 as number 1, verses 4–6 as number 2, and so on. Groups that generally follow this scheme include Hellenistic Jews, Greek Orthodox and Protestants except Lutherans. Most representations of the commandments include the prologue of verse 2 as either part of the first commandment or as a preface.
- Tal. The Talmudic division, from the third-century Jewish Talmud, makes verses 1–2 as the first "saying" or "declaration" (rather than "commandment"), and combines verses 3–6 as number 2.
- Aug. The Augustinian division (fifth century) starts with number 2 of the Talmudic division, and makes an extra commandment by dividing the prohibition on coveting into two. Both Roman Catholics and Martin Luther adopted the Augustinian method. Roman Catholics use Deuteronomy by default when quoting the Ten Commandments whereas Luther used the Exodus version.
| Phi | Tal | Aug | Exodus 20:1-17 | Deuteronomy 5:4-21 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | 1 | — | 1 And God spoke all these words, saying, | 4–5 The LORD spoke with you face to face at the mountain, out of the midst of the fire, 5 while I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the LORD. For you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up into the mountain. He said: |
| Pre | 1 | — | 2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. | 6 “‘I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. |
| 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 “You shall have no other gods before me. | 7 “‘You shall have no other gods before me. |
| 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. | 8 “‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. |
| 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God,visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, | 9 You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, |
| 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. | 10 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. |
| 3 | 3 | 2 | 7 “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. | 11 “‘You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. |
| 4 | 4 | 3 | 8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. | 12 “‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you. |
| 4 | 4 | 3 | 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, | 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, |
| 4 | 4 | 3 | 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. | 14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. |
| 4 | 4 | 3 | 11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. | 15 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. |
| 5 | 5 | 4 | 12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. | 16 “‘Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. |
| 6 | 6 | 5 | 13 “You shall not murder. | 17 “‘You shall not murder. |
| 7 | 7 | 6 | 14 “You shall not commit adultery. | 18 “‘And you shall not commit adultery. |
| 8 | 8 | 7 | 15 “You shall not steal. | 19 “‘And you shall not steal. |
| 9 | 9 | 8 | 16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. | 20 “‘And you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. |
| 10 | 10 | 9-10 | 17 “You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.” | 21 “‘And you shall not covet your neighbor's wife. And you shall not desire your neighbor's house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.’ |
- All scripture quotes above are from the English Standard Version. Click on verses at top of columns for other versions.
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