“So how do you think a Jew would feel seeing that plaque?” a reporter once asked me about a 10 Commandments display.
“Why don’t you ask Moses?” I responded.
My point, of course, was that the 10 Commandments are not a uniquely Christian document; they are respected by Jews, Christians of almost all denominations, Muslims and others.
But whether she knew it or not, the reporter did have a point: There are various ways of numbering the 10 Commandments, and if we use a particular numbering system for a public display, we open ourselves to the charge that we are establishing a specific religion by using that religion’s numbering of the Commandments.
We should be aware of these different ways of numbering the Commandments.
According to the Jewish system, “I am the Lord thy God” is the First Commandment, and the second is “Thou shalt have no other gods before me nor worship a graven image.” Following the numbering of Origen (AD 200s), most Protestants view “I am the Lord thy God” as the preface rather than a commandment and make “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” the First Commandment and the “graven image” commandment the Second.
Roman Catholics and most Lutherans follow Augustine (AD 354-430) of Hippo's numbering, combining “I am the Lord thy God” with “Thou shalt have no other gods before me, nor worship a graven image” as the First Commandment. This in turn makes:
“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain” – the Third Commandment for Jews and Protestants but the Second for Catholics
The Sabbath Commandment – the Fourth for Jews and Protestants and the Third for Catholics
“Honor thy Father and thy Mother” – the Fifth for Jews and Protestants and the Fourth for Catholics
“Thou shalt not kill” – the Sixth for Jews and Protestants and the Fifth for Catholics
The adultery commandment – the Seventh for Jews and Protestants and the Sixth for Catholics
“Thou shalt not steal” – the Eighth for Jews and Protestants and the Seventh for Catholics
“Thou shalt not bear false witness” – the Ninth for Jews and Protestants and the Eighth for Catholics
That leaves a problem. “Thou shalt not covet” is the 10th Commandment for Jews and Protestants, but does that mean Catholics recognize only nine commandments? No, they recognize that Moses specifically said there are “ten commandments” (Deuteronomy 4:13; 10:4). Catholics and most Lutherans believe the Ninth Commandment is “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house” and the 10th is “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife.” After all, they point out, the injunctions against adultery and theft are separate commandments, so the injunctions against lusting after thy neighbor’s spouse and coveting thy neighbor’s property should be separate commandments as well. "There is a big difference between coveting your neighbor's lawn mower, and coveting your neighbor's wife," a priest once said.
I should add that Greek Orthodox and most other Orthodox combine “I am the Lord thy God” and “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” as the First Commandment and thereafter follow the same numbering as most Protestants. Muslims generally follow the Protestant (sometimes called the iconoclast) numbering.
Why, you may ask, am I making an issue out of this? Are there theological implications in these different numbering systems?
The differences have some significance. The Jewish recognition of “I am the Lord thy God” as the First Commandment, emphasizes that the holiness and oneness of God is the basis for all the other commandments. The Protestant treatment of the “graven image” injunction as a separate commandment has probably led some Protestants to give that commandment a stricter interpretation than Catholics and Lutherans. The Catholic/Lutheran separation of the command against coveting one’s neighbor’s wife from the command against coveting one’s neighbor’s property may strengthen our understanding of the coveting injunction as a “hedge”; those who are taught not to covet are less likely to commit adultery or theft than those who have not been so taught.
My point is this: If public officials number the commandments in a public display, they open themselves up to the charges, “This is a Jewish display,” or “That is a Protestant document.”
Why not just number them as the Bible numbers them? In fact, the Bible doesn’t number them! Read Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21. The Commandments were not numbered in the original text; the chapter divisions did not appear until the AD 1200s and the verse divisions in the Old Testament until the AD 1400s.
So what am I saying? When you or your church or synagogue displays the 10 Commandments, use the numbering system you and your church believe to be best. But when we display the 10 Commandments in schoolhouses or courthouses or public parks, leave them unnumbered and let them speak for themselves. This won’t satisfy the critics, but it will leave them with one less leg to stand on.
In our forthcoming columns, we will examine the basic principles of the 10 Commandments and how those principles have shaped Western law.
Colonel Eidsmoe serves as Senior Counsel for the Foundation for Moral Law (morallaw.org) and as Professor of Constitutional Law for the Oak Brook College of Law & Government Policy (obcl.edu). He may be contacted for speaking engagements at eidsmoeja@juno.com.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to Commentary@1819news.com.
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