Lutherans and the Ten Commandments

[KagomeShuko]

Something I do not undersatnd :sigh: is why Lutherans separate the ten commandments like they do. I don't see this done this way in other churches. Is it simply because that's how Martin Luther wrote them or are there other reasons?

Lutherans tend to put the first commandment as "I am the Lord Your God, you shall have no other Gods before me."

Then when down to the ninth and tenth, they separate the ones about coveting - your neighbor's wife and then possessions.

However, it seems others separate them as "I am the Lord your God." Then, the second is "You shall have no other Gods before me."

Then the tenth one is about coveting anything.

The second way has always seemed to make more sense to me because I don't understand why you need to separate the coveting especially when you already have "Thou shall not commit adultery."

Stein Auf!
Bridget

[Protoevangel]

Differences in the ways they are typically enumerated:

Protestant
1 You shall have no other gods before me.
2 You shall not make for yourself a graven image.
10 You shall not covet your neighbor's wife; and you shall not desire anything that is your neighbor's.

Catholic/Lutheran
1 You shall have no other gods before me; and you shall not make for yourself a graven image.
9 You shall not covet your neighbor's wife;
10 You shall not desire anything that is your neighbor's.


Why the difference? Look at all the imperitives that are included in the 10 commandments:

1 You shall have no other gods before me.
2 You shall not make for yourself a graven image...
3 You shall not bow down to them or serve them...
4 You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain...
5 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
6 Six days you shall labor...
7 In it [the seventh day] you shall not do any work...
8 Honor your father and your mother...
9 You shall not kill.
10 You shall not commit adultery.
11 You shall not steal.
12 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
13 You shall not covet your neighbor's house
14 You shall not covet your neighbor's wife...

So to get 10 commandments, some of these imperitives must be grouped up. Some of the groupings are obvious, but the two in dispute between Catholic/Lutheran and Protestants are less obvious.

Considering that in Hebrew, what we call the 10 commandments are actually called the 10 Words, there is yet another way that the "Commandments" can be enumerated:

1 I am the LORD your God.
2 You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a graven image.
3 You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
4 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5 Honor your father and your mother.
6 You shall not kill.
7 You shall not commit adultery.
8 You shall not steal.
9 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10 You shall not covet your neighbor's wife; and you shall not desire anything that is your neighbor's.

If I am not mistaken, this is how the Jews enumerate the Decalogue (10 Words).

[ByzantineDixie]

You are not mistaken. Both the Catholic/Lutheran and the Protestant numbering systems are flawed. The Jewish system makes the most sense. But I guess I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery did not make the cut when the 10 "words" were re-titled the 10 "commandments". How did we get from there (words) to here (commandments)...anyone know?

Peace

Rose

[KagomeShuko]

Differences in the ways they are typically enumerated:

Protestant
1 You shall have no other gods before me.
2 You shall not make for yourself a graven image.
10 You shall not covet your neighbor's wife; and you shall not desire anything that is your neighbor's.

Catholic/Lutheran
1 You shall have no other gods before me; and you shall not make for yourself a graven image.
9 You shall not covet your neighbor's wife;
10 You shall not desire anything that is your neighbor's.


Why the difference? Look at all the imperitives that are included in the 10 commandments:

1 You shall have no other gods before me.
2 You shall not make for yourself a graven image...
3 You shall not bow down to them or serve them...
4 You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain...
5 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
6 Six days you shall labor...
7 In it [the seventh day] you shall not do any work...
8 Honor your father and your mother...
9 You shall not kill.
10 You shall not commit adultery.
11 You shall not steal.
12 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
13 You shall not covet your neighbor's house
14 You shall not covet your neighbor's wife...

So to get 10 commandments, some of these imperitives must be grouped up. Some of the groupings are obvious, but the two in dispute between Catholic/Lutheran and Protestants are less obvious.

Considering that in Hebrew, what we call the 10 commandments are actually called the 10 Words, there is yet another way that the "Commandments" can be enumerated:

1 I am the LORD your God.
2 You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a graven image.
3 You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
4 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5 Honor your father and your mother.
6 You shall not kill.
7 You shall not commit adultery.
8 You shall not steal.
9 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10 You shall not covet your neighbor's wife; and you shall not desire anything that is your neighbor's.

If I am not mistaken, this is how the Jews enumerate the Decalogue (10 Words).
All this is extremely complicated sometimes and I just don't get it at times. I mean, I do understand it, but I personally just don't "get it." As long as we believe every part of them, I guess. . .

Stein Auf!
Bridget

[Protoevangel]

All this is extremely complicated sometimes and I just don't get it at times. I mean, I do understand it, but I personally just don't "get it." As long as we believe every part of them, I guess. . .

Stein Auf!
Bridget:amen:I think you hit it right on the nose. Regardless of how we enumerate them, don't they still say the same thing?

[KagomeShuko]

:amen:I think you hit it right on the nose. Regardless of how we enumerate them, don't they still say the same thing?
Yeah, I'd say so. After all, even Bibles aren't enumerated the same way. My sister loves foreign languages and has a French and Danish Bible and the books, chapters, and verses aren't even labeled the same way. If she wants to know the lessons, I have to tell her which parable or miracle or prophecy, etc. is being told.

Enumeration is always going to be flawed, most likely.

Stein Auf!
Bridget