There’s a short list of ancient texts that has shaped Western law and morality as much as the Ten Commandments. But if you ask a Catholic, a Protestant, and a Jewish scholar to recite them, you might get three different lists. That’s because the Ten Commandments, while drawn from the same biblical passages in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5, are numbered and interpreted differently across traditions. Here’s what you need to know about the Decalogue and how its meaning varies.

4 related posts

Number of Commandments: 10 ·
Primary Biblical Source: Exodus 20:1-17 ·
Secondary Biblical Source: Deuteronomy 5:4-21 ·
Oldest Known Copy: Dead Sea Scrolls (~150 BCE) ·
Religions That Revere Them: Judaism, Christianity, Islam (partial) ·
Catholic vs Protestant Numbering: Different

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
  • The exact wording of the original stone tablets.
  • The precise original order (slight variations in manuscripts).
  • Whether the list was intended to be exhaustive or symbolic.
3Timeline signal
4What’s next
  • Ongoing debates about the role of the Ten Commandments in public life.
Label Value
Total Commandments 10
First Mention Exodus 20
Second Mention Deuteronomy 5
Oldest Known Manuscript Dead Sea Scrolls (2nd century BCE)
Religions That Follow Judaism, Christianity, Islam (partial)

What are the 10 Commandments in order?

The first four commandments: duties to God

  • I am the Lord your God; you shall not have strange gods before me (Catholic numbering) (Catholic Answers).
  • You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
  • Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.
  • Honor your father and mother (this commandment is sometimes placed as the fourth in Catholic lists).

The remaining six commandments: duties to others

  • You shall not kill.
  • You shall not commit adultery.
  • You shall not steal.
  • You shall not bear false witness.
  • You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife (Catholic version).
  • You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods (Catholic Answers).

Differences in numbering between traditions

Three major traditions, three different ways to count the same 10 statements. The table below lays out the side-by-side numbering.

Commandment Content Catholic (Augustinian) Protestant (Reformed) Jewish (Talmudic)
No other gods 1 1 1
No graven images part of 1 2 2
Not take Lord’s name in vain 2 3 3
Keep Sabbath holy 3 4 4
Honor parents 4 5 5
Do not murder 5 6 6
Do not commit adultery 6 7 7
Do not steal 7 8 8
Do not bear false witness 8 9 9
Do not covet 9 (wife) + 10 (goods) 10 10

The pattern: Catholic tradition merges the prohibition of idols into the first commandment and splits coveting into two, while Protestant and Jewish traditions separate the idol ban and keep coveting as one. The implication: the same moral code is packaged differently, leading to different memorization lists but identical ethical content.

Which sin will God never forgive?

What is the unpardonable sin?

  • Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is commonly cited as the unforgivable sin (Vatican Catechism).
  • Catholic commentary links it to final impenitence—a deliberate refusal to repent (EWTN).
The catch

The Vatican Catechism stresses that God’s mercy has no limits, but a person who obstinately rejects repentance places themselves beyond forgiveness. This is not a single spoken phrase but a persistent state of the heart.

Biblical basis: Mark 3:28-30

  • Jesus states that blasphemy against the Spirit “never has forgiveness” (Catholic.net).
  • Matthew 12:32 and Luke 12:10 echo the same warning.

Is it related to the Ten Commandments?

  • The unforgivable sin is not directly one of the Ten Commandments, but it connects to the third commandment (not taking the Lord’s name in vain) and to the broader theme of reverence (Catholic Culture).

The takeaway: Even though the Ten Commandments list specific prohibitions, the unforgivable sin is a separate theological concept about the state of the soul, not a single act on the list.

Where are the original 10 Commandments in the Bible?

The primary passage: Exodus 20

  • Exodus 20:1-17 contains the first recorded version of the Decalogue (Catholic Encyclopedia).
  • God gives the commandments directly to Moses on Mount Sinai.

The repeated passage: Deuteronomy 5

  • Deuteronomy 5:4-21 repeats the commandments with slight wording differences (Catholic Encyclopedia).
  • Moses recites them to the Israelites before entering the Promised Land.

Differences between the two versions

  • The Sabbath commandment in Exodus cites creation; in Deuteronomy it cites deliverance from Egypt.
  • The order of the last two commandments is reversed in some manuscripts.

Why this matters: The existence of two versions shows that the text was transmitted and adapted. The original stone tablets are lost, but the Dead Sea Scrolls preserve copies from about 150 BCE.

What are 10 Commandments Catholic?

The Catholic numbering

  • Catholic tradition combines the prohibition of other gods and idols into the First Commandment (Catholic Answers).
  • It splits the coveting commandment into two: coveting a neighbor’s wife and coveting a neighbor’s goods.

Catholic vs Protestant differences

  • Protestant lists typically separate the idol ban as the Second Commandment and keep coveting as one.
  • The Catholic list places “Honor your father and mother” as the Fourth Commandment; Protestant lists often place it as the Fifth (Catholic Encyclopedia).

Catholic catechism on the commandments

  • The Catechism of the Catholic Church devotes a full section to the Ten Commandments, emphasizing their role in moral life (USCCB Catechism).
  • It teaches that the commandments are a path to freedom and love.

The pattern: The Catholic numbering is not a different set of rules—it’s a different organization of the same 10 statements, shaped by catechetical tradition.

Which religion does not follow the Ten Commandments?

Religions that do not use the Ten Commandments

  • Islam does not follow the Ten Commandments as a formal list, though it shares many prohibitions (e.g., no stealing, no adultery) (Catholic Answers).
  • Buddhism has its own set of ethical precepts (e.g., no killing, no lying) that overlap but are not identical.

Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam

  • Buddhism: Five Precepts, focusing on non-harm and mindfulness.
  • Hinduism: Dharma codes that vary by caste and region.
  • Islam: The Quran provides moral commandments but not a single list of 10.

Why some reject them

  • Many religions have their own authoritative scriptures and do not view the Hebrew Bible as binding.
  • Some reject the idea of a fixed list of commands as too rigid.

The implication: The Ten Commandments are central to Judaism and Christianity, but other major world religions have parallel ethical systems that are not derived from the Decalogue.

Quotes from the sources

“The Catechism states that whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit ‘never has forgiveness’ and that there are no limits to God’s mercy, but deliberate refusal to accept mercy by repentance can lead to final impenitence.”

Vatican Catechism (official Catholic teaching)

“Catholic and Protestant presentations usually agree on the moral content of the commandments, even when the numbering differs.”

Catholic Answers (apologetics outlet)

For believers and curious readers alike, the Ten Commandments remain a foundational moral code. The key takeaway: the list you see depends on the tradition you ask. For Catholics, the structure emphasizes worship and avoids idolatry; for Protestants, the focus is on the specific prohibitions. Understanding these differences clarifies centuries of religious practice and avoids confusion. For anyone exploring faith or theology, the choice between numberings is less about right and wrong and more about heritage—and that heritage is worth knowing.

Additional sources

sacredheartnorfolk.com, catholicculture.org, en.wikipedia.org, ewtn.co.uk, stmichael-pl.org

For a detailed breakdown of each commandment, see the Ten Commandments list and meaning.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the first commandment?

In Catholic tradition, the first commandment is “I am the Lord your God; you shall not have strange gods before me.” In Protestant and Jewish lists, it is often “You shall have no other gods before me.”

How many commandments are there actually?

All traditions agree on 10 commandments, though the numbering differs.

Are the Ten Commandments still relevant today?

Yes, they remain a moral foundation for Judaism and Christianity and influence legal systems worldwide.

What does the Bible say about the Ten Commandments?

The Bible presents them as directly given by God to Moses in Exodus 20 and repeated in Deuteronomy 5.

Do Christians have to follow the Ten Commandments?

Most Christian denominations teach that the commandments are binding moral law, though some emphasize grace over legalism.

What is the meaning of the Ten Commandments?

They are a covenant code that defines the relationship between God and humanity and between people.

Why are there two versions of the Ten Commandments?

The two versions in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 reflect different contexts and oral traditions, but the content is essentially the same.