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In this episode of Catholic Bible Highlights, we’re tackling this Canard head-on. With your NRSV-CE in hand, red Crayola Twistables, and a pen for annotation, we’ll walk through a set of key Scripture passages that dismantle the accusation and equip you to respond with confidence, clarity, and charity.
Where Does the Bible Say There Are “Ten Commandments”?
We start with three clear references: Exodus 34:28, Deuteronomy 4:13, and Deuteronomy 10:4. Each of these texts explicitly calls the list of laws “The Ten Commandments,” even though the specific content of those commandments isn’t listed in these verses.
So Where Are the Lists Themselves?
You’ll find them in Exodus 20:2–17 and Deuteronomy 5:6–21. These passages contain all the familiar commands—but here’s the twist: there are more than ten “you shall” or “you shall not” statements. So who decided how to group them into ten?
That brings us to the real heart of the matter—not removal, but interpretation. Just like the Jewish, Orthodox, and Reformed traditions, the Catholic Church follows a particular ordering of the commandments based on the tradition of St. Augustine. It’s not hiding anything; it’s preserving the integrity of the text by clustering the verses in a way that reflects theological coherence.
Is the “Graven Images” Command Missing?
No. It’s in every Catholic Bible—whether the New American Bible (used in U.S. liturgy), the RSV-2CE, the Douay-Rheims, or even the Latin Vulgate. You’ll find Exodus 20:4–6 and Deuteronomy 5:8–10 in every one of them. The command not to worship graven images is still there, loud and clear.
But Didn’t God Command the Use of Images?
Yes, He did. The Ark of the Covenant featured golden cherubim (Exodus 25:18–22). Solomon’s Temple included oxen, lions, palm trees, and other symbolic figures (1 Kings 7:25, 29, 36). These were not idols, because no Israelite believed they were God. And that’s the distinction—use of imagery in sacred space is not the same as idolatry.
Why the Catholic Numbering?
Catholics group the no-idols command with the command to have no other gods—a unified command about worshiping God alone. Then, like St. Augustine, they split the coveting commands into two: one about your neighbor’s spouse, and one about possessions. Why? Because a wife is not property, and this distinction upholds her dignity.
What It All Means
This accusation that Catholics removed the Second Commandment simply doesn’t hold up under even minimal scrutiny. The commandment is still in Catholic Bibles. It’s read in the Mass. It’s taught in CCD. It’s printed in the Catechism. The issue is not omission—it’s ordering. And Catholics have every reason, biblically and historically, for the way the Decalogue is presented in the tradition.
The next time someone says, “You Catholics removed the Second Commandment,” you can smile, open your Bible, and show them the truth—highlighted and annotated.