slaves are not possessions; their labor is. They’re to be released at each jubilee. In other words, they’re not possessions; their labor is what’s owned, and it’s only owned temporarily.
How exactly is labor a “possession”??? Labor isn’t a “thing” or a person that can be owned. It is something a person or animal
does. Plus, slaves were bought & sold, not their “labor,” but
for their labor. And all the year of Jubilee did was free them from their slave bondage to their master. IOW, they were still owned by their master. They couldn’t leave on their own, which is why Paul sent the slave Onesimus back to his master Philemon.
you’re still stuck explaining how if (as you say) it’s a single commandment, why God goes from stuff to people to stuff. The Catholic answer would be “coveting a covenanted spouse is materially different than coveting anything else, and so it stands apart.”
But that doesn’t solve the problem (“going from stuff to people to stuff”), because what is the 9th Commandment in Exodus 20:17 if it goes from “stuff” (house) to “people” (wife, slaves) to “stuff” (animals), if the spouse if “materially different than coveting anything else”? Remember, the 9th Commandment of “do not covet your wife” is supposed to be based on Deuteronomy 5:21a, & the 10th Commandment of "do not covet your neighbors goods (“property”) is based on Deuteronomy 5:21b which includes
his house,
his field,
his male slave,
his female slave,
his ox or
his donkey.
So, using “the Catholic answer” that “coveting a covenanted spouse is materially different than coveting anything else, and so it stands apart,” that would omit
male & female slaves, which would be as much “property” as a house, field, ox, or donkey, since “do not covet your neighbor’s wife” is allegedly a
separate “do not covet” commandment.
Every other list of the “10” Commandments are identical in their order in Exodus 20 & Deuteronomy 5, except the last (alleged) two. Here is the difference:
“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 belongs to your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:17)
"‘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 belongs to your neighbor.’ (Deuteronomy 5:21)
Notice, “your neighbor’s wife” & “your neighbor’s house” are
reversed. So, how exactly is "do not covet your neighbor’s wife a
separate commandment in Exodus 20:17? The consistent answer is found at the end of both verses “or
anything that belongs to your neighbor,” which Jesus & Paul reiterates as “loving your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 19:19; Romans 13:9) - ie: ONE Commandment - “you shall not
covet.”