Commandments number 6 and 10

[ConnorMM]

What is the difference between the sixth and the tenth commandment in the Catechism of the Catholic church?

They both discuss sexual immorality and looking upon something that isn’t yours, the catechism seems very complicated when it explains their differences.

 

[Gorgias]

What is the difference between the sixth and the tenth commandment

Oh, about “4”, I’d say.

 

[Gorgias]

They both discuss sexual immorality and looking upon something that isn’t yours, the catechism seems very complicated when it explains their differences.

One way of looking at it is historical: sadly, at that time, women were viewed as chattel – property, as it were. So, although their view might have placed women in the category of the ninth commandment, God is making clear that there’s more going on here than they would have understood. It’s a different sort of thing to covet a person than it is a thing. (It’s possible to covet your neighbor’s wife for more reasons than sexual ones, though, don’t you think? So there is a distinct context here.)

The sixth commandment covers sexual immorality itself.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I presume you’re actually referring to the Ninth Commandment in the Catholic version of the Commandments, which is “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife.”

This commandment was originally written in the Jewish law separate from the “adultery” commandment because adultery was going to the actual sexual act of having illicit sex, while coveting your neighbor’s wife was a violation of your neighbor’s property rights and more akin to envy or theft. Note that there was no sin in coveting your neighbor’s husband because the wife in those days had no property rights over her husband.

The Catechism now puts pretty much all sinful human sexual behavior that involves some actual sex act under the Sixth Commandment, and puts sins of “lust in the heart” like impure thoughts, immodesty etc under the Ninth Commandment. In other words, sins that could relate to sexual behavior but there isn’t any actual sex act, just tempting people or thinking about sex, etc. Obviously, actually wanting to lure away or have sex with or marry someone else’s spouse would fall under the Ninth Commandment too.

I agree the two commandments have gotten really muddled together over the centuries and could probably be merged, except that people have gotten used to the traditional idea of having Ten Commandments from the OT and might be really confused or bothered if the Church started changing them around now.

 

[ConnorMM]

I understand what you’re saying but it’s also said " But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.113"

 

[Canvas]

I understand what you’re saying but it’s also said " But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.113"

That falls under Commandment 9, which is internal by normal classification.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Well, I told you they were a bit muddled together, especially now that husbands no longer have a “property right” in their wives.

Jesus is pretty clear that “adultery in your heart” is a sin so it doesn’t really matter if you stick that under Sixth or Ninth commandment. I agree with Canvas that I’d probably put the “lust in your heart” under the Ninth Commandment. If you then got all wound up and masturbated to calm down, the act of masturbation would fall under the Sixth Commandment because you actually did a sexual act.

At the time Jesus was teaching, “adultery in your heart” was NOT a crime under the Jewish law, so it would not have been a violation of any commandment. That is why Jesus made that point. He was noting that even if you don’t commit the bad acts punishable under Jewish law, if you think about doing them and want to do them it’s like you actually did do them, in God’s eyes.

 

[ConnorMM]

Oh okay, Thank you for clearing that up for me. Have a great day.

 

[rosejmj]

You mean the 6th and 9th. 6th has to do more with actions while the 9th with list and thoughts

 

[Canvas]

At the time Jesus was teaching, “adultery in your heart” was NOT a crime under the Jewish law, so it would not have been a violation of any commandment.

Wouldn’t it be similar to “coveting your neighbor’s wife?” I mean, it isn’t exactly the same but they are both internal sins of lust rather than external violations.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

It’s similar, but in order to be accused of covetousness, it would have to be a sin/ crime that others could see, like if you were staring at the guy’s wife or trying to get her alone. Also, there could be reasons other than lust that you would covet someone’s wife - maybe she was independently wealthy, or politically well-connected, or you just don’t want the other guy to have her though you have little feeling for her.

 

[Vico]

What is the difference between the sixth and the tenth commandment in the Catechism of the Catholic church?

They both discuss sexual immorality and looking upon something that isn’t yours, the catechism seems very complicated when it explains their differences.

Baltimore Catechism

Q. 1324. In what does the sixth commandment differ from the ninth, and the seventh differ from the tenth?
A. The sixth commandment differs from the ninth in this, that the sixth refers chiefly to external acts of impurity, while the ninth refers more to sins of thought against purity. The seventh commandment refers chiefly to external acts of dishonesty, while the tenth refers more to thoughts against honesty.