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FOURTH ARTICLE [I-II, Q. 100, Art. 4]

Whether the Precepts of the Decalogue Are Suitably Distinguished from
One Another?

Objection 1: It would seem that the precepts of the decalogue are
unsuitably distinguished from one another. For worship is a virtue
distinct from faith. Now the precepts are about acts of virtue. But
that which is said at the beginning of the decalogue, "Thou shalt not
have strange gods before Me," belongs to faith: and that which is
added, "Thou shalt not make . . . any graven thing," etc. belongs to
worship. Therefore these are not one precept, as Augustine asserts
(Qq. in Exod. qu. lxxi), but two.

Obj. 2: Further, the affirmative precepts in the Law are distinct
from the negative precepts; e.g. "Honor thy father and thy mother,"
and, "Thou shalt not kill." But this, "I am the Lord thy God," is
affirmative: and that which follows, "Thou shalt not have strange
gods before Me," is negative. Therefore these are two precepts, and
do not, as Augustine says (Qq. in Exod. qu. lxxi), make one.

Obj. 3: Further, the Apostle says (Rom. 7:7): "I had not known
concupiscence, if the Law did not say: 'Thou shalt not covet.'" Hence
it seems that this precept, "Thou shalt not covet," is one precept;
and, therefore, should not be divided into two.

_On the contrary,_ stands the authority of Augustine who, in
commenting on Exodus (Qq. in Exod. qu. lxxi) distinguishes three
precepts as referring to God, and seven as referring to our neighbor.

_I answer that,_ The precepts of the decalogue are differently
divided by different authorities. For Hesychius commenting on Lev.
26:26, "Ten women shall bake your bread in one oven," says that the
precept of the Sabbath-day observance is not one of the ten precepts,
because its observance, in the letter, is not binding for all time.
But he distinguishes four precepts pertaining to God, the first
being, "I am the Lord thy God"; the second, "Thou shalt not have
strange gods before Me," (thus also Jerome distinguishes these two
precepts, in his commentary on Osee 10:10, "On thy" [Vulg.: "their"]
"two iniquities"); the third precept according to him is, "Thou shalt
not make to thyself any graven thing"; and the fourth, "Thou shalt
not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain." He states that there
are six precepts pertaining to our neighbor; the first, "Honor thy
father and thy mother"; the second, "Thou shalt not kill"; the third,
"Thou shalt not commit adultery