Heidelberg Catechism (1563), Zacharias Ursinus and Caspar Olevianus

Question 92

Section 34: Lord’s Day 34

What is the law of God?

God spake all these words, Exod. xx. Deut. v. saying, I am the Lord thy God, which hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. I. Com. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. II. Thou shalt not make unto thyself any graven image, nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them; for I, the Lord thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments. III. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless, that taketh his name in vain. IV. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy: six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt do no manner of work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. V. Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee. VI. Thou shalt not kill. VII. Thou shalt not commit adultery. VIII. Thou shalt not steal. IX. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. X. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house; thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.

Diff style

Changes in An Orthodox Catechism (1680), Question 101

An Orthodox Catechism (1680), Question 101

What Which is the Law of God?

God spake all these words, Exod. xx. Deut. v. saying, The hath I. Com. II. not unto thyself any that Decalogue, or thyself serve visiting iniquity showing unto that ten Commandments.III. IV. to keep it holy: thy work; thy wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, V. thy upon VI. not kill. VII. VIII. IX. X. thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s man-servant, maid-servant, thy neighbour’s.

Heidelberg Catechism (1563), Question 92

What is the law of God?

God spake all these words, Exod. xx. Deut. v. saying, I am the Lord thy God, which hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. I. Com. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. II. Thou shalt not make unto thyself any graven image, nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them; for I, the Lord thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments. III. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless, that taketh his name in vain. IV. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy: six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt do no manner of work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. V. Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee. VI. Thou shalt not kill. VII. Thou shalt not commit adultery. VIII. Thou shalt not steal. IX. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. X. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house; thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.

An Orthodox Catechism (1680), Question 101

Which is the Law of God?

The Decalogue, or ten Commandments.

Related (11)

An Orthodox Catechism (1680), which adapts this question

Question 103

What is the Preface to the ten Commandments?

I am JEHOVAH, the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt, out of the House of Bondage.

Question 106

What is the first Commandment?

Thou shalt have no other Gods before me.

Question 109

What is the second Commandment?

Thou shalt make to thee no graven Image, nor the Likeness of any thing which is in Heaven above, or in the Earth beneath, nor in the Waters under the Earth: thou shalt not bow down to them, nor worship them, for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, and visit the sins of the Fathers upon the Children, unto the third and fourth Generation of them that hate me, and shew Mercy to thousands of them which love me, and keep my Commandments.

Question 113

What is the third Commandment?

Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain.

Question 118

What is the fourth Commandment?

Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath Day: six Days shalt thou labor, and do all that thou hast to do, but the seventh Day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God, in it thou shalt do no manner of Work, Thou, nor thy Son, nor thy Daughter, thy Man-Servant, nor thy Maid-Servant, nor thy Cattel, nor the Stranger that is within thy Gates: for in six Days the Lord made Heaven, and Earth, the Sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day, and hallowed it.

Question 120

What is the fifth Commandment?

Honour thy Father and Mother, that thy dayes may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

Question 122

What is the sixth Commandment?

Thou shalt do no Murder.

Question 126

What is the seventh Commandment?

Thou shalt not commit Adultery.

Question 129

What is the eighth Commandment?

Thou shalt not steal.

Question 132

What is the ninth Commandment?

Thou shalt not bear false Witness against thy Neighbour.

Question 134

What is the tenth Commandment?

Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours House, nor his Wife, nor his Servant, nor his Maid, nor his Ox, nor his Ass, nor any thing that is his.

Commentaries (2)

  • Zacharias Ursinus, 1587, The Summe of Christian Religion (2 parts)

    Which is the Law of God? God spake all these wordes. 1 I am the Lorde thy God, which hath brought thee out of Aegypt, out of the house of bondage, Thou shalt haue no other Gods in…

    Zacharias Ursinus’s text
  • Jeremias Bastingius, 1591, A Catechisme of Christian Religion, with the Arguments and Use

    What is the Law of God? The Lorde spake all these wordes saying. 1 I am Iehoua thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt from the house of seruaunts, see thou haue no…

    Jeremias Bastingius’s text