The Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments are recorded in chapter 20 of Exodus and in chapter 5 of Deuteronomy. The Old Testament calls them “the words of the covenant” (Exod 34:28) and “the ten words” (Exod 34:28; Deut 4:13); the New Testament calls them “the commandments”, in Greek ἐντολαί (Matt 19:17; Rom 13:9). Today they are often called the Decalogue, from the Greek δέκα λόγοι, “ten words”.
The two records of the Ten Commandments are essentially the same, but they give different grounds for the Sabbath commandment: in Exodus it rests on the creation of the world, in Deuteronomy on Israel’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt.
In the New Testament Jesus and the apostles refer to these commandments more than once — to all of them except the Sabbath commandment. They speak above all of keeping them inwardly rather than outwardly and single out two chief requirements: love for God and love for one’s neighbour.
Exodus and Deuteronomy
- 「我是你的上帝耶和華，曾把你從受奴役之地埃及領出來。
- 「除我以外，你不可有別的神明。
- 不可為自己雕刻神像，不可仿照天上、地上和地底下水中的任何形像造神像， 不可跪拜它們，也不可供奉它們，因為我——你的上帝耶和華痛恨不貞，我必追討背棄我之人的罪，從父到子直到三四代。 但那些愛我、遵守我誡命的人，我必以慈愛待他們，直到千代。
- 不可妄用你上帝耶和華的名，違者必被耶和華定罪。
- 要謹記安息日，守為聖日。 你一週可勞碌工作六天， 但第七天是你的上帝耶和華的安息日，這一天你和兒女、僕婢、牲畜及你那裡的外族人不可做任何工。 因為耶和華用六天創造了天地、海洋和其中的萬物，第七天便休息了，所以耶和華賜福安息日，把它定為聖日。
- 要孝敬父母，以便在你的上帝耶和華要賜給你的土地上享長壽。
- 不可殺人。
- 不可通姦。
- 不可偷盜。
- 不可作偽證陷害人。
- 不可貪戀別人的房屋，不可貪戀別人的妻子、僕婢、牛驢或其他任何物品。」
「『我是你的上帝耶和華，曾把你從受奴役之地埃及領出來。
- 除我以外，你不可有別的神明。
- 不可為自己雕刻神像，不可仿照天上、地上和地底下水中的任何形像造神像， 不可跪拜它們，也不可供奉它們，因為我——你的上帝耶和華痛恨不貞，我必追討背棄我之人的罪，從父到子直到三四代。 但那些愛我、遵守我誡命的人，我必以慈愛待他們，直到千代。
- 不可妄用你上帝耶和華的名，違者必被耶和華定罪。
- 要遵照你的上帝耶和華的吩咐守安息日為聖日。 你一週可勞碌工作六天， 但第七天是你的上帝耶和華的安息日，這一天你和兒女、僕婢、牛驢等牲畜及你那裡的外族人不可做任何工，好讓僕婢和你一樣得到休息。 要記住，你曾在埃及做奴隸，你的上帝耶和華伸出臂膀，用大能的手把你從那裡領出來。因此，你的上帝耶和華吩咐你守安息日。
- 要遵照你的上帝耶和華的吩咐孝敬父母，以便在你的上帝耶和華要賜給你的土地上享長壽，蒙祝福。
- 不可殺人。
- 不可通姦。
- 不可偷盜。
- 不可作偽證陷害人。
- 不可貪戀別人的妻子，不可貪圖別人的房屋、田地、僕婢、牛驢，或其他任何物品。』
How the commandments are numbered
The text holds more than ten precepts, and there is more than one way to divide it into ten commandments. The table shows which commandment each passage counts as in each tradition; a dash means the passage is not counted among the commandments, and “pre.” marks the preamble: it has no number of its own but is held to be part of the Ten Commandments.
| Text | Exodus | Deuteronomy | Septuagint | Talmud | Augustine | Philo | Catholic | Lutheran | Reformed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| “I am the LORD thy God…” | 20:2 | 5:6 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | pre. |
| “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” | 20:3 | 5:7 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image…” | 20:4–6 | 5:8–10 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | 2 |
| “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain…” | 20:7 | 5:11 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| “Remember (keep) the sabbath day…” | 20:8–11 | 5:12–15 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| “Honour thy father and thy mother…” | 20:12 | 5:16 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| “Thou shalt not kill” | 20:13 | 5:17 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
| “Thou shalt not commit adultery” | 20:14 | 5:18 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 |
| “Thou shalt not steal” | 20:15 | 5:19 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 |
| “Thou shalt not bear false witness…” | 20:16 | 5:20 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 |
| “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house” | 20:17 | 5:21 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 |
| “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife” | 20:17 | 5:21 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 |
| “…nor his manservant, nor his maidservant… nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s” | 20:17 | 5:21 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
- Septuagint — the Greek translation of the Old Testament. Its division is followed today by the Orthodox Church and by most Protestant churches, except the Lutherans.
- Talmud — in the Jewish tradition the first commandment is the preamble, “I am the LORD thy God…”.
- Saint Augustine follows the Jewish tradition but does not count the preamble as a commandment, and splits the last commandment, “Thou shalt not covet”, in two, following the word order of Deuteronomy.
- Philo of Alexandria divides the text as the Septuagint does, but has “Thou shalt not kill” and “Thou shalt not commit adultery” the other way round.
- The Catholic Church follows Augustine’s division but counts the preamble as part of the first commandment.
- Lutherans follow Augustine’s division without the prohibition of images and take the text of Exodus as the basis.
- Reformed churches follow the Septuagint’s division; the preamble is held to be a necessary part of the Ten Commandments and is always said together with them.