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
傳十誡
「我是耶和華你的神，曾將你從埃及地為奴之家領出來。
「除了我以外，你不可有別的神。
「不可為自己雕刻偶像，也不可做什麼形像彷彿上天、下地和地底下、水中的百物。 不可跪拜那些像，也不可侍奉它，因為我耶和華你的神是忌邪的神。恨我的，我必追討他的罪，自父及子，直到三四代； 愛我守我誡命的，我必向他們發慈愛，直到千代。
「不可妄稱耶和華你神的名，因為妄稱耶和華名的，耶和華必不以他為無罪。
「當記念安息日，守為聖日。 六日要勞碌做你一切的工， 但第七日是向耶和華你神當守的安息日。這一日你和你的兒女、僕婢、牲畜，並你城裡寄居的客旅，無論何工都不可做。 因為六日之內，耶和華造天、地、海和其中的萬物，第七日便安息，所以耶和華賜福於安息日，定為聖日。
「當孝敬父母，使你的日子在耶和華你神所賜你的地上得以長久。
「不可殺人。
「不可姦淫。
「不可偷盜。
「不可作假見證陷害人。
「不可貪戀人的房屋，也不可貪戀人的妻子、僕婢、牛驢並他一切所有的。」
神在何烈山與民立約
說：『我是耶和華你的神，曾將你從埃及地為奴之家領出來。
『除了我以外，你不可有別的神。
復述十誡
『不可為自己雕刻偶像，也不可做什麼形像，彷彿上天、下地和地底下、水中的百物。 不可跪拜那些像，也不可侍奉它，因為我耶和華你的神是忌邪的神。恨我的，我必追討他的罪，自父及子，直到三四代； 愛我守我誡命的，我必向他們發慈愛，直到千代。
『不可妄稱耶和華你神的名，因為妄稱耶和華名的，耶和華必不以他為無罪。
『當照耶和華你神所吩咐的守安息日為聖日。 六日要勞碌做你一切的工， 但第七日是向耶和華你神當守的安息日。這一日，你和你的兒女、僕婢、牛、驢、牲畜，並在你城裡寄居的客旅，無論何工都不可做，使你的僕婢可以和你一樣安息。 你也要記念你在埃及地做過奴僕，耶和華你神用大能的手和伸出來的膀臂將你從那裡領出來，因此耶和華你的神吩咐你守安息日。
『當照耶和華你神所吩咐的孝敬父母，使你得福，並使你的日子在耶和華你神所賜你的地上得以長久。
『不可殺人。
『不可姦淫。
『不可偷盜。
『不可作假見證陷害人。
『不可貪戀人的妻子，也不可貪圖人的房屋、田地、僕婢、牛、驢並他一切所有的。』
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.