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
“我是耶和华你的神，是把你从埃及地、从为奴之家领出来的那一位。 除我以外，你不可有别的神。
不可为自己造偶像20:4 偶像——或译作“雕像”。，不可造上天、下地和地底下水中之物的任何形象。 不可向它们下拜，也不可服事它们，因为我耶和华你的神是嫉愤的神。恨我的人，我必惩罚他们的罪孽，从父到子，直到三代、四代； 爱我并遵守我诫命的人，我必向他们施慈爱，直到千代。
不可妄称你神耶和华的名，因为妄称耶和华名的人，耶和华必不让他免于罪罚。
要记念安息日，把它分别为圣。 六天你要劳碌，做你一切工作； 但第七日是你神耶和华的安息日，你和你的儿女、仆婢，你的牲畜，以及你城里的寄居者，都不可做任何工作。 因为六日中耶和华造了诸天、大地、海和其中的万有，在第七日他就安息了，所以耶和华祝福安息日，把它分别为圣。
要孝敬父母，使你的日子在你神耶和华所赐给你的地上长久。
不可杀人。
不可通奸。
不可偷窃。
不可作假见证指证你的邻人。
不可贪爱你邻人的房屋，不可贪爱你邻人的妻子、仆婢、牛驴，以及任何属于你邻人的东西。”
“我是耶和华你的神，是把你从埃及地为奴之家领出来的那一位。 除我以外，你不可有别的神。
不可为自己造偶像5:8 偶像——或译作“雕像”。，不可造上天、下地和地底下水中之物的任何形象。 不可向它们下拜，也不可服事它们，因为我耶和华你的神是嫉愤的神。恨我的人，我必惩罚他们的罪孽，从父到子，甚至到三代、四代； 爱我并遵守我诫命的人，我必向他们施慈爱，直到千代。
不可妄称你神耶和华的名，因为妄称耶和华名的人，耶和华必不让他免于罪罚。
要谨守安息日，把它分别为圣，正如你神耶和华所指示你的。 六天你要劳碌，做你一切工作； 但第七日是你神耶和华的安息日，你和你的儿女、仆婢，你的牛驴和一切牲畜，以及你城里的寄居者，都不可做任何工作，好让你的仆婢可以像你一样休息。 要记住，你曾在埃及地作奴隶，而耶和华你的神用大能的手和伸出的膀臂，把你从那里领了出来，因此耶和华你的神吩咐你要守安息日。
要孝敬父母，正如你神耶和华所指示你的，好让你的日子长久，在你神耶和华所赐给你的地上蒙福。
不可杀人。
不可通奸。
不可偷窃。
不可作假见证指证你的邻人。
不可贪爱你邻人的妻子，不可贪图你邻人的房屋、田地、仆婢、牛驴，以及任何属于你邻人的东西。”
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.