The 10 Commandments of God

God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai to serve as principles of moral behavior for the human race. The Ten Commandments of God are the foundation of the moral code and legal system of justice for Western Christian civilization.

The architecture of the U. S. Supreme Court building reflects this biblical foundation. At the center of the sculpture over the east portico of the Supreme Court Building, there is the image of Moses holding the two tablets of the Ten Commandments; these are also engraved over the chair of the Chief Justice and on the bronze doors of the Supreme Court.

The Decalogue is recorded both in the Books of Exodus (20:1-17) and Deuteronomy (5:6-21), two of the five Books of Moses (also known as the Torah, Law, or Pentateuch). The Ten Commandments were given to Moses on two tablets of stone on Mount Sinai.

This page first presents the Ten Commandments in the English translation of the passage from Deuteronomy. The phrases in red comprise the Ten Commandments. There are twelve phrases in red, as the major religions of the West adopted different phrases of the first paragraph, accounting for the variation in numbering of the Ten Commandments for Judaism, Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants.

A Comparative Table follows. The first column are the Ten Commandments in Judaism, which are presented in Hebrew in the image that follows. The second column are the Ten Commandments in the order given by Augustine of Hippo, and the third column that of Origen of Alexandria. While there is considerable variation, Roman Catholics and Lutherans follow the order given by Augustine, whereas Eastern Catholics, Orthodox, and other Protestants follow the order given by Origen.

We know there are Ten Commandments, because the Bible tells us so in Exodus 34:28, Deuteronomy 10:4, and the following passage:


"He proclaimed to you his covenant, which he commanded you to keep:
the Ten Commandments, which he wrote on two tablets of stone."
Deuteronomy 4:13







THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF GOD



I am the Lord thy God ,
who have brought thee out of the land of Egypt (Mizrahim), out of the house of bondage.
Thou shalt not have any other gods besides me
Thou shalt not make for thyself any graven image
(carved idol) or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; thou shalt not bow down to them or serve them; for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, punishing the iniquities of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those that hate me; but showing mercy to thousands of generations of those that love me, and keep my commandments.

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

Remember to keep holy the sabbath day ;
six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is a sabbath, that is, the rest of the Lord thy God. Thou shalt not do any work therein, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy ox, nor thy ass, nor any of thy beasts, nor the stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest, even as thyself. Remember that thou also didst serve in Egypt, and the Lord thy God brought thee out from thence with a strong hand, and a stretched out arm. Therefore hath he commanded thee that thou shouldst observe the sabbath day.

Honour thy father and mother
that thy days be long in the land which the Lord gives thee.

Thou shalt not kill.

Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Thou shalt not steal.

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's (goods)
house or fields, nor his male or female slaves, nor his ox or ass, or anything that belongs to him.


Deuteronomy 5:6-21




THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
JUDAISM* AUGUSTINE ORIGEN
1 I am the Lord thy God. I am the Lord thy God and thou shalt not have any strange gods before me. I am the Lord thy God and thou shalt not have other gods besides me.
2 Thou shalt have no other gods besides me. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. Thou shalt not make for thyself any graven image.
3 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. Remember to keep holy the Lord's Day. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
4 Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy. Honor thy Father and Mother. Remember the Lord's Day to keep it holy.
5 Honor thy Father and Mother. Thou shalt not kill. Honor thy Father and Mother.
6 Thou shalt not murder. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not kill.
7 Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8 Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. Thou shalt not steal.
9 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
10 Thou shalt not covet. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods. Thou shalt not covet.