10 Commandments

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These are notes for an incomplete "Concept" page.

Information is being added as the Bible Pages are added. In the end, everything will be compiled, further information added (as necessary), broken links connected, etc.


Cross-references

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Introduction

The Ten Commandments are a summary of all the obligations that a human has. These obligations break down into two categories:

  1. Obligations toward God. (Obedience to these commands fulfills our obligation to "Love God with all our being.")
  2. Obligations toward people. (Obedience to these commands fulfills our obligation to "Love our neighbor as ourselves.")


These commands can be found in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5.

The Exodus passage records the original giving of the commands, as spoken by God.
The Deuteronomy passage is a restatement of the commands, given by Moses, just before the people were to enter the land of Canaan. There are slight differences in wording between these two accounts (the most significant being that Moses gives a second reason for obeying one of them), but the commands themselves are not affected. (Moses did not need a word-for-word quote, in order to communicate the message accurately!)

These commands can be found in a different format in Leviticus 19, where their intent is shown, through various applications of the commands.


Who Spoke These Words?

God did! Specifically, the God who released them from slavery in Egypt.

Exodus 20 Deuteronomy 5
Exo 20:1 God spoke all these words, saying,

Exo 20:2 "I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage."

Deu 5:4 Yahweh spoke with you face to face on the mountain out of the midst of the fire,

Deu 5:6 "I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage."

Of all the words of the Law, these "Ten Words" are unique. They are the only words God spoke directly to the whole assembly of Israel:

Deu 5:22 These words Yahweh spoke to all your assembly on the mountain out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. He wrote them on two tables of stone, and gave them to me.


A List of the Commands (Note that each command represents an entire category of attitudes and actions.)

Though there are ten commandments, sin often involves the breaking of more than one of them at a time. For instance, the sin of idolatry often involves breaking both of the first two commandments. It can be related to the violations of several other commands (example: coveting, the Tenth Commandment).

  1. Make no substitutes for the True God.
    (There is only one God, and we must have no other.)
  2. Make no images or likenesses of the True God.
    (We must not invent our own "interpretations" of who God is, but must accept in full what the Scriptures reveal about him.)
  3. Do not misuse the name of the True God.
    (We must have an utmost reverence for who God is and for everything about him.)
  4. You must set aside time each week for the True God.
    (We must take time each week to redirect our focus - from things related to God's creation, to God himself. The rest of our week is to be spent in activities related to God's creation - using it in ways that are honoring to God and which benefit people.)
  5. You must honor parental authority.
    (We must honor all legitimate authority, beginning at home. By implication, authority must not mistreat those under authority.)
  6. You must not take away human life.
    (We must tolerate nothing that destroys or denigrates life; we must do everything that promotes and encourages life.)
  7. You must not tolerate sexual impurity.
    (We must be pure, sexually and in all other ways. Since God created sexuality as a reflection of his very being, sexual sin is not only a sin against humans and society, but against God. It is often compared to idolatry, and takes us back to the first command.)
  8. You must not steal or withhold something that belongs to another.
    (We must not take something that belongs to another, whether it be tangible or intangible. We must not withhold something we have, that others have a legitimate right to.)
  9. You must not speak falsely to another.
    (We must neither lie nor withhold truth that others have a legitimate right to. We must promote truthfulness and faithfulness in all we do.)
  10. You must not long for anything that belongs to someone else.
    (In all things, love for God and neighbor must come ahead of love for self. "Coveting" is a form of idolatry, and takes us back to the first command.)


The "Two Greatest Commands" are "Love for God" and "Love for Neighbor." All the commands given in the Law of Moses (including the Ten Commandments) can be summarized by these two commands.

  • The command of "Love for God" is best seen in the first four of the Ten Commandments, although each of the others has implications related to that focus.
  • The command of "Love for Neighbor" is best seen in the last six of the Ten Commandments, although each of the others has implications related to that focus.


The Purpose and Use of These Commands

(to be finished later)

  • God's will for our lives.
  • each command represents a category of both actions and attitudes.
  • There is a "hierarchy" between the commands: Those pertaining to God take precedence over those pertaining to humans, if there is ever a time in which both cannot be obeyed.
  • Is there ever a situation in which two commands regarding our actions toward people would conflict?
  • Normally, if there appears to be a "conflict," it's because an obligation toward God is being overlooked.
  • Perhaps if a command is already being violated - sin is committed - then a "conflict" might possibly come into existence. But in that case, the problem isn't with the commands, but with the sin that is being committed.

With rare exceptions, Israel took these commands as an "external" list that stood over them. They did not take them to heart. This was a weakness of the Old Covenant. Under the New Covenant (which has replaced the Old), these laws are internalized - the genuine follower of Jesus will want to obey them (as they apply under the New Covenant), because God puts the desire in his heart.

The rest of the commands given by God are applications of these ten commandments. Often they will be an application of two or three of these commandments, rather than a single one of them.

  • For example, a command regarding accurate weights and measures would be an application of two commandments: the eighth (about stealing) and the ninth (about lying). And several other commands would be implied, to some degree: the tenth (about coveting something that belongs to someone else), the first (since greed is a form if idolatry), etc.



Comments about the numbering of the commands

Scripture tells us that there are "10" commands, but the commands themselves are not numbered. The numbering used here seems to be the most natural, and has a significant amount of historic support. However, some people number the commands in a slightly different way. (For example, they may divide the tenth command about coveting into two commands, and then combine the first two about "no other gods" and "no images" into one.)

Whatever one's conclusions on this issue, we need to realize that it is more important to pay attention to what the commands say, than to worry about their numbering!

Interestingly, the number "ten" is often used in the early books of the Bible to symbolize "completeness." This idea fits quite well here; for these commands represent the "complete" will of God for our lives!


10 Commandments

#1  •  #2  •  #3  •  #4  •  #5  •  #6  •  #7  •  #8  •  #9  •  #10


Scripture Pages that Link to Here

Exodus 20:1-21

The original giving of the commandments.


Deuteronomy 5:1-33

Restatement of the commands, just before entering the Promised Land.
These commands need to be taken to heart! Deu 5:29 Oh that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children forever!


Exodus 24 (selected verses)

Moses was to approach God and receive the tables of stone with the law written on them.


Exodus 32:1-35

God physically made the two tablets with the commands written on them; Moses broke them when he saw the people celebrating the golden calf.


Leviticus 26:1-45

A reference to the first four (commandments related to God).



Unless otherwise noted, all notes and comments are © by Dennis Hinks.