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
“我是主—你的上帝，是我把你从埃及的土地领了出来，使你摆脱了埃及人的奴役。
“除我之外，你不可崇拜别的神。
“不许你制作任何偶像，不可模仿天上、地上或地下水里的任何形象制作任何塑像或画像。 不可崇拜或侍奉任何偶像，因为我—主，是你的上帝，我忌恨我的子民崇拜其它的神明。排斥我的人，我要追讨他们的罪，直到第三、四代子孙。 但我将善待爱我的和谨守我诫命的人，我将善待他们的子孙千代。
“不可滥用主—你的上帝的名许空愿。凡滥用我的名的人，我必惩罚他。
“要纪念安息日，守它为圣日。 一周里，你可以工作六天， 但第七天是向主—你的上帝表达敬意的休息日。在这一天，无论是你自己和你的儿女，还是男女奴仆都不可做工，甚至你的牲畜和寄居在你的城镇的外族人都不可做工。 因为，主在六天里创造了天地海洋和其中的万物，在第七天休息了，所以，主赐福给安息日，定为圣日。
“要孝敬父母，这样，才能在主—你的上帝赐给你的土地上福寿绵长。
“不可谋杀。
“不可通奸。
“不可偷盗。
“不可作假证陷害他人。
“不可贪图别人的房产，不可贪恋别人的妻子，不可贪图别人的男女奴仆、牛或驴，不可贪图属于他人的任何东西。”
“‘我是主—你的上帝。是我把你从埃及的土地领了出来，使你摆脱了埃及人的奴役。
“‘除我之外，你不可崇拜别的神。
“‘你不可模仿天上、地上或地下水里的任何形象为自己造任何偶像。 不可崇拜或侍奉任何偶像，因为我是主，是你的上帝。我忌恨我的子民崇拜其它的神明。排斥我的人，我要追讨他们的罪，直到第三、四代子孙。 但我要善待爱我的和谨守我的诫命的人，直到他们的千代子孙。
“‘不可滥用主—你的上帝的名许空愿。凡滥用我的名的人，我必惩罚他。
“‘要遵照主—你的上帝的命令，守安息日为圣日。 一周里，你可以工作六天， 但第七天是属于主—你的上帝的安息日。在这一天，无论是你自己、你的儿女和寄居在你的城镇的外族人，还是男女奴仆都不可做工，甚至你的牛、驴和其它牲畜都不可做工。你的男女奴仆应该跟你一样休息。 要记住，你也曾在埃及做过奴隶，是主—你的上帝用他的大能力把你从那里领出来的，因此，主—你的上帝命令你必须守安息日。
“‘你要遵照主—你的上帝的命令，尊敬父母，这样，你才能在主—你的上帝赐给你的土地上长久居住，并且事事顺利。
“‘不可谋杀。
“‘不可通奸。
“‘不可偷盗。
“‘不可作假证陷害他人。
“‘不可贪恋别人的妻子，不可贪图别人的房产、田地、男女奴仆、牛、驴，不可贪图属于他人的任何东西。’
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.