The Ten Commandments.
The Decalogue, given at Mount Sinai and recorded in Exodus 20:1–17 and Deuteronomy 5:6–21. Below: the ten commandments in the ESV translation, with a brief commentary on each, and a comparison of the three main numbering traditions (Reformed, Catholic/Lutheran, and Jewish) — they group the verses differently but agree on the content.
The Decalogue (Reformed numbering)
You shall have no other gods before me
"You shall have no other gods before me."
The first commandment establishes monotheism — exclusive worship of the LORD. "Before me" can also be translated "in my presence" or "in defiance of me." This commandment is the basis for everything that follows; the other nine flow from it.
Exodus 20:3 · Deuteronomy 5:7
You shall not make for yourself a carved image
"You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them."
A prohibition on idolatry — both the worship of false gods and any attempt to represent the true God as a physical image. The Reformed tradition counts this as its own commandment; Catholic and Lutheran traditions fold it into the first.
Exodus 20:4–6 · Deuteronomy 5:8–10
You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain
"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain."
Broader than mere profanity. The Hebrew la-shav means "emptily" or "falsely" — invoking God's name without weight, swearing falsely by it, or claiming his authority for one's own purposes.
Exodus 20:7 · Deuteronomy 5:11
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labour, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God."
The only commandment that begins with "remember." The reasoning differs across the two givings: Exodus 20 grounds it in creation (God rested on the seventh day); Deuteronomy 5 grounds it in redemption (Israel was a slave in Egypt and God brought them out). Both come together in Christian observance.
Exodus 20:8–11 · Deuteronomy 5:12–15
Honour your father and your mother
"Honour your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you."
The first commandment with a promise (as Paul notes in Ephesians 6:2). It is the hinge of the Decalogue — the last of the "love God" commandments and the first of the "love neighbour" ones, since the family is where these two loves first meet.
Exodus 20:12 · Deuteronomy 5:16
You shall not murder
"You shall not murder."
The Hebrew ratsach refers specifically to unlawful killing — murder, not all killing. Jesus extends this commandment in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:21–22) to include hatred and contempt as forms of the same sin.
Exodus 20:13 · Deuteronomy 5:17
You shall not commit adultery
"You shall not commit adultery."
The protection of the marriage covenant. Jesus extends it (Matthew 5:27–28) to include lustful intent, not only the physical act.
Exodus 20:14 · Deuteronomy 5:18
You shall not steal
"You shall not steal."
Protection of property, and by implication of the dignity of labour and the rights of the poor. The broader Mosaic law fills in the details — gleaning rights for widows, debt forgiveness in the Year of Jubilee, restitution scaled to the theft.
Exodus 20:15 · Deuteronomy 5:19
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour
"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour."
Originally framed in legal language — perjury, lying in court to damage a neighbour. Christian tradition has applied it more broadly to slander, gossip, and any false speech that harms reputation.
Exodus 20:16 · Deuteronomy 5:20
You shall not covet
"You shall not covet your neighbour's house; you shall not covet your neighbour's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbour's."
The only commandment that targets desire rather than action. It exposes the inward orientation that all the earlier commandments depend on — Paul says in Romans 7 that this was the commandment that revealed his own sinfulness to him, because the law could forbid the act but not the wanting.
Exodus 20:17 · Deuteronomy 5:21
Numbering traditions compared
The three main traditions agree on the content of all ten but group the Exodus 20 verses differently. The Reformed tradition (used by most Protestants — Presbyterian, Reformed, Baptist, Methodist, Anglican) splits the prohibition of idolatry from the prohibition of other gods. The Catholic and Lutheran tradition (following Augustine) combines them and instead splits the final commandment in two. The Jewish tradition treats the prologue as the first.
| Verse(s) | Content | Reformed | Catholic / Lutheran | Jewish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ex 20:2 | "I am the LORD your God…" | (preface) | (preface) | 1 |
| Ex 20:3 | No other gods before me | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Ex 20:4–6 | No graven images | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Ex 20:7 | Don't take the Name in vain | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Ex 20:8–11 | Sabbath day | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Ex 20:12 | Honour father and mother | 5 | 4 | 5 |
| Ex 20:13 | Murder | 6 | 5 | 6 |
| Ex 20:14 | Adultery | 7 | 6 | 7 |
| Ex 20:15 | Theft | 8 | 7 | 8 |
| Ex 20:16 | False witness | 9 | 8 | 9 |
| Ex 20:17a | Coveting house | 10 | 9 | 10 |
| Ex 20:17b | Coveting wife, servants, livestock | 10 | 10 | 10 |
Two tables of the Law
Christian tradition often divides the ten into two "tables" or sections. The first table (commandments 1–4 in the Reformed numbering) concerns the love of God; the second table (commandments 5–10) concerns the love of neighbour. Jesus summarises both this way when asked which is the greatest commandment: love God with all your heart, and love your neighbour as yourself (Matthew 22:37–40). The whole law, he says, hangs on these two.
FAQ
Where are the Ten Commandments in the Bible?
They are given twice — first at Mount Sinai in Exodus 20:1–17, then repeated by Moses to the next generation in Deuteronomy 5:6–21. The two versions differ slightly in wording (most notably in the rationale for the Sabbath) but list the same commandments in the same order.
Why do Catholic and Protestant numberings differ?
The Reformed (Protestant) tradition follows the numbering used in early Jewish translation traditions and reaffirmed by the Reformers — separating the prohibition of other gods (commandment 1) from the prohibition of idol images (commandment 2), and treating coveting as a single tenth commandment. The Catholic and Lutheran traditions follow Augustine — combining the first two into one and splitting coveting in two. Both traditions agree on all the content; they only disagree on how to count it.
Are Christians obligated to keep the Sabbath?
This is genuinely debated. The Reformed tradition has historically held that the moral principle of the Sabbath continues but is now observed on Sunday (the Lord's Day, marking the Resurrection). Lutheran and Catholic traditions emphasise gathering for worship more than strict rest. Some Christian groups (Seventh-day Adventists, Seventh-Day Baptists) maintain Saturday observance. Most Christians agree that the underlying principle — rhythms of work and rest, dedicated time for worship — remains binding.
Does Jesus repeal the Ten Commandments?
No — he intensifies them. In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7) he extends "do not murder" to include hatred, and "do not commit adultery" to include lustful intent. He says in Matthew 5:17, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." The Decalogue is not abolished but deepened.
What's the difference between the Decalogue and the rest of the Mosaic Law?
The Ten Commandments are the foundational moral law given to all Israel at Sinai. The rest of the Torah (the "Mosaic law" — 613 commandments by traditional Jewish counting) elaborates them with civil and ceremonial applications for ancient Israel. Christian theology has historically treated the Decalogue's moral content as binding on Christians, while the civil and ceremonial laws are understood to be fulfilled and transformed in Christ.
Related tools
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