The Ten Commandments: what are they about?

The commandments are guides for living with God and with each other. Here is a short introduction.

The Ten Commandments are in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. They were given to Israel after the exodus from Egypt, and they are about how a people who have been set free should live.

Two parts

The first commandments are about the relationship to God: to have no other gods, to make no images, not to misuse the name, and to rest on the Sabbath. The last are about the relationship to each other: to honour parents, not to murder, not to break a marriage, not to steal, not to bear false witness and not to covet.

Jesus’ summary

When Jesus was asked which commandment is the greatest, he answered that it is to love God with all your heart, and to love your neighbour as yourself (Mark 12:28–31). All the commandments can be read as a closer description of love.

Different counting

Churches and the Jewish tradition divide the commandments slightly differently, so the numbering can differ. The content is the same.

Read Exodus 20Read Mark 12The topic of obedience

The article was written by an AI and has not yet been reviewed by a person.

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