What are the Ten Commandments?
Exodus 20:1-17
1 And God spoke all these words:
2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
3 “You shall have no other gods before me.
4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.
5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,
6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7 “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns.
11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
13 “You shall not murder.
14 “You shall not commit adultery.
15 “You shall not steal.
16 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
New International Version (NIV)
The answer
The Ten Commandments are the ten laws God Himself spoke to Israel at Mount Sinai, recorded in Exodus 20:1-17. They are the foundation of God's covenant with His people, given right after He delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 20:2) — so the whole list flows from grace: I saved you; now live like My people.
The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3-17)
- No other gods — "You shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3).
- No idols — "You shall not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything... you shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them" (Exodus 20:4-6).
- Don't misuse God's name — "You shall not misuse the name of Yahweh your God" (Exodus 20:7).
- Keep the Sabbath holy — "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy... the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God" (Exodus 20:8-11).
- Honor your parents — "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land" (Exodus 20:12).
- Do not murder — "You shall not murder" (Exodus 20:13).
- Do not commit adultery — "You shall not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:14).
- Do not steal — "You shall not steal" (Exodus 20:15).
- Do not give false testimony — "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor" (Exodus 20:16).
- Do not covet — "You shall not covet your neighbor's house... wife... servant... ox... donkey... anything" (Exodus 20:17).
A few things to notice in the text
- God spoke them. Exodus 20:1 says "God spoke all these words" — they are not Moses' invention. Deuteronomy 5:22 confirms they were written by God Himself on two stone tablets.
- They hinge on redemption. Verse 2 ("I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt") is the premise for every command that follows.
- The first four govern our relationship with God; the last six govern our relationships with other people — a pattern Jesus picks up in Matthew 22:37-40 (love God, love your neighbor).
The commandments are also restated in Deuteronomy 5:6-21, and carried into the New Testament as the standard of righteousness Jesus came to fulfill (Matthew 5:17-20) and the mirror that shows us our need for His grace (Romans 3:20).
Answered from Scripture · reviewed November 7, 2026
The Ten Commandments are the ten fundamental covenant words spoken audibly by God at Mount Sinai and inscribed by His own finger on tablets of stone. Delivered to Israel immediately after their redemption from Egyptian bondage, they establish the moral baseline of loving God wholeheartedly and loving one's neighbor faithfully.
The Covenant Foundation
Redeemed from Bondage to Live in Holiness
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
Exodus 20:2 (NIV)
It grounds every subsequent commandment in God's prior gracious act of redeeming His people from slavery.
Before issuing a single prohibition, God established the moral law upon sovereign rescue: "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery" (Exodus 20:2). Grace strictly precedes obligation. In Exodus 20:1, Yahweh directly speaks every word to the assembly, fulfilling the covenant purpose announced in Exodus 19:5-6 that Israel become a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. As Deuteronomy 5:4 recalls, the Lord spoke face to face out of the thick fire upon the quaking mountain, demonstrating that this covenant was no human invention. Moses records in Deuteronomy 5:22 that God added no further spoken commandments to the public assembly, carving these foundational ten into two tablets of stone. In Exodus 24:12 and Exodus 31:18, Scripture reveals that the tablets were inscribed by the immediate finger of God, sealing their enduring permanence. When Moses broke the initial tablets following Israel's golden calf apostasy, God commanded new stones to be cut, personally re-inscribing the Ten Commandments upon them as remembered in Exodus 34:28, Deuteronomy 4:13, Deuteronomy 9:10, and Deuteronomy 10:4. Deposited directly within the Ark of the Covenant beneath the mercy seat, these ten holy words formed the absolute constitutional bedrock of Israel's relationship with their Redeemer.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Exodus 20:1 | Affirms that God Himself spoke all these foundational covenant words directly to Israel. |
| Exodus 20:2 | Identifies Yahweh as the redeeming God who brought Israel out of Egyptian slavery. |
| Deuteronomy 5:4 | Recalls how Yahweh spoke face to face with the entire congregation from the fire. |
| Deuteronomy 5:22 | Records that God spoke these words out of the fire and wrote them on two stone tablets. |
| Exodus 19:5-6 | God declares Israel a kingdom of priests and holy nation upon keeping His covenant before delivering the Ten Commandments. |
| Exodus 24:12 | The Lord calls Moses to receive the stone tablets containing the commandments written by His own hand. |
| Exodus 31:18 | God gives Moses two tablets of stone inscribed by the very finger of God at Mount Sinai. |
| Exodus 34:28 | Moses records the words of the covenant on tablets, explicitly designated as the Ten Commandments. |
| Deuteronomy 4:13 | Moses recounts how God declared His covenant, the Ten Commandments, and wrote them on two tablets. |
| Deuteronomy 9:10 | The Lord gives Moses two tablets inscribed with all the words spoken out of the mountain fire. |
| Deuteronomy 10:4 | God writes the Ten Commandments onto the replacement stone tablets placed inside the Ark of the Covenant. |
The First Table
Wholehearted Worship and Devotion to Yahweh
“You shall have no other gods before me.
Exodus 20:3 (NIV)
It establishes absolute monotheistic loyalty by forbidding the presence of any rival god before Yahweh.
The opening words of the Decalogue demand unconditional allegiance to the living God: "You shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3). Monotheism is not merely an intellectual confession, but a life of undivided worship. In Exodus 20:4-6, God strictly forbids crafting carved images or bowing down before created things, identifying Himself as an impassioned God whose righteous judgment falls upon generational rebellion, yet whose steadfast covenant love extends to thousands of generations of those who love Him. The third commandment in Exodus 20:7 protects the sanctity of His character, warning that the Lord will not hold guiltless anyone who misuses or profanes His holy name. The first table concludes with the Sabbath in Exodus 20:8-11, commanding humanity to dedicate six days to diligent labor while reserving the seventh as holy cessation to Yahweh, anchored in the Creator's own rest after the six days of Genesis. When Moses reviews these commands in Deuteronomy 5:7-15, he reiterates the ban on rival deities, idols, and blasphemy (Deuteronomy 5:7-11), while expanding the motivation for Sabbath rest (Deuteronomy 5:12-15) to celebrate Israel's deliverance from Egyptian bondage. True devotion acknowledges Yahweh as Creator and Deliverer, claiming every hour and affection.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Exodus 20:3 | Forbids having or worshiping any other gods before Yahweh. |
| Exodus 20:4 | Prohibits crafting any idols or carved images of anything in creation. |
| Exodus 20:5 | Forbids bowing down to images and declares Yahweh's zeal and judgment upon iniquity. |
| Exodus 20:6 | Promises steadfast covenant love to thousands of generations of those who love and obey Him. |
| Exodus 20:7 | Forbids misusing or taking the name of Yahweh in vain. |
| Exodus 20:8 | Commands Israel to remember the Sabbath day by keeping it distinctly holy. |
| Exodus 20:9 | Directs six days of labor and the completion of all regular work. |
| Exodus 20:10 | Prohibits all work on the seventh day for family, servants, beasts, and resident aliens. |
| Exodus 20:11 | Grounds the Sabbath rest in God's own six-day creation and seventh-day cessation. |
| Deuteronomy 5:7 | Reiteration of the first commandment commanding exclusive worship of the Lord alone. |
| Deuteronomy 5:8-10 | Reiteration of the second commandment forbidding carved images and idolatry. |
| Deuteronomy 5:11 | Reiteration of the third commandment prohibiting misuse of the Lord's holy name. |
| Deuteronomy 5:12-15 | Reiteration of the fourth commandment calling for Sabbath rest grounded in Israel's deliverance from Egypt. |
The Second Table
Righteousness and Love Toward One's Neighbor
“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
Exodus 20:12 (NIV)
It bridges honor toward divine authority with the preservation of societal order and familial blessing.
The second table governs human society by reflecting the holiness of God in earthly relationships: "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you" (Exodus 20:12). Honoring parental authority establishes reverence for divine order, coming with an explicit promise of blessing in the land. The remaining commandments form an unyielding wall around human life, marital purity, honest labor, and truthful discourse. Exodus 20:13 outlaws murder, safeguarding human life bearing the image of God. Exodus 20:14 forbids adultery, preserving the holy sanctity of the marriage covenant. Exodus 20:15 prohibits theft, establishing the moral integrity of personal property and honest labor. Exodus 20:16 commands absolute integrity of speech by outlawing false witness against one's neighbor. Finally, Exodus 20:17 reaches beneath visible conduct into the human heart, forbidding inward covetousness of a neighbor's house, spouse, servants, or possessions. Deuteronomy 5:16-21 repeats these vital protections verbatim for the rising generation on the plains of Moab. In these six commands, God demonstrates that true godliness produces a flourishing, safe, and just community where neighbor is loved as self.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Exodus 20:12 | Commands honor toward father and mother with a promise of long life in the land. |
| Exodus 20:13 | Forbids the unlawful taking of human life through murder. |
| Exodus 20:14 | Prohibits adultery, defending the sanctity and covenant bond of marriage. |
| Exodus 20:15 | Forbids stealing, guarding the rightful property and labor of others. |
| Exodus 20:16 | Prohibits testifying falsely or lying against one's neighbor. |
| Exodus 20:17 | Forbids inward covetousness toward a neighbor's house, spouse, servants, or possessions. |
| Deuteronomy 5:16 | Reiteration of the fifth commandment commanding honor toward father and mother with promised blessing. |
| Deuteronomy 5:17 | Reiteration of the sixth commandment forbidding murder. |
| Deuteronomy 5:18 | Reiteration of the seventh commandment forbidding adultery. |
| Deuteronomy 5:19 | Reiteration of the eighth commandment forbidding theft. |
| Deuteronomy 5:20 | Reiteration of the ninth commandment forbidding false witness against one's neighbor. |
| Deuteronomy 5:21 | Reiteration of the tenth commandment forbidding coveting any possession or person belonging to a neighbor. |
The Law Fulfilled
The Commandments Accomplished in Christ
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before me. “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping…
Deuteronomy 5:6-21 (NIV)
The complete second delivery of the Decalogue points forward to the internalized law of the New Covenant.
God intended the Decalogue to expose human frailty and prepare hearts for the Savior: "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" (Matthew 5:17). While Moses delivered the complete Decalogue to Israel in Deuteronomy 5:6-21, Christ came to embody its perfect righteousness, fulfilling its standard in His life and teaching (Matthew 5:17-20; Romans 13:8-10). Stephen testified in Acts 7:38 and Acts 7:53 that Israel received living oracles through angels yet proved unable to obey them, a reality Paul explains in Romans 3:20, Galatians 3:24, and Hebrews 8:10. Jesus deepened the law in Matthew 5:21-28, revealing that unjust anger constitutes murder and inward lust constitutes adultery. He challenged the rich ruler with the second table in Matthew 19:16-19 and condensed the entirety of the commandments into love for God and neighbor in Matthew 22:37-40. Paul explains in Romans 7:7 that the command against covetousness unmasked his own depravity, leading him to praise God in Romans 8:3-4 that the righteous requirement of the Law is fulfilled in those who walk by the Spirit. In Romans 13:8-10 and Ephesians 6:1-3, the commandments remain the believer's pattern of love, while James 2:10-11 warns that breaking one commandment breaches the whole royal law.
| Passage | What it says | Fulfilled |
|---|---|---|
| Deuteronomy 5:6-21 | Rehearses the complete Ten Commandments to the generation entering the Promised Land. | Matthew 5:17-20, Romans 13:8-10 |
| Acts 7:38 | Identifies the law received at Sinai as living oracles delivered through Moses. | Romans 3:20, Galatians 3:24 |
| Acts 7:53 | Testifies that Israel received the law through angels yet failed to keep it. | Hebrews 8:10, Romans 8:3-4 |
| Matthew 5:17-19 | Jesus declares He came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill every stroke and letter. | |
| Matthew 5:21-28 | Jesus deepens the commandments against murder and adultery to internal anger and lust. | |
| Matthew 19:16-19 | Jesus recites commandments from the second table to the rich young ruler as righteous requirements. | |
| Matthew 22:37-40 | Jesus summarizes the entirety of the Law and Prophets into love for God and love for neighbor. | |
| Romans 7:7 | Paul explains that the Law exposes sin, specifically identifying covetousness through the tenth commandment. | |
| Romans 8:3-4 | God accomplishes in Christ what the Law could not, fulfilling its righteous requirement in believers. | |
| Romans 13:8-10 | Paul quotes several commandments, affirming that love fulfills the entire moral law. | |
| Galatians 3:24-25 | The Law acts as a guardian leading sinners to Christ that they might be justified by faith. | |
| Ephesians 6:1-3 | Paul quotes the fifth commandment as the first commandment accompanied by a promise. | |
| James 2:10-11 | James points to the commandments against adultery and murder to show the indivisible unity of God's Law. |
Where in the Bible
| Book | Passages |
|---|---|
| Exodus | 21 · Exodus 20:1, Exodus 20:2, Exodus 19:5-6, Exodus 24:12, Exodus 31:18, Exodus 34:28, Exodus 20:3, Exodus 20:4, Exodus 20:5, Exodus 20:6, Exodus 20:7, Exodus 20:8, Exodus 20:9, Exodus 20:10, Exodus 20:11, Exodus 20:12, Exodus 20:13, Exodus 20:14, Exodus 20:15, Exodus 20:16, Exodus 20:17 |
| Deuteronomy | 16 · Deuteronomy 5:4, Deuteronomy 5:22, Deuteronomy 4:13, Deuteronomy 9:10, Deuteronomy 10:4, Deuteronomy 5:7, Deuteronomy 5:8-10, Deuteronomy 5:11, Deuteronomy 5:12-15, Deuteronomy 5:16, Deuteronomy 5:17, Deuteronomy 5:18, Deuteronomy 5:19, Deuteronomy 5:20, Deuteronomy 5:21, Deuteronomy 5:6-21 |
| Matthew | 4 · Matthew 5:17-19, Matthew 5:21-28, Matthew 19:16-19, Matthew 22:37-40 |
| Acts | 2 · Acts 7:38, Acts 7:53 |
| Romans | 3 · Romans 7:7, Romans 8:3-4, Romans 13:8-10 |
| Galatians | 1 · Galatians 3:24-25 |
| Ephesians | 1 · Ephesians 6:1-3 |
| James | 1 · James 2:10-11 |
The story in order
- God speaks the Ten Commandments (c. 1446 BC) · Exodus 20:1 · God audibly delivered the foundational covenant words directly to Israel.
- Israel declared a holy nation (c. 1446 BC) · Exodus 19:5-6 · Upon keeping His covenant, Israel would be a kingdom of priests and holy nation.
- Moses receives stone tablets (c. 1446 BC) · Exodus 24:12 · The Lord called Moses to receive the stone tablets with commandments written by God.
- God inscribes the commandments (c. 1446 BC) · Exodus 31:18 · God inscribed the Ten Commandments on two stone tablets with His own finger.
- Commandments written on tablets (c. 1446 BC) · Exodus 34:28 · Moses recorded the covenant words, explicitly designated as the Ten Commandments.
- Commandments rehearsed to new generation (c. 1406 BC) · Deuteronomy 5:6-21 · The Ten Commandments were rehearsed to the generation entering the Promised Land.
- Law received as living oracles (AD 30s) · Acts 7:38 · The law received at Sinai is identified as living oracles delivered through Moses.
- Jesus fulfills the Law (c. AD 30) · Matthew 5:17-19 · Jesus declared He came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill every part.
- Jesus summarizes the Law (c. AD 32) · Matthew 22:37-40 · Jesus summarized the Law and Prophets into loving God and loving neighbor.
- Law reveals sin (c. AD 57) · Romans 7:7 · Paul explains the Law exposes sin, specifically identifying covetousness.
- Christ fulfills Law's requirement (c. AD 57) · Romans 8:3-4 · God accomplished in Christ what the Law could not, fulfilling its requirement.
- Law leads to Christ (c. AD 55) · Galatians 3:24-25 · The Law acted as a guardian leading sinners to Christ for justification by faith.
Key words
- Covenant
- A solemn agreement or promise between God and His people, or between people. · Exodus 20:1
- Law (Torah, תּוֹרָה)
- God's revealed will and commands, given at Sinai and summarized in love. · Acts 7:38
- Idol
- An image or representation of a god used as an object of worship. · Exodus 20:4
- Sabbath
- A day of rest and worship, commanded by God and grounded in creation. · Exodus 20:8
- Honor
- To show deep respect and high regard, especially toward parents. · Exodus 20:12
- Covet
- To intensely desire what belongs to another. · Exodus 20:17
- Fulfill
- To accomplish, complete, or satisfy the requirements of the Law. · Matthew 5:17
These ten words reveal God's unchanging holy character and uncover human moral failure, acting as a schoolmaster to lead sinners to Christ. In Jesus, the Law is perfectly fulfilled and its righteousness is written directly upon believing hearts by the Holy Spirit.
49 passages, each cited once.
Scripture cited
- Exodus 20:1-17
- Deuteronomy 5:22