Introduction
The Ten Commandments are ten rules for living that, according to the Bible, God gave to Moses and the people of Israel. The first four concern our relationship with God, and the other six our relationships with others: prohibitions against murder, theft and lying, and a call to honor one's parents. They are recorded in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5.
The Ten Commandments are known far beyond churches: people quote pieces of them without always knowing where they come from. This page gives the complete list as the Bible records it, explains each commandment in plain language, presents the summary Jesus gave, and answers a common question about how they are numbered.
Where Do the Ten Commandments Come From, and What Are They For?
According to the Bible, these words were given to the people of Israel after they left Egypt, at the foot of Mount Sinai. God begins by reminding them what he has done: he freed his people from slavery. The commandments are therefore not a list of prohibitions meant to crush anyone, but a framework for living as free people.
They appear in the book of Exodus, chapter 20, and again in Deuteronomy, chapter 5, where Moses repeats them for the next generation. The two lists are very close, with a few differences in wording, especially about the day of rest.
The First Four Commandments: Loving and Honoring God
The first four are about our relationship with God: having no other god than him, not making images to worship him, not using his name carelessly, and setting aside a day of rest. Each one invites us to place God at the center of life rather than at its edges.
Exodus 20:2-3
"I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. “You shall have no other gods before me."
The first commandment: have no other gods but the one God. It comes after a reminder of the deliverance from Egypt. The command is given by someone who first saved his people. Read all of Exodus 20.
Exodus 20:4-6
"You shall not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: you shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me, and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments."
The second commandment: do not make an image to represent God, and do not bow down before one. God cannot be confined to an object, and nothing created should take his place. Read all of Exodus 20.
Exodus 20:7
"You shall not misuse the name of Yahweh your God, for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who misuses his name."
The third commandment: do not take God's name in vain, that is, carelessly, to back up a lie or to twist it for other purposes. A name expresses the person: to respect the name is to respect the person. Read all of Exodus 20.
Exodus 20:8-11
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. You shall labor six days, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God. You shall not do any work in it, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates; for in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy."
The fourth commandment: set aside one day of rest each week. It reminds us that human beings are not machines, and that stopping is an act of trust. This rest even includes servants and foreigners. Read all of Exodus 20.
The Last Six Commandments: Loving Your Neighbor
The next six deal with our relationships with other people: honoring one's parents, not murdering, not committing adultery, not stealing, not lying to harm someone, and not coveting what belongs to another. They protect family, life, faithfulness, property and truth.
Exodus 20:12
"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which Yahweh your God gives you."
The fifth commandment: honor your father and your mother. It is the first one that comes with a promise. It speaks of respect and gratitude, and does not mean blind obedience once you are an adult. Read all of Exodus 20.
Exodus 20:13-15
"You shall not murder. “You shall not commit adultery. “You shall not steal."
These three short commandments protect life, marriage and property. Each one guards something precious that no one has the right to take from another. Read all of Exodus 20.
Exodus 20:16-17
"You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s."
The last group touches on truth and desire. To covet is to want what belongs to someone else to the point of wanting to take it. The text goes all the way to the heart, not only to actions. Read all of Exodus 20.
What Jesus Said About the Ten Commandments
One day, Jesus is asked which commandment is the greatest. He does not name one of the ten: he sums them up in two, which mirror their double structure, loving God and loving others. For him, the commandments are not an end in themselves but a concrete way of loving.
Matthew 22:37-40
"Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."
Jesus ties the whole law to love. The first four commandments flow from love for God, and the other six from love for one's neighbor. Without love, a rule becomes dry; with love, it comes alive. Read all of Matthew 22.
Why Does the Numbering Change Between Traditions?
The biblical text speaks of ten words but does not number them. Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran and Reformed traditions therefore divide the sentences somewhat differently. Some group the ban on images with the first commandment and then split coveting in two. Others make them two separate commandments.
These differences do not change the content: all of them keep the same words. They only show different ways of counting. The key is to read the text itself, which is the same for everyone.
How to Live the Ten Commandments Today
Read them as signposts rather than as bars of a cage. Ask yourself, for each one, what space of freedom it protects: trust in God, the peace of rest, the safety of relationships, truth in speech.
Choose one commandment at a time for a week. For example, take a real day of rest, thank your parents, or tell the truth in a moment when it would be tempting to shade it. Christians believe this kind of life is possible with God's help, not by willpower alone.
Further reading
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Ten Commandments in order?
In the most common numbering: one God only, no idols, do not take God's name in vain, the day of rest, honor your parents, do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not lie, do not covet. Some traditions count them a little differently.
Where are the Ten Commandments in the Bible?
They appear twice: in the book of Exodus, chapter 20, verses 1 to 17, and in Deuteronomy, chapter 5, where Moses repeats them. The two versions are close, with slight differences, especially in the reason given for the day of rest.
Do the Ten Commandments still apply today?
Christians still see lasting moral value in them. Jesus summed up the law in love for God and love for neighbor without abolishing it. They are not a way to earn God's love, but a way of responding to that love.
Why are the Ten Commandments important?
They have shaped whole societies through their ideas of respect for life, truth, justice and rest. For believers, they reveal God's character and show how to love in concrete ways, by protecting what matters to each person.