TEN COMMANDMENTS
(Exodus 20:1–17 and Deuteronomy 5:7–21) Some believe that Deuteronomy 5:6 is the first commandment: “I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage,” but this is not a commandment, only a statement. The last commandment about “Thou shalt not covet” lists several things not to covet, but it is only one commandment and cannot be divided to make two commandments, as some do because they pass over the second commandment by making it part of the first one.
1) “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”
2) “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.”
3) “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”
4) “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.”
5) “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.”
6) “Thou shalt not kill.”
7) “Thou shalt not commit adultery.”
8) “Thou shalt not steal.”
9) “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.”
10) “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.” (Exodus 20:1–17)
The first four commandments concern man’s relationship to God. The last six commandments concern man’s relationship to man. Jesus Christ condensed the Ten Commandments into two for His followers in the New Testament. “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment” (commandments 1–4). “And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (commandments 5–10). “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:37–40). If one loves God, he will not have another, he will not have a substitute (idol), he will not use God’s name in vain, and he will not forget the Lord’s Day. And if one loves others as himself, then he will respect and obey his parents, he will not kill or commit adultery or steal, or lie, or covet what is his neighbor’s.
(Exodus 20:1–17 and Deuteronomy 5:7–21) Some believe that Deuteronomy 5:6 is the first commandment: “I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage,” but this is not a commandment, only a statement. The last commandment about “Thou shalt not covet” lists several things not to covet, but it is only one commandment and cannot be divided to make two commandments, as some do because they pass over the second commandment by making it part of the first one.
1) “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”
2) “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.”
3) “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”
4) “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.”
5) “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.”
6) “Thou shalt not kill.”
7) “Thou shalt not commit adultery.”
8) “Thou shalt not steal.”
9) “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.”
10) “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.” (Exodus 20:1–17)
The first four commandments concern man’s relationship to God. The last six commandments concern man’s relationship to man. Jesus Christ condensed the Ten Commandments into two for His followers in the New Testament. “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment” (commandments 1–4). “And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (commandments 5–10). “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:37–40). If one loves God, he will not have another, he will not have a substitute (idol), he will not use God’s name in vain, and he will not forget the Lord’s Day. And if one loves others as himself, then he will respect and obey his parents, he will not kill or commit adultery or steal, or lie, or covet what is his neighbor’s.
