We explain what the Ten Commandments of the Judeo-Christian tradition are, what they are, What is its definition, and their origin.
What are the Ten Commandments?
The Ten Commandments, also known as the biblical Decalogue (from the Greek deca, “ten,” and logos, “word”), are the ten moral, ethical, and religious principles that underpin the religions that inherit the Judeo-Christian tradition: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Although it is a common text, each religion follows and interprets it in its own way.
According to the Bible’s books of Exodus and Deuteronomy, the Ten Commandments were revealed by God to the Jewish prophet Moses during his ascent of Mount Sinai (or Mount Horeb, according to the Torah). God engraved the commandments on two stone tablets so that they would endure forever and serve as a guide to spiritual salvation for the Hebrew people. You must read about Kosher once.
Paradoxically, not all interpretations of the seventeen biblical verses describing this episode are the same, and there are significant variations regarding exactly what these ten divine commandments were. There is even speculation that the number ten was little more than a strategy to facilitate memorization and that there were actually many more.
Thus, for example, the Catholic Catechism summarizes these ten laws in a single sentence from the Gospel of Matthew: “You shall love God above all things and your neighbor as yourself.”
Where are the Ten Commandments written?
The account of the Ten Commandments appears in the biblical books of Exodus and Deuteronomy, specifically in Exodus 20:2-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21. Both are part of the Old Testament, that is, sacred texts of Hebrew origin that predate Jesus Christ. Maybe you should definitely read about Islam once.
What are the Ten Commandments?
There is disagreement regarding the exact formulation of the biblical Ten Commandments. However, they are more or less the same principles, organized according to their hierarchy, that is, the importance that, according to tradition, God gave them as moral guidelines for His chosen people.
First Commandment: “You shall love God above all things”
The first commandment establishes God as the greatest importance and the primary concern of the Hebrew people. This means that the people must follow God’s commandments as an unbreakable law and that they may not worship other gods or deities. Furthermore, you must put faith and commitment to God before any type of personal gain.
Second Commandment: “You shall not take the name of God in vain”
The second commandment condemns blasphemy, that is, the use of God’s name for selfish or superficial purposes, such as false oaths, cursing, insults, and others. Using God’s name in these cases constitutes a lack of respect for the Creator.
Third Commandment: “You shall keep holy the festivals”
The third commandment commands the Hebrew people to respect the dates of their strict religious calendar, without exception. On the one hand, this allows the tradition to be kept alive through its transmission to younger generations. On the other hand, it represents a demonstration of the chosen people’s supreme commitment to God, preventing worldly and selfish concerns from taking precedence over religious rites.
Fourth Commandment: “Honor your father and your mother”
The fourth commandment commands us to respect the authority of our elders, that is, our parents, and to respect their judgment, as it is based on experience. In this way, a close social structure is created between parents and children. At that time, the former made important decisions regarding the lives of their offspring, such as marriage or career.
Fifth Commandment: “You shall not murder”
The fifth commandment is self-explanatory: it prohibits murder, especially if motivated by selfish ends, such as greed or lust. This commandment is fairly universal among religions, although it does not seem to apply to the killing of enemy soldiers during wars or the condemnation of heretics, for example.
Sixth Commandment: “You shall not commit impure acts”
The sixth commandment is ambiguously worded and has traditionally been interpreted as a mandate regarding sexuality and other behaviors that violate one’s own dignity and that of others, such as statutory rape or bestiality. Many behaviors that were once considered impure are not held in the same moral regard today, such as homosexuality.
Seventh Commandment: “You shall not steal”
The seventh commandment prohibits not only stealing, that is, taking possession of another’s property without the other’s consent, but also engaging in usury, corruption, embezzlement, fraud, and other dishonest transactions that undermine fair dealing in economic and commercial matters.
Eighth Commandment: “You shall not bear false witness or lie”
The eighth commandment prohibits various forms of lying, including withholding necessary information, dissembling, and hypocrisy.
Ninth Commandment: “You shall not indulge in impure thoughts or desires”
The ninth commandment is formulated very broadly and generally, as it refers to all those desires or thoughts that can be considered sinful, selfish, or unworthy. In a way, this commandment encompasses what is expressed in many others and gives the thoughts and inner selves of the faithful the same importance as their real actions.
Tenth Commandment: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or their goods”
The tenth commandment condemns envy and covetousness, that is, the desire for what belongs to another person. Therefore, it condemns both adultery and theft, as well as wishing ill of another or holding a grudge because you desire what they have.
Origin of the Ten Commandments
Throughout history, there has been much debate regarding the origin of the Ten Commandments and how, considering their historical and cultural context, they should be interpreted.
While myth attributes their origin to a revelation from the prophet Moses around the 8th century BC, there are historical interpretations that link them to the legislation of ancient Egypt, where the Jewish people served as slaves for years. According to this version, many of the Hebrew laws were inspired by the legal and religious order of their ancient masters.
On the other hand, these Ten Commandments were very important for the development of Christianity and especially of the Catholic Church, as they were the basis for the seven deadly sins and other more or less rigid moral guidelines that governed the morality of Western Christian peoples during the Middle Ages.
References
All the information we offer is supported by authoritative and up-to-date bibliographic sources, ensuring reliable content in line with our editorial principles.
- Holy Bible. (1960). Reina-Valera Version. United Bible Societies.
- The Editors of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2024). Ten Commandments. Encyclopedia Britannica.
