The Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments were given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai and form the basis of God's moral law. The first four concern our relationship with God, while the last six concern our relationship with others. Jesus summarized them in the commandment of love.
No Other Gods
The first and foundational commandment - the Lord alone is God.
2"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
אָֽנֹכִ֖י֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑֔יךָ אֲשֶׁ֧ר הוֹצֵאתִ֛יךָ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם מִבֵּ֣֥ית עֲבָדִ֑͏ֽים׃
3You shall have no other gods before me.
לֹֽ֣א יִהְיֶֽה־לְךָ֛֩ אֱלֹהִ֥֨ים אֲחֵרִ֖֜ים עַל־פָּנָֽ͏ַ֗י
4Hear, Israel: The LORD is our God, the LORD alone.
שְׁמַ֖ע[5] יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ יְהוָ֥ה ׀ אֶחָֽד׃[5]
No Idolatry
Prohibition against making images and worshipping created things.
4You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any image of anything in the heavens above, or on the earth below, or in the waters under the earth.
לֹֽ֣א תֽ͏ַעֲשֶׂ֨ה־לְךָ֥֣ פֶ֣֙סֶל֙ ׀ וְכָל־תְּמוּנָ֡֔ה אֲשֶׁ֤֣ר בַּשָּׁמַ֣֙יִם֙ ׀ מִמַּ֡֔עַל וֽ͏ַאֲשֶׁ֥ר֩ בָּאָ֖֨רֶץ מִתָּ֑͏ַ֜חַת וַאֲשֶׁ֥֣ר בַּמַּ֖֣יִם ׀ מִתַּ֥֣חַת לָאָֽ֗רֶץ
5You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the guilt of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,
לֹֽא־תִשְׁתַּחְוֶ֥֣ה לָהֶ֖ם֮ וְלֹ֣א תָעָבְדֵ֑ם֒ כִּ֣י אֽ͏ָנֹכִ֞י יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ אֵ֣ל קַנָּ֔א פֹּ֠קֵד עֲוֺ֨ן אָבֹ֧ת עַל־בָּנִ֛ים עַל־שִׁלֵּשִׁ֥ים וְעַל־רִבֵּעִ֖ים לְשֹׂנְאָֽ֑י׃
6but showing steadfast love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
וְעֹ֥֤שֶׂה חֶ֖֙סֶד֙ לַאֲלָפִ֑֔ים לְאֹהֲבַ֖י וּלְשֹׁמְרֵ֥י מִצְוֺתָֽי׃ ס
God's Name
God's name must be kept holy and not misused.
7You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold guiltless anyone who misuses his name.
לֹ֥א תִשָּׂ֛א אֶת־שֵֽׁם־יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ לַשָּׁ֑וְא כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יְנַקֶּה֙ יְהוָ֔ה אֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר־יִשָּׂ֥א אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ לַשָּֽׁוְא׃ פ
The Sabbath
The day of rest shall be kept holy as a reminder of creation.
8Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
זָכ֛וֹר֩ אֶת־י֥֨וֹם הַשַׁבָּ֖֜ת לְקַדְּשֽׁ֗וֹ
9Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
שֵׁ֤֣שֶׁת יָמִ֣ים֙ תּֽ͏ַעֲבֹ֔ד֮ וְעָשִׂ֖֣יתָ כָּל־מְלַאכְתֶּֽךָ֒
10but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female servant, your livestock, or the foreigner residing within your gates.
וְי֨וֹם֙ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔֜י שַׁבָּ֖֣ת ׀ לַיהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑֗יךָ לֹֽ֣א־תַעֲשֶׂ֣֨ה כָל־מְלָאכָ֡֜ה אַתָּ֣ה ׀ וּבִנְךָֽ֣־וּ֠בִתֶּ֗ךָ עַבְדְּךָ֤֨ וַאֲמָֽתְךָ֜֙ וּבְהֶמְתֶּ֔֗ךָ וְגֵרְךָ֖֙ אֲשֶׁ֥֣ר בִּשְׁעָרֶֽ֔יךָ
11For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and everything in them, but he rested on the seventh day. That is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
כִּ֣י שֵֽׁשֶׁת־יָמִים֩ עָשָׂ֨ה יְהוָ֜ה אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם וְאֶת־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֶת־הַיָּם֙ וְאֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֔ם וַיָּ֖נַח בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֑י עַל־כֵּ֗ן בֵּרַ֧ךְ יְהוָ֛ה אֶת־י֥וֹם הַשַׁבָּ֖ת וַֽיְקַדְּשֵֽׁהוּ׃ ס
Honor Your Parents
The first commandment with a promise - to honor father and mother.
12Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
כַּבֵּ֥ד אֶת־אָבִ֖יךָ וְאֶת־אִמֶּ֑ךָ לְמַ֙עַן֙ יַאֲרִכ֣וּן יָמֶ֔יךָ עַ֚ל הָאֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לָֽךְ׃ ס
1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
Τὰ τέκνα, ὑπακούετε τοῖς γονεῦσιν ὑμῶν ἐν κυρίῳ, τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν δίκαιον·
2"Honor your father and mother" — this is the first commandment with a promise —
τίμα τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ τὴν μητέρα, ἥτις ἐστὶν ἐντολὴ πρώτη ἐν ἐπαγγελίᾳ,
3"so that it may go well with you and you may live long on the earth."
ἵνα εὖ σοι γένηται καὶ ἔσῃ μακροχρόνιος ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς.
You Shall Not Murder
Human life is sacred because we are created in God's image.
13You shall not murder.
לֹ֥֖א תִּֿרְצָ֖͏ֽח׃ ס
21You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder,' and 'Whoever murders will be liable to judgment.'
Ἠκούσατε ὅτι ἐρρέθη τοῖς ἀρχαίοις· Οὐ φονεύσεις· ὃς δʼ ἂν φονεύσῃ, ἔνοχος ἔσται τῇ κρίσει.
22But I tell you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever says to his brother, 'Raca,' will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool,' will be liable to the fire of hell.[^1]
[^1]: *Raca* is an Aramaic term of contempt, roughly 'empty-head' or 'good-for-nothing.'
ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ὀργιζόμενος τῷ ἀδελφῷ ⸀αὐτοῦ ἔνοχος ἔσται τῇ κρίσει· ὃς δʼ ἂν εἴπῃ τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ· Ῥακά, ἔνοχος ἔσται τῷ συνεδρίῳ· ὃς δʼ ἂν εἴπῃ· Μωρέ, ἔνοχος ἔσται εἰς τὴν γέενναν τοῦ πυρός.
You Shall Not Commit Adultery
Marriage is holy and should be protected.
14You shall not commit adultery.
לֹ֣֖א תִּֿנְאָ֑͏ֽף׃ ס
27You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.'
Ἠκούσατε ὅτι ἐρρέθη· Οὐ μοιχεύσεις.
28But I tell you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι πᾶς ὁ βλέπων γυναῖκα πρὸς τὸ ἐπιθυμῆσαι αὐτὴν ἤδη ἐμοίχευσεν αὐτὴν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ.
You shall not steal
Respect for others' property and an honest way of life.
15You shall not steal.
לֹ֣֖א תִּֿגְנֹֽ֔ב׃ ס
28Let the thief steal no longer, but rather labor, working honestly with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with the one in need.
ὁ κλέπτων μηκέτι κλεπτέτω, μᾶλλον δὲ κοπιάτω ἐργαζόμενος ⸂ταῖς ἰδίαις χερσὶν τὸ ἀγαθόν⸃, ἵνα ἔχῃ μεταδιδόναι τῷ χρείαν ἔχοντι.
You shall not lie
Truthfulness and honesty in word and deed.
16You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
לֹֽא־תַעֲנֶ֥ה בְרֵעֲךָ֖ עֵ֥ד שָֽׁקֶר׃ ס
25Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak the truth to your neighbor, for we are all members of one another.
Διὸ ἀποθέμενοι τὸ ψεῦδος λαλεῖτε ἀλήθειαν ἕκαστος μετὰ τοῦ πλησίον αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἐσμὲν ἀλλήλων μέλη.
You shall not covet
Purity of heart - do not desire what belongs to others.
17You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."
לֹ֥א תַחְמֹ֖ד בֵּ֣ית רֵעֶ֑ךָ לֹֽא־תַחְמֹ֞ד אֵ֣שֶׁת רֵעֶ֗ךָ וְעַבְדּ֤וֹ וַאֲמָתוֹ֙ וְשׁוֹר֣וֹ וַחֲמֹר֔וֹ וְכֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר לְרֵעֶֽךָ׃ פ
5Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for he himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
ἀφιλάργυρος ὁ τρόπος· ἀρκούμενοι τοῖς παροῦσιν· αὐτὸς γὰρ εἴρηκεν· Οὐ μή σε ἀνῶ οὐδʼ οὐ μή σε ⸀ἐγκαταλίπω·