The are ten laws God gave to on , recorded in Exodus 20 and repeated in Deuteronomy 5. They form the moral and covenantal foundation of ancient Israel's relationship with God — covering how to worship, how to rest, how to treat family, and how to live honestly with others. himself affirmed their continuing importance, teaching that they all hang on two great loves: love for God and love for neighbor.
Given in the Context of Rescue {v:Exodus 20:1-2}
Before listing a single command, God identifies himself:
"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery."
This framing matters. The Ten Commandments are not a ladder to climb to earn God's favor — they are a response to grace already given. Israel had already been rescued. The Law was the shape of life for people who had been freed, not a condition for the freedom itself. That sequence — redemption first, then instruction — runs throughout Scripture.
The First Four: Loving God {v:Exodus 20:3-11}
The opening commandments govern Israel's relationship with God directly:
- No other gods — God alone holds ultimate allegiance.
- No idols — Worship must not be reduced to images or objects we control.
- Do not misuse God's name — His name carries weight and should not be wielded carelessly or dishonestly.
- Keep the Sabbath — One day in seven is set apart for rest and worship, reflecting both God's rest at creation and Israel's freedom from Egyptian forced labor.
These four establish what theologians sometimes call the "vertical" dimension of the Covenant — the human-to-God relationship.
The Last Six: Loving Others {v:Exodus 20:12-17}
The remaining six govern relationships between people:
- Honor your father and mother — The family is the first institution, and respect within it shapes the whole social fabric.
- Do not murder — Human life bears the image of God and may not be unjustly taken.
- Do not commit adultery — Covenant faithfulness in marriage reflects God's own faithfulness.
- Do not steal — Others' property and dignity deserve protection.
- Do not bear false witness — Truthfulness is the foundation of a just community.
- Do not covet — The final commandment reaches inward, addressing not just actions but desires.
This "horizontal" dimension — the human-to-human relationship — completes the picture.
What Jesus Said About Them {v:Matthew 22:37-40}
When asked to name the greatest commandment, Jesus did not replace the Ten Commandments but summarized them:
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."
In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus went further — intensifying several commandments by tracing them to their root in the heart. Anger is the seed of murder; lust is the seed of adultery. The standard was not lowered but deepened.
How Christians Read the Law Today
Evangelical Christians hold varying views on how the commandments apply after Jesus. Most distinguish between the ceremonial and civil laws of ancient Israel (which pointed to Christ and were fulfilled in him) and the moral law, of which the Ten Commandments are the core. On this view, the moral law remains binding — not as a way to earn salvation, but as a guide for what love looks like in practice.
The Apostle Paul calls the Law "holy and righteous and good" while also insisting that no one is justified by keeping it. The commandments reveal how far we fall short and point us toward the grace found in Christ.
Still Relevant
The Ten Commandments have shaped legal systems, ethical reasoning, and Christian moral theology for three thousand years. They are not a checklist for earning favor — they are a portrait of what it looks like to love God and love people well. In that sense, they are not outdated. They are, as Moses told Israel before they crossed into the Promised Land, "your life."