What Are the Ten Commandments? Full List, Explanations & Modern Relevance

Here’s a wild thought: what if the most famous rulebook in human history wasn’t actually meant to be a rulebook at all?

The Ten Commandments—you know, those laws Moses brought down from Mount Sinai on stone tablets—are probably the most referenced, most debated, and most misunderstood piece of religious legislation ever written. They’re the foundation of Judeo-Christian ethics, they’ve influenced Western law for millennia, and honestly? Most people can’t name all ten of them. (Don’t worry, I’ve been there too. I once confidently told someone that “thou shalt not eat shellfish” was one of them. It’s not. That’s from Leviticus. Embarrassing.)

So what are the Ten Commandments, really? They’re a set of biblical principles given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai around the 13th century BCE, recorded in Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:4-21. But they’re more than just ancient rules—they’re the foundation of the covenant between God and the Israelites, a moral framework that still shapes how billions of people understand right and wrong today. Whether you’re deeply religious, culturally Christian, or just curious about where our ethical standards come from, these ten statements have probably influenced your life more than you realize.

Let me take you on a journey up that mountain. We’ll unpack what each commandment actually means, why different traditions number them differently (yes, really), and what they have to do with your life right now in 2025.

Spoiler alert: it’s not just about following rules. It’s about understanding what kind of life God wanted for His people—and still wants for us.

The Story Behind the Stones: Moses, Mountains, and a Massive Moment

Before we dive into the actual commandments, you’ve got to understand the backstory. Because context matters.

Picture this: the Israelites have just escaped slavery in Egypt. They’ve crossed the Red Sea (thanks to some dramatic divine intervention), and they’re wandering through the wilderness wondering what comes next. They’re free, sure, but freedom without direction is just… chaos.

That’s when God calls Moses up Mount Sinai. And I mean way up—this wasn’t a casual afternoon hike. Moses spent forty days and forty nights on that mountain (Exodus 24:18), and when he came down, he was carrying two stone tablets inscribed by the finger of God Himself.

Think about that for a second. God didn’t send an email. He didn’t post on social media. He carved these laws in stone—literally. The permanence, the weight, the significance of that act… it’s staggering.

But here’s where it gets messy: Moses came down from the mountain to find the Israelites worshipping a golden calf. After everything they’d witnessed—the plagues, the parting of the sea, the pillar of fire—they’d already broken the first commandment. Moses was so furious he smashed the tablets right there (Exodus 32:19). God eventually gave him a second set, but that moment reveals something crucial: these commandments weren’t just suggestions. They were the terms of a covenant, a binding agreement between God and His people.

The Actual List: All Ten Commandments Explained

Now, here’s where things get interesting. Different religious traditions actually number and divide these commandments differently. Catholics and Lutherans follow one system, most Protestants follow another, and Jews follow yet another. But the content? Pretty much the same. It’s just how you slice it.

I’m going to use the Protestant numbering here (because that’s what most English speakers learn), but I’ll show you the differences later in a handy comparison table.

Commandment 1: No Other Gods Before Me

“You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3).

This is the big one. The foundation. God’s saying, “I’m not just a god—I’m the God, and our relationship comes first.” In ancient times, this was revolutionary. Everyone around Israel worshipped multiple gods—gods of fertility, war, weather, you name it. God was saying, “Nope. Just me.”

But what does this mean today? Well, a “god” is anything we put before the actual God. Money. Success. Relationships. Your Instagram follower count. If it’s the thing you think about first when you wake up, the thing you’d sacrifice anything for, the thing that defines your worth… it might be a god. And God’s saying that spot is reserved.

Commandment 2: No Idols

“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them” (Exodus 20:4-5).

This one’s about physical representations of God. The Israelites had just seen their neighbors carving statues and bowing down to them, and God’s like, “Don’t do that with me.” Why? Because any image we create limits God. It makes Him manageable, controllable, small.

Here’s my confession: I’ve carved mental idols of God that are just as limiting. The God who agrees with all my political opinions. The God who’s basically a cosmic vending machine dispensing blessings when I’m good. That’s idolatry too—creating a God in my image instead of letting Him be who He actually is.

Commandment 3: Don’t Misuse God’s Name

“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God” (Exodus 20:7).

This isn’t just about saying “Oh my God” when you stub your toe (though that’s… not great). It’s about treating God’s name—His reputation, His character—with careless disregard. Using “God said” to justify your prejudices. Weaponizing Scripture to hurt people. Claiming to speak for God when you’re really just speaking for yourself.

The Hebrew concept here is about bearing God’s name. We carry His reputation. When we claim to follow Him and then act like jerks, we’re misusing His name in the worst possible way.

Commandment 4: Remember the Sabbath

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God” (Exodus 20:8-10).

God built rest into the rhythm of creation. One day in seven, you stop. You trust that the world won’t fall apart without your constant productivity. You remember that you’re human, not a machine.

In our hustle culture, this one hits different. We’re addicted to busyness, terrified of missing out, convinced that our worth equals our output. And God’s saying, “Rest. Not because you’ve earned it, but because I made you to need it.”

Different traditions observe different days (Saturday for Jews, Sunday for most Christians), but the principle remains: regular rest isn’t optional. It’s commanded.

Commandment 5: Honor Your Parents

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12).

This is the first commandment with a promise attached. Honor your parents—show them respect, care for them, value their wisdom—and things will go well for you.

But let’s be real: not everyone has parents who are easy to honor. Some parents are abusive. Some are absent. Some have caused deep wounds. I don’t think this commandment means you have to pretend everything’s fine or stay in harmful situations. But it does mean recognizing that your parents gave you life, and there’s something sacred in that, even when the relationship is complicated.

As Jesus later clarified, honoring your parents doesn’t mean obeying them blindly when they’re asking you to do something wrong. It means treating them with dignity and ensuring they’re cared for, especially in their old age.

Commandment 6: Don’t Murder

“You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13).

Pretty straightforward, right? Don’t kill people. This is about the sanctity of human life—every person is made in God’s image, so taking a life is an assault on God Himself.

But Jesus expanded this one in the Sermon on the Mount. He said if you’re angry with someone, if you harbor hatred in your heart, you’ve already crossed into murder territory (Matthew 5:21-22). The commandment isn’t just about the physical act; it’s about the condition of your heart.

And honestly? That’s convicting. I’ve never killed anyone, but I’ve wished ill on people. I’ve nursed grudges. I’ve dehumanized others in my mind. Jesus is saying that’s the same root sin, just not fully grown yet.

Commandment 7: Don’t Commit Adultery

“You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14).

This one’s about faithfulness in marriage. Don’t betray your spouse. Don’t violate the covenant you made. Sexual intimacy is sacred, and it belongs within the bounds of marriage.

Again, Jesus raised the bar. He said if you look at someone lustfully, you’ve already committed adultery in your heart (Matthew 5:27-28). The commandment protects not just the act of sex but the integrity of desire, the faithfulness of thought.

In our pornography-saturated culture, this one’s tough. We’ve normalized betrayal, dressed it up as “everyone does it,” made it consumable and click-away convenient. But God’s design for sexuality is still covenant faithfulness, still mutual self-giving, still sacred.

Commandment 8: Don’t Steal

“You shall not steal” (Exodus 20:15).

Don’t take what isn’t yours. Respect other people’s property, their work, their resources. Simple enough.

But stealing isn’t always about shoplifting. It’s about taking credit for someone else’s work. It’s about wage theft. It’s about not paying people what they’re worth. It’s about hoarding resources while others go without. Stealing is any time we act like we have more right to something than the person who actually owns it.

Commandment 9: Don’t Lie

“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor” (Exodus 20:16).

Originally, this was about lying in legal settings—don’t be a false witness in court. But the principle extends to all of life: tell the truth. Don’t slander people. Don’t spread gossip. Don’t bear false witness.

Our words have power. They can build up or destroy. They can reveal reality or obscure it. God is a God of truth, and His people should be people of truth.

This includes the lies we tell ourselves, by the way. The stories we spin to justify our behavior, the excuses we make, the ways we revise history to make ourselves look better. Truth-telling starts with being honest about ourselves.

Commandment 10: Don’t Covet

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor” (Exodus 20:17).

This is the only commandment that’s entirely about internal desire. You can covet and no one else would ever know. But God knows. And God cares about the state of your heart.

Coveting is that gnawing dissatisfaction with what you have, that conviction that you’d be happy if only you had what they have. It’s comparison culture, it’s envy, it’s the root of so much sin. After all, you don’t steal if you don’t first covet. You don’t commit adultery if you don’t first covet.

In our Instagram age, we’re basically training ourselves to covet 24/7. We scroll through curated highlight reels and feel like our lives don’t measure up. And God’s saying, “What you have is enough. Be content. Trust me.”

The Great Commandment Confusion: Why Different Traditions Number Them Differently

Okay, so here’s the thing that confuses everyone: Catholics, Protestants, and Jews all have Ten Commandments, but they don’t agree on how to number them.

Let me show you:

Category	Protestant/Orthodox	Catholic/Lutheran	Jewish (Talmudic)
First	No other gods	I am the Lord your God (preamble) + No other gods + No idols combined	I am the Lord your God (preamble only)
Second	No idols	Not making images of God (combined with #1)	No other gods
Third	Don’t misuse God’s name	Don’t misuse God’s name	No idols
Fourth	Remember the Sabbath	Remember the Sabbath	Don’t misuse God’s name
Fifth	Honor parents	Honor parents	Remember the Sabbath
Sixth	Don’t murder	Don’t murder	Honor parents
Seventh	Don’t commit adultery	Don’t commit adultery	Don’t murder
Eighth	Don’t steal	Don’t steal	Don’t commit adultery
Ninth	Don’t lie	Don’t lie	Don’t steal
Tenth	Don’t covet	Don’t covet neighbor’s wife (separate from coveting goods)	Don’t covet

The content is the same; it’s just divided differently. Catholics combine the “no other gods” and “no idols” commands into one, then split the “don’t covet” command into two (coveting people vs. coveting things). Jews count the opening statement “I am the Lord your God” as the first commandment.

Does it matter? Not really. The substance is identical. But it’s good to know if you’re reading a Catholic catechism versus a Protestant commentary and wondering why they’re numbering things differently.

Why These Ancient Laws Still Matter Today

You might be thinking, “Okay, cool history lesson, but what does this have to do with me in 2025?”

Fair question. And here’s my answer: these commandments reveal what it means to be human in relationship with God and each other.

They’re not arbitrary rules from a cosmic killjoy. They’re guardrails on the road to human flourishing. Every commandment, when you really look at it, is protecting something precious: our relationship with God, the integrity of families, the sanctity of life, the bonds of trust that hold society together.

Think about it. A society where people don’t murder, steal, lie, or covet? Where they honor commitments and respect each other? That’s not oppressive—that’s liberating. The commandments aren’t about restricting freedom; they’re about creating the conditions where real freedom can thrive.

And here’s the thing Jesus made clear: it’s not really about rule-following. It’s about heart transformation. In Matthew 22:37-40, someone asked Jesus which commandment was the greatest. His answer? Love God with everything you’ve got, and love your neighbor as yourself. Then he said something profound: “All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

The Ten Commandments aren’t replaced by love—they’re fulfilled by it. When you genuinely love God, you won’t worship idols or misuse His name. When you genuinely love your neighbor, you won’t murder, steal, or lie to them. Love is what the commandments were pointing toward all along.

The Commandments and the Law: Where Do They Fit?

The Ten Commandments are part of what’s called Mosaic Law—the whole legal system God gave Israel through Moses. But here’s where Christians and Jews diverge a bit.

Jews see the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) as an integrated whole: moral laws, ceremonial laws, civil laws, all given by God. The Ten Commandments hold special significance, but they’re part of a larger system of 613 commandments that govern every aspect of life.

Christians generally distinguish between different types of laws in the Old Testament. The Ten Commandments are moral law—they reflect God’s unchanging character. But ceremonial laws (sacrifices, dietary restrictions, purity rituals) were seen as pointing forward to Jesus, and civil laws were specific to Israel as a nation.

That’s why Christians don’t follow kosher dietary laws or offer animal sacrifices, but they still affirm the Ten Commandments. Jesus fulfilled the ceremonial law (Hebrews 10:1-18), but the moral law—summarized in loving God and neighbor—remains.

This isn’t about picking and choosing. It’s about understanding the purpose of different laws. Some were always meant to be universal and timeless (don’t murder). Others were specific to Israel’s situation (don’t mix fabrics). Knowing the difference matters.

Living the Commandments: Practical Application for Today

So how do you actually live this stuff out? Here are some practical thoughts:

1. Start with your heart, not just your behavior. Jesus cared about the “why” behind the “what.” You can technically follow all ten commandments and still have a heart that’s far from God. Check your motivations. Are you doing this out of love or obligation?

2. Recognize you can’t keep them perfectly. And that’s okay. That’s actually the point. The commandments show us our need for grace. Every time you fail (and you will), it’s an opportunity to run to God for forgiveness, not away from Him in shame.

3. Use them as a diagnostic tool. Regularly ask yourself: Where am I putting something before God? What idols have I carved? How am I treating the people around me? The commandments are like a mirror—they show you what needs to change.

4. Remember the Sabbath principle. In our burnout culture, rest is resistance. Set aside one day a week to stop producing, stop consuming, and just be. It’ll change your life.

5. Protect the covenant of marriage. Whether you’re married or not, honor the sanctity of marriage—your own or others’. Don’t participate in anything that tears marriages apart.

6. Practice radical honesty. Not brutal honesty (that’s just being mean), but truthful living. Tell the truth even when it costs you something.

7. Cultivate contentment. Fight the comparison game. Practice gratitude. When you find yourself coveting, pause and thank God for what you already have.

Common Questions (FAQ)

Q: Are Christians still required to follow the Ten Commandments?

Great question.

Christians believe that Jesus fulfilled the law (Matthew 5:17), which means we’re not saved by keeping the commandments—we’re saved by grace through faith. But that doesn’t mean the commandments are irrelevant.

They still reveal God’s character and guide how we should live. Think of it this way: you don’t follow them to become a Christian; you follow them because you are a Christian and you love God.

Q: What happens if you break one of the Ten Commandments?

In the Old Testament system, breaking the commandments required sacrifice for atonement.

For Christians, Jesus’ death on the cross was the ultimate sacrifice for all sin (Hebrews 10:10). When we break the commandments—which we all do—we confess, receive forgiveness, and turn back to God.

There’s no sin too big for God’s grace. That said, sin still has natural consequences, and part of repentance is making things right where we can.

Q: What’s the difference between the versions in Exodus and Deuteronomy?

The Exodus 20 version is when God first gives the commandments. The Deuteronomy 5 version is Moses recounting them forty years later before the Israelites enter the Promised Land.

There are minor wording differences (most notably, Exodus says “remember” the Sabbath and Deuteronomy says “observe” it), but the content is essentially identical. Both are considered equally authoritative.

Q: What is the Decalogue?

“Decalogue” is just a fancy word for the Ten Commandments. It comes from Greek: “deca” (ten) + “logos” (words). So it literally means “ten words.” It’s the same thing, just a more formal term you might see in scholarly or liturgical contexts.

The Bottom Line: It’s All About Relationship

Here’s what I want you to walk away with: the Ten Commandments aren’t about God flexing His authority or being a cosmic dictator. They’re about relationship.

The first four commandments are about our relationship with God—keeping it primary, keeping it pure, keeping it reverent, keeping it restful. The last six are about our relationships with each other—keeping them honest, faithful, peaceful, and generous.

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with those stone tablets, he was bringing the terms of a covenant. And a covenant isn’t just a contract; it’s a relationship bound by promises. God was saying, “This is who I am, this is what I’ve done for you, and this is how we’re going to walk together.”

We’ve broken those promises. All of us. Every day. And that’s where the Gospel comes in—the good news that God doesn’t just give us law; He gives us grace. He doesn’t just show us the standard; He gives us the Savior who met that standard on our behalf.

The Ten Commandments show us we need Jesus. And Jesus shows us what it looks like to actually love God and love people perfectly. That’s the story: law reveals sin, grace provides salvation, and love fulfills everything.

So yes, the Ten Commandments still matter. Not because you have to earn God’s love by keeping them (you can’t), but because they show you what love actually looks like in practice. They’re not the destination; they’re signposts pointing you toward the God who loves you, the Savior who rescued you, and the life you were always meant to live.

And honestly? That’s a pretty good top ten list.