Search
Home \ Bible \ 10 Commandments \ The 10 Commandments
10 Commandments List
by Mike Bennett
Here are lists of the 10 Commandments as
recorded in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy
5. We also include a list of the
commandments in short form and lists
with Jewish and Catholic numbering of
the 10 Commandments.
These 10 beneficial laws were given by the Creator God
to show us how to live a better life now and please God
forever.
God gave the 10 Commandments from Mount Sinai,
accompanied by smoke, earthquakes and the blast of a
trumpet to emphasize the importance of these laws.
Moses recorded God’s words in Exodus 20 and
recounted the event again in Deuteronomy 5. There are
only slight differences of emphasis in the accounts.
Both versions are listed below, along with a list of the
commandments in short form.
The numbering of the commandments on the first three
lists below reflects the numbering used in much of the
Christian world, though Catholics, Jews and others use
various numbering systems (as shown below that).
Do the 10 commandments apply in our lives today?
Download the free booklet for answers.
The 10 Commandments List, Short Form*
1. You shall have no other gods before Me.
2. You shall not make idols.
3. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God
in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and your mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your
neighbor.
10. You shall not covet.
The 10 Commandments List in Exodus 20:2-17
1. “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of
the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You
shall have no other gods before Me.
2. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—
any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or
that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water
under the earth; you shall not bow down to them
nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a
jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon
the children to the third and fourth generations of
those who hate Me, but showing mercy to
thousands, to those who love Me and keep My
commandments.
3. “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God
in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless
who takes His name in vain.
4. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six
days you shall labor and do all your work, but the
seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God.
In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor
your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your
female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger
who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD
made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all
that is in them, and rested the seventh day.
Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and
hallowed it.
5. “Honor your father and your mother, that your days
may be long upon the land which the LORD your
God is giving you.
6. “You shall not murder.
7. “You shall not commit adultery.
8. “You shall not steal.
9. “You shall not bear false witness against your
neighbor.
10. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you
shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male
servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his
donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”
The 10 Commandments List in Deuteronomy
5:6-21
Moses repeated the 10 Commandments after the 40
years of wandering in the wilderness. There are only a
few changes in the wording from Exodus 20. These
minor differences are found in the Fourth, Fifth and
10th Commandments.
1. “I am the LORD your God who brought you out of
the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You
shall have no other gods before Me.
2. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—
any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or
that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water
under the earth; you shall not bow down to them
nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a
jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon
the children to the third and fourth generations of
those who hate Me, but showing mercy to
thousands, to those who love Me and keep My
commandments.
3. “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God
in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless
who takes His name in vain.
4. “Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the
LORD your God commanded you. Six days you shall
labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is
the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall
do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter,
nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor
your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor
your stranger who is within your gates, that your
male servant and your female servant may rest as
well as you. And remember that you were a slave in
the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought
you out from there by a mighty hand and by an
outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God
commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.
5. “Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD
your God has commanded you, that your days may
be long, and that it may be well with you in the land
which the LORD your God is giving you.
6. “You shall not murder.
7. “You shall not commit adultery.
8. “You shall not steal.
9. “You shall not bear false witness against your
neighbor.
10. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife; and you
shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, his
male servant, his female servant, his ox, his donkey,
or anything that is your neighbor’s.”
The 10 Commandments List, Jewish
Numbering*
1. “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the
land of Egypt, the house of bondage.
2. “You shall not recognize the gods of others in My
presence. You shall not make yourself a carved
image nor any likeness of that which is in the
heavens above or on the earth below or in the water
beneath the earth. You shall not prostrate yourself
to them nor worship them, for I am the Lord, your
God.
3. “You shall not take the Name of the Lord, your God,
in vain, for The Lord will not absolve anyone who
takes His Name in vain.
4. “Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it. Six days
shall you work and accomplish all your work; but
the seventh day is Sabbath to the Lord, your God;
you shall not do any work—you, your son, your
daughter, your servant, your animal, and the
stranger within your gates—for in six days The Lord
made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that
is in them, and He rested on the seventh day.
Therefore, The Lord blessed the Sabbath day and
sanctified it.
5. “Honor your father and your mother, so that your
days will be lengthened upon the land that the Lord,
your God, gives you.
6. “You shall not murder.
7. “You shall not commit adultery.
8. “You shall not steal.
9. “You shall not bear false witness against your fellow.
10. “You shall not covet your fellow’s house: you shall
not covet your fellow’s wife, or his man servant, his
female servant, his ox, his donkey, nor anything that
belongs to your fellow.”
(Source: Dr. Laura Schlessinger and Rabbi Stewart
Vogel, The Ten Commandments, 1998.)
The 10 Commandments List, Catholic
Numbering, Short Form*
1. “I am the LORD your God: you shall not have
strange Gods before me.
2. “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God
in vain.
3. “Remember to keep holy the LORD’s Day.
4. “Honor your father and mother.
5. “You shall not kill.
6. “You shall not commit adultery.
7. “You shall not steal.
8. “You shall not bear false witness against your
neighbor.
9. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
10. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.”
(Source: “Catechism of the Catholic Church,” A
Traditional Catechetical Formula, Vatican.va and
Matthew Warner, “Friday Fast Fact: Numbering the
Ten Commandments,” National Catholic Register.)
The Lutherans follow a similar numbering, but reverse
what the Catholics call the Ninth and 10th
Commandments, following the order in Exodus 20.
Learn more about the 10 Commandments by studying
each commandment and committing to strive to obey
them. For further study, read the articles in this
section: “The 10 Commandments and God's Way of
Life.”
You’ll also want to see our helpful video series “The 10
Commandments: A Matter of the Heart.”
*See “The 10 Commandments and God’s Way of Life”
for a discussion of the different numbering systems
and the potential dangers of neglecting
commandments by using only short form lists.
About the Author
Mike Bennett
Mike Bennett
Mike Bennett is editorial content manager for
the Church of God, a Worldwide Association, in
the Dallas, Texas, area. He coordinates the Life,
Hope & Truth website, Discern magazine, the
Daily Bible Verse Blog and the Life, Hope &
Truth Weekly Newsletter (including World
Watch Weekly). He is also part of the Personal
Correspondence team of ministers who have the
privilege of answering questions sent to Life,
Hope & Truth.
Read More
Ask a Question
RELATED ARTICLES
What Are the 10 Were the 10
Commandments? Commandments
Around Before
Moses?
Are You Happy?
Are the 10 Are You Happy?
Commandments
Upheld in the New
Testament?
Spirit of the Law
Spirit of the Law How to Meditate on
the 10
Commandments
Did Jesus’ 10 Commandments
Commandments for Kids
Replace the 10
Commandments?
Who Wrote the 10 Did Jesus Reaffirm
Commandments? All 10
Commandments?
Did Jesus Teach All Did Jesus Teach All
10 Commandments? 10 Commandments?
Part 1 Part 2
A World Adrift With His Commandments
No Moral Compass Are Not
Burdensome?
The 10
Commandments for
Christians
LEARN MORE ABOUT 10
COMMANDMENTS
GET THE LATEST
SUBSCRIBE TO DISCERN MAGAZINE
InSights Blog
Get the latest blog posts from Life, Hope & Truth
straight to your inbox.
SUBSCRIBE
Never miss a post! Sign up to receive the week's
latest articles, blog posts and updates.
SUBSCRIBE
Ask a Question
How Can I Help? Ask a Question Subscribe
Contact Who We Are All Topics Insights Blog
Daily Bible Verse Blog Sitemap
© 2024 Church of God, a Worldwide Association, Inc.
Visitor Agreement Privacy Policy
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken
from the New King James Version (© 1982 by Thomas Nelson,
Inc.). Used by permission. All rights reserved.
