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<\/span><\/p>\nWritten by Marko Marina, Ph.D.<\/a><\/p>\n Author | Historian | BE Contributor<\/p>\n Verified! See our guidelines<\/a><\/p>\n Verified! See our editorial guidelines<\/a><\/p>\n \nDate written: June 19th, 2024<\/p>\n\nDate written: June 19th, 2024\n Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily match my own. – Dr. Bart D. Ehrman<\/p>\n Whenever the 10 Commandments are mentioned, I immediately think of Charlton Heston\u2019s iconic portrayal of Moses<\/strong> in the classic film “The Ten Commandments” Even though some of my friends find the movie too long, it remains one of the most iconic religious films. Above all, the movie vividly demonstrates the profound influence Judaism and Christianity have had on our culture.<\/p>\n In this article, we\u2019ll explore the historical and cultural significance of the 10 Commandments<\/strong>. Our journey will take us through the origins and context of these ancient laws, exploring their place in the Bible and their role in shaping moral and ethical standards in various religious traditions. <\/p>\n Skip to Section:<\/strong><\/p>\n We\u2019ll begin with a historical overview, outlining where the 10 Commandments are found in the Bible and discussing their significance within the Jewish covenant with God. This section will also touch on the historical context of their writing, including when Exodus <\/a>and Deuteronomy were likely composed. <\/p>\n Following this, we\u2019ll present the 10 Commandments in order as they appear in different biblical versions, starting with the longer (original) form as found in Exodus and Deuteronomy, but also including the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) and the King James Version (KJV).<\/p>\n By the end of this article, you\u2019ll have a comprehensive understanding of the 10 Commandments<\/strong>, not just as religious texts, but as foundational elements that have influenced laws, ethics, and societal norms across various cultures throughout history. <\/p>\n However, before we begin, I have to ask you something! Are you interested in diving deeper into the mysteries of Moses and the Exodus? Join Dr. Bart D. Ehrman in his online course<\/strong>, \u201cFinding Moses – What Scholars Know About The Exodus and The Jewish Law<\/a>\u201d, and explore whether Moses was a historical figure or a legendary creation<\/strong>. Discover the evidence behind these timeless questions\u2014fact or fiction<\/strong>? Sign up now!<\/p>\n The 10 Commandments<\/strong>, also known as the Decalogue <\/strong>(which is, by the way, a more suitable term), have long held an elevated status in Judaism and Christianity. <\/p>\n These commandments of God are found in two main and slightly different versions<\/strong>: the first in Exodus 20:2-17, and the second in Deuteronomy 5:6-21. So, there are two different sets of verses where the 10 commandments are found. Additionally, there is a so-called \u201cRitual Decalogue\u201d in Exodus 34 which is substantially different. <\/p>\n While we\u2019ll analyze those differences shortly, it’s essential first to look at some basic historical context<\/strong> to better understand the 10 Commandments in the Bible.<\/p>\n To grasp their initial meaning, we must journey back to the ancient world and explore the Jewish <\/strong>tradition regarding their relationship and covenant with God<\/strong>. In the Hebrew Bible, a covenant is fundamentally a contract <\/strong>– a legal agreement between parties. <\/p>\n The Hebrew term for “covenant-making” is “c’rat berit,” which literally means “to cut a covenant,” akin to the English idiom “to cut a deal.” In essence, the covenant is viewed primarily as a legal document.<\/p>\n In his “Essays on Old Testament History and Religion<\/a>,” Albrecht Alt argued that there were two forms of law<\/strong> in ancient times: conditional and apodictic law<\/strong>. The former is casuistic, characterized by an “if\/then” pattern, similar to the Code of Hammurabi. It specifies that if a person does “X,” then “Y” will be the consequence, often including detailed sub-cases and qualifications.<\/p>\n In contrast, absolute <\/strong>or apodictic <\/strong>law is an unconditional <\/strong>statement of a prohibition or command, such as “You shall not murder.” <\/p>\n As shown in the excellent book “Ancient Near Eastern Text Related to the Old Testament<\/a>\u201d, the apodictic law as a form isn’t unknown in other ancient Near Eastern cultures (e.g., in the Neo-Babylonian laws), but it seems to be most characteristic of Israel. In other words: There is much more of it in our collections of laws in the Hebrew Bible than elsewhere.<\/p>\n However, its directives are couched in the masculine singular<\/strong>. So, it seems to be addressing Israelite males as the legal subjects<\/strong> in the community – an aspect that shouldn’t surprise us considering that the societies in the ancient world were, above all, patriarchal<\/strong>. <\/p>\n In any case, these commandments set forth some of God’s most basic and unconditional covenant demands. It\u2019s worth noting that the division into ten is somewhat idealized rather than precise, as there are about 13 separate statements<\/strong> in what we today call the 10 Commandments.<\/p>\n Furthermore, these commandments are numbered differently by Jews and Christians<\/strong>, and even within the Christian community, different denominations have varied numbering systems\u2014as we\u2019ll see later in this article.<\/p>\n Regarding their composition date, we encounter a significant clash between traditional religious interpretations and modern scholarly views<\/strong>. Traditionally, it\u2019s believed that God gave the 10 Commandments from Mount Sinai, amidst smoke, earthquakes, and trumpet blasts, to emphasize their importance. <\/p>\n Moses recorded God’s words in Exodus 20 and recounted the event in Deuteronomy 5. This view assumes that Moses authored the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible), which includes Exodus and Deuteronomy. <\/p>\n However, critical scholars<\/a>, first led by Julius Welhausen, have challenged these claims and proposed that four different sources (the Yahwist, the Elohist, the Deuteronomist, and the Priestly source) contributed to the Pentateuch\u2019s creation. <\/p>\n Additionally, recent scholarship has cast even greater doubt on the quest for the Pentateuch’s authors. In “The Introduction to the Pentateuch<\/a>\u201d, R. Norman Whybray asserts: \u201cThere is at the present moment no consensus whatever about when, why, how, and through whom <\/strong>the Pentateuch reached its present form, and opinions about the dates of composition of its various parts differ by more than five hundred years.\u201d<\/p>\n Regarding the date of the 10 Commandments’ composition specifically, no secure answers exist. One intriguing hypothesis, favored by some scholars, suggests they were composed several hundred years after Moses allegedly lived<\/strong>.<\/p>\n In his excellent study “Etched in Stone: The Emergence of the Decalogue<\/a>\u201d, David H. Aaron notes: “The Decalogue is a late literary creation, written by a group of postexilic authors <\/strong>(i.e., writers working not before the middle of the sixth century B.C.E. and perhaps as late as the fifth century B.C.E.). The Decalogue passages are based upon earlier attempts to create a covenant scene that would serve to unite the Israelite people at a time of political and social discord.”<\/p>\n By understanding this historical and cultural context<\/strong>, we can better appreciate the profound significance of the 10 Commandments in the Bible. Additionally, this sets the stage for a closer look at the 10 commandments in order. <\/p>\n NOW AVAILABLE!<\/p>\n Finding Moses: What Scholars Know About The Exodus & The Jewish Law<\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/u><\/b>Riveting and controversial, the “FINDING MOSES” lecture series takes you on a deep dive into the stories of Moses, the exodus, and a whole lot more…<\/span><\/p>\n __CONFIG_colors_palette__{“active_palette”:0,”config”:{“colors”:{“62516”:{“name”:”Main Accent”,”parent”:-1}},”gradients”:[]},”palettes”:[{“name”:”Default Palette”,”value”:{“colors”:{“62516”:{“val”:”rgb(255, 133, 34)”,”hsl”:{“h”:26,”s”:0.99,”l”:0.5667}}},”gradients”:[]}}]}__CONFIG_colors_palette__ <\/span> LEARN MORE<\/strong><\/span><\/span> <\/a> We’ll start by examining the two versions of the 10 commandments as they appear in the Hebrew Bible, using the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) translation. The first comes from Exodus 20:2-17, and the second from Deuteronomy 5:6-21.<\/p>\n According to Jewish tradition, Moses repeated the 10 commandments after 40 years in the desert<\/strong>.<\/p>\n More precisely, he gathered the people of Israel in Moab and gave them a farewell speech. One of the first things Moses did was to repeat the 10 Commandments – but with a few small differences. Let\u2019s take a closer look at them!<\/p>\n From the comparative perspective, the biggest difference between these two versions<\/strong> (Exodus and Deuteronomy<\/em>) relates to the explanation of the reason behind the weekly day of rest<\/strong>. Perhaps, a table would make a comparison easier. Let\u2019s take a look!<\/p>\n\n
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<\/span><\/p>\nThe 10 Commandments in the Bible: Historical Context<\/h2>\n
10 Commandments: The Date of Composition<\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/span> <\/p>\nThe 10 Commandments in the Bible: Text and Versions<\/h2>\n
A List of the 10 Commandments in the NRSV (Exodus 20:2-17)<\/h3>\n
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10 Commandments in Order in the NRSV (Deuteronomy 5:6-21)<\/h3>\n
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