The Ten Commandments
God's ten words for a free people
This passage names murder and adultery, and it describes a frightening storm and warnings of death. The notes also talk about being hurt at home.
Two things you can tap
- A verse number shows the Bible’s exact words.
- An underlined word shows what it means.
Story
What happened?
Tap a verse number, like , to read the Bible’s exact words.
Who’s who and what came beforePeople, places, and the story so far. Open it anytime.
Scene Card
Cast
- The LORD: God. LORD in capital letters stands for God's personal name. Jewish readers traditionally don't say it aloud, out of respect.
- Moses: The Israelite God sent to lead his people out of slavery in Egypt. He goes up and down the mountain to speak with God.
- Aaron: Moses's older brother. God lets him come up the mountain with Moses.
- The Israelites: The family of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. About three months ago, they were slaves in Egypt.
Setting
- The foot of Mount Sinai, a mountain in the desert. The people camp in front of it. A boundary line keeps them back from the mountain.
When
- The third month after the Israelites left Egypt, more than 3,000 years ago.
Before the Story
God set his people free. God brought the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. He led them through the sea on dry ground (Exodus 14).
God brought them to himself. At Sinai, God sent them a message. "I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself" (19:4). This is a comparison. God carried them the way a strong bird carries its young. God invited them into a covenant, a binding promise between God and his people. If they kept it, they would be his "treasured possession" (19:5). The people answered, "We will do everything that the LORD has spoken" (19:8).
The people got ready for the third day. They washed their clothes. Moses set a boundary around the mountain. No one was to touch it (19:10-15).
Here's what you know that almost nobody in this story knows: God's first words will not be a command. God will first say who he is and what he has already done.
Map of the Story
| Scene | Verses | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Thunder on the mountain | 19:16-19 | Smoke, fire, and a loud horn. The people shake |
| 2. Stay back | 19:20-25 | God warns the people not to push up the mountain |
| 3. Who God is | 20:1-2 | God says who he is and what he did for them |
| 4. No other gods | 20:3-6 | The First Commandment |
| 5. God's name and God's day | 20:7-11 | The Second and Third Commandments |
| 6. Father and mother | 20:12 | The Fourth Commandment |
| 7. Life, marriage, things, and truth | 20:13-16 | The Fifth through Eighth Commandments |
| 8. Wanting what is not yours | 20:17 | The Ninth and Tenth Commandments |
| 9. Standing far away | 20:18-21 | The people are afraid. Moses goes near to God |
Plain Retelling
Scene 1 of 9Thunder on the Mountain
On the third morning, thunder crashed over the mountain. Lightning flashed. A thick cloud sat on top of it.
Then a ram's horn blasted very loudly. A ram's horn is a trumpet made from the horn of a male sheep. Everyone in the camp trembled. The thunder, the lightning, and the horn made them afraid.
Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God. They stood at the bottom of the mountain.
Mount Sinai was covered in smoke. "The LORD had descended on it in fire" (19:18). The smoke rose up like smoke from a furnace, a huge, very hot oven. The whole mountain shook hard.
The sound of the horn grew louder and louder. Moses spoke. And God answered him in the thunder.
Scene 2 of 9Stay Back
The LORD came down to the top of Mount Sinai. He called Moses up to the top, and Moses climbed.
Then God sent Moses back down with a warning. The people must not push past the boundary to see the LORD. If they did, many of them would die. Even the priests had to consecrate themselves. To consecrate means to get ready and be set apart for God.
Moses answered that the people could not come up. God had already told them to stay back. God had said to mark off the mountain as holy.
The LORD told Moses to go down and come back with his brother Aaron. But the priests and the people must stay behind the line.
So Moses went down to the people and told them.
The Bible doesn't explain every reason for the boundary. But the story shows this: God is holy and powerful. Being near him was serious.
Scene 3 of 9Who God Is
Then God spoke all these words.
The first words were not a rule. They were about who God is and what he had already done.
"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery" (20:2).
Months before, at a burning bush, God had told Moses his name (Exodus 3:15). Now God said that name to all the people. He called himself "the LORD your God" (20:2). He belonged to them, and they belonged to him.
God reminded them what he had done. They had been slaves. God had set them free.
The order matters. God rescued them first. Then he gave them his commandments. They did not earn their freedom by keeping rules. The rules were for people who were already free.
Scene 4 of 9No Other Gods
Then God gave the first command. "You shall have no other gods before Me" (20:3). Lutherans call this the First Commandment. Other churches count the commandments in a different way. There is more about this in Back Then, below.
God told them not to make an idol. An idol is a statue or picture that people worship as a god. They must not make one that looks like anything in the sky, on the earth, or in the water. They must not bow down to idols or worship them.
God called himself "a jealous God" (20:5). Here, jealous does not mean petty or envious. The Bible often compares God's love for his people to a marriage (Hosea 2:19). Faithful love like that will not share its place with anyone else.
God said the guilt of people who hate him would reach their children, to the third and fourth generation. But his "loving devotion" would reach "a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments" (20:6). Loving devotion means faithful, never-quitting love.
Halfway thereThis is a good place for a break. Your spot is saved on this device.
Scene 5 of 9God's Name and God's Day
The Second Commandment was about God's name. "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain" (20:7).
"In vain" means in an empty or wrong way. It means using God's name to curse, lie, trick people, or treat God as unimportant. God said he would punish anyone who did this.
The Third Commandment was about God's day. "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy" (20:8).
The Sabbath was the seventh day of the week. For six days, the people would do their work. But the seventh day belonged to the LORD.
No one was to work on that day. That rest was for everyone. It was for sons and daughters. It was for servants and animals. It was even for foreigners living among them.
God gave a reason. In six days the LORD made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them. On the seventh day he rested. So he blessed the Sabbath and made it holy.
About forty years later, Moses gave the people a second reason. He told them to remember that they had been slaves in Egypt (Deuteronomy 5:15). Now God gave rest to everyone in the house, even the servants.
Scene 6 of 9Father and Mother
The Fourth Commandment was about families. "Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you" (20:12).
To honor means to treat someone with respect and care. The letter to the Ephesians later calls it the first commandment with a promise (Ephesians 6:2). God promised a long life in the land he was giving them.
Honoring parents does not mean obeying someone who hurts you. If anyone at home hurts you, tell a trusted adult. There is more about this below.
Scene 7 of 9Life, Marriage, Things, and Truth
The next four commandments were short. Each one protected something God cares about.
The Fifth Commandment protected life. "You shall not murder" (20:13).
The Sixth Commandment protected marriage. "You shall not commit adultery" (20:14). Adultery means breaking a marriage promise by having sex with someone who is not your husband or wife.
The Seventh Commandment protected what people own. "You shall not steal" (20:15).
The Eighth Commandment protected the truth, and a person's good name. "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor" (20:16). Bearing false witness means telling lies about someone, especially in court.
God protected life, marriage, belongings, and truth. He cared about how his people treated each other.
Scene 8 of 9Wanting What Is Not Yours
The last commandments were different. They were about what happens inside a person.
"You shall not covet your neighbor's house" (20:17). To covet means to want something that belongs to someone else so much that you would take it from them.
God also said not to covet a neighbor's wife, servants, ox, donkey, or "anything that belongs to your neighbor" (20:17). Lutherans count these as the Ninth and Tenth Commandments.
You can't see coveting from the outside. It happens in a person's thoughts and wishes. So these commandments showed that God cares about more than actions. He cares about what we want.
Scene 9 of 9Standing Far Away
The people saw the thunder and lightning. They heard the ram's horn. They saw the mountain covered in smoke. They trembled with fear, and they stood far away.
They said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen" (20:19). They asked him not to let God speak to them. They were afraid they would die.
"Do not be afraid," Moses replied (20:20).
Moses said God had come to test them. God wanted them to have a deep respect for him, so they would not sin.
The people stayed far away. Moses went near, into "the thick darkness where God was" (20:21).
The people were afraid of God. But God had come near to them first. He had spoken his name. He had said, "I am the LORD your God" (20:2).
Meaning
What does it mean?
Read It
What Does This Mean?
| The text says | It means |
|---|---|
| "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out" (20:2) | God says who he is and what he has done before he says what to do. The commandments are for people God has already freed. |
| "The house of slavery" (20:2) | Egypt, where they had been slaves. God's law is not a new kind of slavery. It is a way of life for free people. |
| "You shall have no other gods before Me" (20:3) | Nothing else gets the first place in your trust. That includes money, fame, another person, and yourself. |
| "A jealous God" (20:5) | A comparison. God's love is faithful, like a marriage. It is not petty or envious. |
| "Remember the Sabbath day" (20:8) | Stop and rest, and make time for God. Rest is a gift, not a reward. |
| "Honor your father and mother" (20:12) | Respect and care for your parents. This never means obeying someone who hurts you. |
| "You shall not covet" (20:17) | Don't let wanting what belongs to others take over your thoughts. God cares about what happens inside you too. |
| "Do not be afraid" (20:20) | Moses comforts the people. He says God came to test them, so they would respect him and not sin. |
| "The fear of Him" (20:20) | Deep respect and awe for God. It is not the same as panic. |
Back Then
The Bible calls them "ten words." The Hebrew name in Exodus 34:28 and Deuteronomy 10:4 means "the ten words." (Easton's Bible Dictionary)
They were written on two stone tablets. God wrote them on two tablets of stone (Deuteronomy 4:13). (Easton's Bible Dictionary)
No one knows for sure which mountain was Sinai. Easton's dictionary thought it was probably a peak called Ras Sufsafeh. It rises almost straight up from a wide plain. The journey there from the Red Sea was about 150 miles. (Easton's Bible Dictionary)
Christians and Jews count the Ten Commandments in different ways. The Bible says there are ten (Exodus 34:28). But it does not number them. So different groups divide the same words in different ways. (Easton's Bible Dictionary) This edition uses the Lutheran numbers from Luther's Small Catechism.
| What the verses say | Lutheran | Catholic | Reformed, Orthodox, and many other Protestants | Jewish tradition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I am the LORD your God who brought you out (20:2) | Not numbered | Often read with the First | Not numbered | First |
| No other gods (20:3) | First | First | First | Second |
| No idols (20:4-6) | Part of the First | Part of the First | Second | Part of the Second |
| God's name (20:7) | Second | Second | Third | Third |
| The Sabbath (20:8-11) | Third | Third | Fourth | Fourth |
| Father and mother (20:12) | Fourth | Fourth | Fifth | Fifth |
| Murder (20:13) | Fifth | Fifth | Sixth | Sixth |
| Adultery (20:14) | Sixth | Sixth | Seventh | Seventh |
| Stealing (20:15) | Seventh | Seventh | Eighth | Eighth |
| False witness (20:16) | Eighth | Eighth | Ninth | Ninth |
| Coveting a house (20:17) | Ninth | Part of the Tenth | Tenth | Tenth |
| Coveting a wife (20:17) | Part of the Tenth | Ninth | Tenth | Tenth |
| Coveting servants, animals, or anything else (20:17) | Part of the Tenth | Part of the Tenth | Tenth | Tenth |
The words are the same in every tradition. Only the counting is different. Catholics follow the order in Deuteronomy 5:21, where the wife comes first. So the Catholic Ninth is about a neighbor's wife, and the Catholic Tenth is about belongings. In Jewish tradition, the very first "word" is "I am the LORD your God" (20:2). That fits the point of this story. Who God is comes first.
Literal Reader Alert
Does God punish children for what their parents did? God said the guilt of those who hate him would reach "to the third and fourth generations" (20:5). Christians have struggled with this passage for a long time. Here are some things that help. First, the verse is about people who keep hating God, family after family. Second, it compares three or four generations to "a thousand generations" (20:6). God's love is much bigger than his anger. Third, the prophet Ezekiel says, "A son will not bear the iniquity of his father" (Ezekiel 18:20). Many readers understand Exodus 20:5 to mean that wrongdoing often hurts families for a long time. If you have been hurt by a parent's choices, it is not your fault. God does not blame you for it.
Why did the people have to stay back or die? God is holy, and the Bible treats being near him as serious. The boundary protected the people. It's okay to notice things like this. Careful readers have asked about it for centuries. The letter to the Hebrews remembers this frightening day. Then it says Christians come to "Jesus the mediator of a new covenant" (Hebrews 12:24). A mediator is a go-between.
Does "honor your father and mother" mean I have to obey someone who hurts me? No. Honoring means respect and care. It never means letting someone hurt you. It never means keeping a secret that hurts you. God also tells parents, "do not provoke your children to wrath" (Ephesians 6:4). If someone at home is hurting you, tell a trusted adult, like a teacher, school counselor, or pastor. In the U.S., you can call or text 988. If you are in danger, call 911 or your local emergency number. Outside the U.S., findahelpline.com lists free helplines. If this story brings up big feelings, talk with a parent, pastor, or trusted adult.
Why is a wife listed with a house and animals? In verse 17, the commandment speaks to a man and lists what is in his household. That was how people wrote back then. Christians do not read it to mean a wife is property. God made male and female in his own image (Genesis 1:27). The commandment is for everyone, women and men. Deuteronomy 5:21 lists the wife first, apart from the belongings.
Is it "kill" or "murder"? Some older Bibles say "kill." The BSB says "murder" (20:13). The Hebrew word usually means taking a life unjustly.
Do Christians keep the Sabbath on Saturday? The Sabbath is the seventh day, Saturday. Jewish families still keep it, from Friday evening to Saturday evening. Most Christians gather for worship on Sunday, the day Jesus rose from the dead. Luther taught that this commandment means we should gladly hear and learn God's Word. Jesus said, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27).
How People Feel
| Who | Feeling | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The people | Trembling with fear | Thunder, lightning, smoke, and a loud horn filled the camp (19:16) |
| The people | Terrified | They were afraid they would die if God spoke to them (20:19) |
| The people | Wanting distance | They asked Moses to be their go-between (20:19) |
| Moses | Trusting, though afraid too | He told the people not to be afraid, and he went near to God (20:20-21). Hebrews 12:21 says even Moses was trembling |
For you
What does it mean for me?
Your Turn
What do you hear first in these words? Tap one.
I've broken them all
You are not alone. Everyone has. That is part of the Law's job. It shows us what God asks, and it shows us our need. But God's first words were "I am the LORD your God" (20:2). In Jesus, God forgives you. "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1).
God feels too scary
The people felt that way too. Moses said, "Do not be afraid." God had come near to free them, not to hurt them. In Jesus, God comes close in a way we can bear.
Home doesn't feel safe
Honoring a parent never means letting them hurt you. Tell a trusted adult today, like a teacher, counselor, or pastor. In the U.S., call or text 988. If you are in danger, call 911 or your local emergency number. Outside the U.S., findahelpline.com lists free helplines.
I like clear rules
Many people do. God's commandments show a good way to live together. And God loved his people before they kept one rule.
You Might Have Heard
"Keep the Ten Commandments, and God will let you into heaven."
What's true: God's commandments are good. They show us how to love God and love our neighbor.
What the story is mainly about: God gave these words to people he had already rescued. "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out" (20:2) comes first. The people did not earn their freedom. God gave it.
Where Jesus is: Someone once asked Jesus which commandment is the greatest. Jesus said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" (Matthew 22:37). Then he said, "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:39). "All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments" (Matthew 22:40). Many Christians have taught that the first commandments are about loving God, and the rest are about loving people. Jesus also said about the Law and the Prophets, "I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them" (Matthew 5:17). Jesus loved God and his neighbors perfectly, and he did it for us.
Good News
Lutherans talk about Law and Gospel. The Law is what God asks of us. It is good, and it shows us our need. Paul says the law makes us aware of our sin (Romans 3:20). The Gospel is what God gives us in Jesus. We are "justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:24). Justified means made right with God.
At Sinai, the people stood far away and asked for a go-between. God has given one. "There is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5).
If you feel like you have broken every commandment, you are the person this good news is for. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins" (1 John 1:9). In Baptism, God says to you what he said at Sinai: I am your God, and you are mine. He says it before you do anything. The Holy Spirit gives you faith to trust it.
God frees you first, forgives you in Jesus, and then gives you his commandments as a way to live free.
Big Idea
God sets his people free, tells them who he is, and then gives his commandments as a gift for free people.
If this story brings up big feelings, talk with someone you trust, like a parent, pastor, or counselor.
For leaders and parentsLuther, church readings, and notes for teaching.
From Luther
Luther's Small Catechism (1529) teaches each commandment with the question "What does this mean?" His answers always begin with God. The English below follows the Concordia Triglotta translation (1921), shortened and put in plain words.
| Commandment | What Luther says it means |
|---|---|
| First | "We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things." |
| Second | We should fear and love God so that we don't curse, swear, use magic, lie, or trick people by his name. Instead we call on it in every trouble, pray, praise, and give thanks. |
| Third | We should fear and love God so that we don't look down on preaching and his Word. We hold it holy, and gladly hear and learn it. |
| Fourth | We should fear and love God so that we don't look down on or anger our parents and others over us. We honor them, serve and obey them, and love and respect them. |
| Fifth | We should fear and love God so that we don't hurt or harm our neighbor's body. We help and befriend them in every need of the body. |
| Sixth | We should fear and love God so that we live pure and decent lives in words and actions. Husbands and wives love and honor each other. |
| Seventh | We should fear and love God so that we don't take our neighbor's money or things. We help them keep and improve what they have. |
| Eighth | We should fear and love God so that we don't lie about our neighbor, betray them, or ruin their good name. We defend them, speak well of them, and "put the best construction on everything." |
| Ninth | We should fear and love God so that we don't scheme to get our neighbor's inheritance or house, or take it by pretending we have a right to it. We help them keep it. |
| Tenth | We should fear and love God so that we don't lure or force away our neighbor's spouse, servants, or animals. We urge them to stay and do their work well. |
Luther's Fourth Commandment explanation includes obeying parents. But it is never permission for anyone to hurt a child. It never means obeying someone who asks you to do wrong or keep a harmful secret.
In the Large Catechism (1529), Luther says the Commandments teach what we ought to do. The Creed then teaches what God does for us and gives us. He says human strength is far too weak to keep the Commandments. The Creed brings pure grace. It makes us right with God and gives us love and delight in his commandments.
In Church
Many churches follow a reading plan called the Revised Common Lectionary. It reads Exodus 20:1-17 on the Third Sunday in Lent in Year B. It reads parts of Exodus 20:1-20 in early October of Year A (Lectionary 27). It reads Jesus's summary, Matthew 22:34-46, in late October of Year A (Lectionary 30).
We quote Luther for what he got right about grace. He also wrote terrible things about Jewish people. Read our note on that.
Memorize
How do I keep it?
One line from this story to learn by heart. Practice a little now. It will come back later so it sticks.
I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
How did that feel?