What are the Ten Commandements?

Answer 1

Jewish Answer: The phrase "The Ten Commandments," although very well known, isn't the precise name. The original wording (which is in Hebrew) is "Aseret HaDibrot" which translates to "The Ten Statements" or "The Ten Utterances." All the 613 mitzvot (commands) found in the Torah relate back to these statements. They are:

1. "Anochi HaShem Elokecha..." (I am the Lord your God....): To believe in God's existence, His concern for the world, His intervention at will in the affairs of the world, and His infinite might.
2. "Lo Yihyeh Lecha ..." (You shall not recognize the gods of others in My presence....): the prohibition against idolatry.
3. "Lo Tisa ..." (You shall not use the Name of the Lord your God in vain....): Do not disgrace God's name by using it for no valid purpose. This especially refers to swearing with God's name, an oath that you do not mean to keep or cannot keep.
4. Version A: "Zachor et Yom HaShabbat L'Kad'sho ..." (Remember the day of Shabbat to keep it holy....): Sanctify the day of Shabbat by treating it as a day of delight, and by the recitation of Kiddush, etc. (Exodus 20:8-11). Version B: "Shamor et Yom HaShabbat L'Kadesho..." (Guard the day of Shabbat to keep it holy....): Observe the day of Shabbat as a day of rest by refraining from work: creative, purposeful interaction with nature. (Deuteronomy 5:12-15).
5. "Kabed et avicha v'et imecha..." (Honor your father and your mother...): Revering and honoring one's parents is considered a basic commandment in Judaism from the perspective that there are three partners involved in the creation of a human being: one's parents and God Himself. That is why this Commandment is included with the first five, which are considered to be between Man and his Creator. This is also understood, by extension, to refer to teachers.
6. "Lo Tirtzach" (You shall not murder): Since the human being is created in the "image of God," the level of seriousness of violation of this commandment should not be minimized. Certain taking of life is sanctioned by the Torah, as is the case in the "arba mitot beit din," the four forms of capital punishment, which are at least theoretically part of the legal code of the Torah; or the taking of life involved in a milchemet mitzvah, an obligatory war. However, outside of the limited exceptions, the diminution of the "Tzelem Elokim," the "image of God" in the world, is one of the three cardinal crimes, for which one must give up his or her life, rather than violate.
7. "Lo Tinaf" (You shall not commit adultery): the prohibition of cohabiting with a married woman.
8. "Lo Tignov" (You shall not steal).
9. "Lo Taaneh ve'reacha ed shaker" (Do not testify falsely against your neighbor): Giving testimony is a very serious matter in Judaism, because it has the power to directly affect someone else's life.
10. "Lo Tachmod beit rei'echa..." (You shall not covet your fellow's house, his wife, his manservant, his maidservant, his ox, his donkey, nor anything that belongs to your fellow): This is a matter in which the Torah legislates regarding a person's inner thoughts and feelings. Only a Divine Lawgiver could possibly legislate in this way, for He knows our innermost thoughts and feelings.

Christian Answer: The Ten Commandments were given directly to Moses by God at Mount Sinai after He had delivered the Jews from slavery in Egypt.
They appear twice in the first five books of The Bible (The Torah, or 5 Books of Moses): in Exodus 20:2-17 (sometimes referred to as the "Ritual Decalogue") and in Deuteronomy 5:6-21 (the "Ethical Decalogue"). Each of the major religions and denominations which use the 10 Commandments puts them in a slightly different order and wording.
In the Eastern Orthodox Christian tradition, the first and second of these are considered one commandment. In the Catholic and Lutheran Christian traditions, the first three of these are considered one commandment, and the final one of these is considered two commandments. In most other Christian traditions, the first of these is not considered a commandment.

Exodus 20New King James Version (NKJV) 20 And God spoke all these words, saying:
2 "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 "You shall have no other gods before Me.
4 "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;5 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, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
7 "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.
8 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 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 iswithin your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
12 "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
13 "You shall not murder.
14 "You shall not commit adultery.
15 "You shall not steal.
16 "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
17 "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."
Aditional Answer:
The Ten Commandments are purported to be heavenly laws given by God to Moses. They are the blueprint for how Jews and Christians are to live their lives. Also they were a covenant between God and His people (Exodus ch.19).
1.you shall have no other before me.2.you shall not make you self a graven image... you shall not bow down to them and worship them.3.You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain.4.remember the sabbath, to keep it holy.5.Honer you mother and father.6.You shall not kill.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 neighbors house.

Answer 2

# You shall have no other Gods but me. # You shall not make for yourself any idol, nor bow down to it or worship it. # You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God. # You shall remember and keep the Sabbath day holy. # Respect your father and mother. # You must not kill. # You must not commit adultery. # You must not steal. # You must not give false evidence against your neighbour. # You must not be envious of your neighbour's goods. You shall not be envious of his house nor his wife, nor anything that belongs to your neighbour.

Answer 3

1. '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.'
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 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.'

Answer 4

They are the ten commands which God spoke at Sinai (Exodus ch.19-20). God inscribed them in the two Stone Tablets and handed the Tablets to Moses (Exodus 31:18); and they were kept in the Ark of the Covenant (Deuteronomy ch.10).

• 1) "Anochi Hashem Elokecha..." (I am the Lord your God....): To believe in God's existence, His concern for the world, His intervention at will in the affairs of the world, and His infinite might.
• 2) "Lo yihyeh lecha ..." (You shall not recognize the gods of others): The prohibition against idolatry.
• 3) "Lo tisa ..." (You shall not use the Name of the Lord your God in vain....): Do not disgrace God's name by using it for no valid purpose. This especially refers to swearing with God's name, an oath that you do not mean to keep or cannot keep.
• 4) "Zachor et yom hashabbat l'kadsho ..." (Remember the day of Shabbat to keep it holy....): Sanctify the day of Shabbat as a day of rest by refraining from work: creative, purposeful interaction with nature. Treat it as a day of delight, by the recitation of Kiddush, the Shabbat meals, etc.
• 5) "Kabed et avicha v'et imecha..." (Honor your father and your mother...): Revering and honoring one's parents is considered a basic commandment in Judaism from the perspective that there are three partners involved in the creation of a human being: one's parents and God Himself. That is why this Commandment is included with the first five, which are considered to be between Man and his Creator. This is also understood, by extension, to refer to teachers.
• 6) "Lo tirtzach" (You shall not murder): Human beings are created in the "image of God." Certain taking of life is sanctioned by the Torah, as is the case in a milchemet mitzvah; an obligatory war. However, outside of the limited exceptions, the diminution of the "Tzelem Elokim," the "image of God" in the world, is one of the three cardinal crimes, for which one must give up his or her life, rather than violate.
• 7) "Lo tin'af" (You shall not commit adultery): the prohibition of cohabiting with a married woman.
• 8) "Lo tignov" (You shall not steal).
• 9) "Lo taaneh ve'reacha ed shahker" (Do not testify falsely against your neighbor): Giving testimony is a very serious matter in Judaism, because it has the power to directly affect someone else's life.
• 10) "Lo tachmod beit rei'echa..." (You shall not covet anything that belongs to your fellow): This is a matter in which the Torah legislates regarding a person's inner thoughts and feelings. Only a Divine Lawgiver could possibly legislate in this way, for He knows the doings within our minds.

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