Bible facts

The 10 Commandments: full list and what they mean

The Ten Commandments are found in Exodus 20:1–17 and Deuteronomy 5:6–21. They call people to worship God alone, not misuse his name, keep the holy day, honor their parents, and not murder, commit adultery, steal, lie or covet. Jews, Catholics and Protestants number them differently.

Where are the Ten Commandments in the Bible?

In two places: Exodus 20:1–17, when God speaks to Moses on Mount Sinai, and Deuteronomy 5:6–21, when Moses repeats them to the people before they enter the promised land. The two texts are almost identical. Tradition says they were written on two tablets of stone.

The 10 Commandments in the Protestant tradition

You shall have no other gods before me.
You shall not make for yourself a carved image to bow down to.
You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Honor your father and your mother.
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet.

The 10 Commandments in the Catholic tradition

I am the Lord your God: you shall not have strange gods before me.
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.
Honor your father and your mother.
You shall not kill.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.

Why are the lists different?

The biblical text has more than ten sentences but does not number them. Each tradition grouped them its own way:

Catholics and Lutherans (following Saint Augustine) join “no other gods” and “no images” into one commandment and split coveting into two: your neighbor’s wife and your neighbor’s goods.
Reformed Protestants and the Orthodox keep the ban on images as the second commandment and treat coveting as one.
In Jewish tradition, the first is the statement “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt”, and the other nine follow from there.

The content is the same; only the counting changes.

What the commandments say, in short

The first commandments deal with our relationship with God: worship, respect for his name and a day set apart for rest. The rest deal with our relationship with others: family, life, marriage, property, truth and desire. Jesus summed them up in two: love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37–40).

Why “Sabbath” and “Sunday”?

The biblical text speaks of the Sabbath, the seventh day, which Jews still keep today. Most Christians came to keep Sunday, the day of Jesus’ resurrection. Some groups, such as Seventh-day Adventists, still keep the Sabbath.

To see how the books of the Bible were gathered, read how many books are in the Bible. If you are just starting, see where to start reading the Bible.

Frequently asked questions

What are the 10 Commandments?

Worship God alone, make no idols, do not misuse God’s name, keep the holy day, honor your parents, do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness and do not covet. Traditions group them differently.

Where are the 10 Commandments in the Bible?

In Exodus 20:1–17 and Deuteronomy 5:6–21.

What is the greatest commandment?

According to Jesus, to love God with all your heart; the second is to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37–40).

Are the Catholic 10 Commandments different from the Protestant ones?

The content is the same, but the numbering changes: Catholics join the bans on other gods and images and split coveting into two commandments.