The 10 Commandments appear in two main passages: Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:4-21. God spoke these commandments directly to Israel at Mount Sinai after delivering them from Egypt. The first four commandments address our relationship with God (no other gods, no idols, don't misuse God's name, keep the Sabbath). The last six govern relationships with others (honor parents, don't murder, don't commit adultery, don't steal, don't lie, don't covet). These commandments form the moral foundation for biblical ethics and reveal God's character and expectations for His people.
Most Christians know about the Ten Commandments. Many can name several of them. But if someone asked you right now, "Where exactly are the 10 Commandments in the Bible?"—could you answer?
This isn't just trivia. Knowing where God's law appears in Scripture matters because these commandments reveal God's character, define right and wrong, and show us our need for a Savior. Without understanding where they're found and what they actually say, we're left with cultural versions of the commandments rather than God's actual words.
The 10 Commandments verse—or more accurately, verses—appear in two specific places in the Bible, and understanding both passages gives us crucial insight into God's expectations and His relationship with His people.
The Two Primary Passages: Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5
The Ten Commandments appear twice in Scripture with slight variations in wording. This repetition isn't accidental—it emphasizes their importance and provides context for different audiences.
Exodus 20:1-17 records the original giving of the law. God had just delivered Israel from 400 years of slavery in Egypt. After bringing them through the Red Sea and into the wilderness, He called Moses up Mount Sinai. There, surrounded by thunder, lightning, thick clouds, and the sound of a trumpet, God spoke these commandments directly to the people.
The context matters. Israel had been slaves—they had no framework for living as God's free people. They needed structure, boundaries, and understanding of who this God was who had rescued them. The commandments provided exactly that.
Deuteronomy 5:4-21 presents the commandments again, roughly forty years later. Moses is speaking to a new generation—most of those who heard God at Sinai had died in the wilderness because of their unbelief. This new generation is about to enter the Promised Land, and Moses rehearses God's law before his death.
The Deuteronomy account includes slightly different wording in places, particularly regarding the Sabbath commandment. Where Exodus connects Sabbath rest to God's creation, Deuteronomy connects it to their deliverance from slavery. Both reasons are valid; both matter.
The Complete Text: What God Actually Said
Let's look at the full text from Exodus 20:1-17, since this is the primary passage:
"And God spoke all these words, saying: '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.
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.
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.
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.
Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.
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 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.'"
Notice how God introduces Himself before giving any commands: "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt." These aren't arbitrary rules from a distant deity. They come from the God who personally rescued His people and entered into relationship with them.
The Structure: Two Tables of the Law
The commandments divide naturally into two sections, traditionally called the "two tables" of the law because they were written on two stone tablets.
The first four commandments govern our relationship with God:
- No other gods
- No idols or images
- Don't misuse God's name
- Keep the Sabbath holy
The last six commandments govern our relationships with other people:
- Honor your parents
- Don't murder
- Don't commit adultery
- Don't steal
- Don't lie
- Don't covet
This structure reveals something profound. Jesus later summarized all the commandments into two great commands: love God with everything you have, and love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-40). The Ten Commandments show us practically what that love looks like.
What Each Commandment Means
Understanding the commandments requires more than reading them—we need to grasp what God intended by each one.
First Commandment: "No other gods before Me"
God demands exclusive worship. Not partial devotion, not first place among many gods, but complete allegiance. This commandment addresses the human tendency to create backup plans and divided loyalties. God will not share His throne with career, money, relationships, or anything else we're tempted to prioritize above Him.
Second Commandment: "No carved images"
This goes beyond not making statues. God prohibits any attempt to represent Him through physical images because doing so always reduces Him. God is spirit, infinite, and beyond human representation. When we create images of God, we inevitably worship something less than who He truly is.
Third Commandment: "Don't take the LORD's name in vain"
Using God's name carelessly—whether through profanity, flippant speech, or false oaths—shows contempt for His character. God's name represents His nature, authority, and reputation. Treating it lightly demonstrates that we don't take Him seriously.
Fourth Commandment: "Remember the Sabbath"
God established a rhythm of work and rest, commanding one day in seven for worship and physical renewal. This commandment acknowledges that we're creatures with limits who need regular rest. It also demonstrates trust—when we rest one day weekly, we declare that God provides and our productivity doesn't depend entirely on our efforts.
Fifth Commandment: "Honor your father and mother"
This is the first commandment addressing human relationships, and significantly, it's the first with a promise attached—long life. Honoring parents means respecting their authority, caring for their needs, and treating them with dignity even when we disagree. Societies that lose respect for parents eventually crumble because authority structures break down.
Sixth Commandment: "Don't murder"
God protects human life because we're made in His image. Murder destroys what God has created and usurps His authority over life and death. Jesus expanded this commandment to include the anger and hatred that lead to murder (Matthew 5:21-22), showing that God cares about our hearts, not just our actions.
Seventh Commandment: "Don't commit adultery"
God designed marriage as a permanent, exclusive covenant between one man and one woman. Adultery violates that covenant, destroys trust, and damages everyone involved. Jesus taught that even lustful thoughts violate this commandment (Matthew 5:27-28), raising the standard from external behavior to internal purity.
Eighth Commandment: "Don't steal"
Stealing violates others' property rights and demonstrates lack of trust in God's provision. This commandment protects ownership and establishes that taking what belongs to someone else—whether through theft, fraud, or exploitation—is wrong.
Ninth Commandment: "Don't bear false witness"
Truth matters to God. This commandment specifically addresses lying in legal settings but extends to all speech. Dishonesty destroys relationships, perverts justice, and reflects Satan's character rather than God's. Truth-telling builds societies; deception tears them apart.
Tenth Commandment: "Don't covet"
Coveting means desiring what belongs to someone else—their possessions, relationships, or advantages. This is the only commandment that addresses purely internal attitudes rather than external actions. God cares about what happens in our hearts because that's where sin begins.
Why God Gave the Commandments
Many Christians misunderstand the purpose of the Ten Commandments. They weren't given as a way to earn salvation or prove our righteousness. God gave them for three specific reasons.
First, the commandments reveal God's character. Each command shows us something about who God is—His holiness, His justice, His concern for human welfare, and His design for relationships. When we read "You shall not murder," we learn that God values life. When we read "You shall not commit adultery," we learn that God honors covenant faithfulness.
Second, the commandments define sin. Without God's law, we might think we're good people. The commandments shatter that illusion. Romans 7:7 explains: "I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, 'You shall not covet.'" The law functions like a diagnostic tool, showing us exactly where we fall short.
Third, the commandments point us to Christ. Galatians 3:24 calls the law a "tutor to bring us to Christ." When we honestly examine the commandments—including Jesus' teaching that breaking them in our hearts counts just as much as breaking them in our actions—we realize we're guilty. We've all worshiped other gods, dishonored parents, lied, coveted, and harbored anger or lust. The law shows us we desperately need a Savior who can forgive our sin and give us a new heart.
How Christians Should Relate to the Law Today
This question confuses many believers. Are Christians obligated to keep the Ten Commandments? Does grace free us from the law?
The New Testament gives clear guidance. Romans 6:14 states: "You are not under law but under grace." Christians aren't saved by keeping the law, nor do we maintain our salvation through law-keeping. Christ fulfilled the law's requirements on our behalf (Matthew 5:17), and His righteousness is credited to those who trust in Him.
But does that mean the commandments no longer matter? Absolutely not.
Nine of the ten commandments are repeated in the New Testament as commands for Christians. The only exception is the Sabbath command, which isn't binding on Christians in the same way it was for Israel, though the principle of regular rest and worship remains valuable.
Paul wrote in Romans 13:8-10 that love fulfills the law. When we genuinely love God and others, we naturally keep the commandments—not to earn favor with God, but because our transformed hearts desire to please Him and serve others.
The commandments also continue serving as a moral compass. They show us God's standards and help us recognize sin in our lives. When the Holy Spirit convicts us of wrongdoing, He often does so by bringing these commands to mind.
The Commandments and the Gospel
Here's the beautiful reality: The same God who gave the commandments also provided the sacrifice for breaking them.
The law shows us we're sinners. Every person has violated these commandments repeatedly—if not in action, then in thought and attitude. Romans 3:23 confirms this: "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
But the gospel announces good news. Jesus Christ lived the perfect life we couldn't live, keeping every commandment flawlessly. Then He died the death we deserved for our law-breaking. When we trust in Him, God credits Christ's perfect obedience to us and forgives all our violations of His law.
Second Corinthians 5:21 explains: "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." Jesus took our sin; we receive His righteousness. That's the gospel.
The commandments aren't our path to God—they're the standard that shows us why we need a Savior. When we see God's perfect law and our consistent failure to keep it, we should run to Christ, not away from God.
Practical Application for Daily Life
Understanding the 10 commandments verse means more than knowing where to find them in Scripture. These commands should shape how we live.
In your relationship with God, ask yourself: Am I giving Him exclusive devotion, or am I dividing my allegiance? Am I using His name with reverence or carelessly? Am I making time for rest and worship?
In your relationships with others, examine: Do I honor my parents appropriately? Am I harboring anger toward anyone? Am I maintaining purity in my thought life and relationships? Have I taken what belongs to someone else? Am I truthful in all my dealings? Do I find myself constantly wanting what others have?
The Holy Spirit uses God's law to convict us and redirect us toward obedience. When you recognize areas where you're breaking God's commands, confess that sin to God, receive His forgiveness through Christ, and ask for His help to change.
Where to Find Related Scriptures
Beyond Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5, other passages reference or elaborate on the commandments:
- Exodus 31:18 describes God writing the commandments on stone tablets with His own finger
- Deuteronomy 10:1-5 tells how God rewrote the commandments after Moses broke the first tablets
- Matthew 5:17-48 records Jesus' teaching on the true meaning and full application of the commandments
- Romans 3:19-20 explains how the law reveals sin and our need for righteousness through faith
- James 2:10-11 teaches that breaking one commandment makes us guilty of breaking all of them
These passages help us understand the commandments more fully and see how they fit into the larger biblical story.
The Commandments Are God's Gift
Many people view the Ten Commandments as restrictive rules from an overbearing God. That perspective misses their true nature.
God gave these commands as a gift to people He loved. They show us how to live in right relationship with Him and with each other. They protect us from the destructive consequences of sin. They reveal what pleases God and what grieves Him.
Think of them like guardrails on a mountain road. Those barriers aren't there to restrict your freedom—they're there to keep you from driving off a cliff. God's commandments function the same way. They define boundaries that keep us safe and help us flourish.
The 10 commandments verse—found primarily in Exodus 20:1-17—gives us God's own words about how He wants us to live. Reading them, studying them, and allowing them to shape our understanding of right and wrong will transform how we relate to God and others.
But remember: these commandments show us the standard; Jesus provides the righteousness we need to stand before a holy God. Know the law, recognize your need for a Savior, and trust in Christ alone for your salvation.
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