The phrase "ten words" (Heb. ashereth devarim) appears in three Old Testament texts (Gk. deka logoi in Ex. 34:28 and Deut. 10:4; Gk. deka rhémata in Deut. 4:13), all of which state that these words were written by the Lord on two tablets of stone. These tablets are called "the tablets of the testimony" (Ex. 31:18 and 32:15-16, the latter text asserting that they were inscribed on both sides) and "the tablets of the testament" (Ex. 34:28-29; Deut. 9:9-11, 15). After Moses broke the original tablets upon his discovery of the Golden Calf (Ex. 32:19; Deut. 9:17), a second set, identical to the first (Ex. 34:1, 4; Deut. 10:1-3), was deposited in the Ark of the Testament (Deut. 10:4-5; see also Lev. 16:13). The tablets are elsewhere said to contain "the law and the commands" (Ex. 24:12), later specified as the Horeb discourse (Deut. 5:22, the discourse itself being in 5:6-21, parallel to Ex. 20:2-17). Although "ten words" is an alternate title for "his (the Lord's) testament" (Deut. 4:13), and this testament is identified with the Horeb discourse (Deut. 5:2), it is not immediately clear whether "ten words" refers to the Horeb discourse as such, or rather to a major subdivision of the same (cf. the books titled "1 and 2 Samuel," the bulk of whose contents are in fact unrelated to Samuel, since they are descriptions of events which occurred after Samuel had died).
It has nevertheless been widely assumed that "ten words" is a name for the entire Horeb discourse, and that in view of the contents of that discourse, "ten words" should be rendered "ten commandments." There are however three compelling reasons to reject this theory. First, nowhere in Scripture do we read of ten mitzvoth or entolai, the common Hebrew and Greek words for "commandments," neither is there any other text in either testament where devarim, logoi, or rhémata are translated "commandments."
Second, there is no obvious way to reduce the material in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 to exactly ten statements. Both texts contain twelve sentences or paragraphs which have been treated as separate commandments by the major biblical traditions, and one additional commandment could have been generated based on the distinction between making an idol (Ex. 20:4) and worshiping an idol (Ex. 20:5). As a result, several different systems exist to reduce Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 to the necessary ten statements, with no compelling reason to favor any of them. Note: the Orthodox/Protestant system is that of Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, bk. III, chap. v, par. 5. The Lutheran system alters the sabbath command to reflect its absence from the New Testament. In making the distinction between covet commands, Lutherans follow the Masoretic Hebrew and Latin Vulgate versions of Exodus 20:17, while Roman Catholics follow these versions' rendering of Deuteronomy 5:21 (the latter is the reading of both texts in the Greek Septuagint).
| # | Jewish | Orthodox/Protestant | Roman Catholic | Lutheran |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I am the Lord | Other gods | Other gods | Other gods |
| 2 | Other gods | Graven images | Use of Lord's Name | Use of Lord's Name |
| 3 | Use of Lord's Name | Use of Lord's Name | Remembering sabbaths | Sanctifying holy days |
| 4 | Remembering sabbaths | Remembering sabbaths | Honoring parents | Honoring parents |
| 5 | Honoring parents | Honoring parents | Murder | Murder |
| 6 | Murder | Murder | Adultery | Adultery |
| 7 | Adultery | Adultery | Stealing | Stealing |
| 8 | Stealing | Stealing | False witness | False witness |
| 9 | False witness | False witness | Coveting wives | Coveting houses |
| 10 | Coveting | Coveting | Coveting possessions | Coveting persons |
Third, Paul says that what was written on the tablets constituted a "ministry of death" (2 Cor. 3:7). This certainly does not apply to "Honor your father and mother, so that it may go well for you, and so that you may last a long time on the good land which the Lord your God is giving to you" (Ex. 20:12). Indeed, a program for suppressing rebellion, murder, adultery, theft, and fraud among a people is the foundation for a blessed life. Is it possible that when the Pentateuch speaks of "ten words," it means exactly that, a ten word phrase or sentence within the Horeb discourse whose sole function is a ministry of death?
There are in fact two phrases in the Horeb discourse which according to the Hebrew text are exactly ten words in length, and both contain an overt threat. The first follows the "graven images" commandment (Ex. 20:5; Deut. 5:9; words in parentheses are not separate words in Hebrew):
visiting iniquity (of) fathers on sons, on third (and) on fourth (generations) (for) Me-haters
The second is a subdivision of the "name in vain" commandment (Ex. 20:7b; Deut. 5:11b):
for not (will) acquit Yahveh the (one) who (will) receive the name (of Him) (for) vanity
Both phrases mean essentially the same thing, that God will punish without mercy those who reject Him and His word. The first is nevertheless the best candidate, since by virtue of its content and location it is most clearly applicable to all violations of the principles in this context. It alone, in a slightly paraphrased form, reappears in the Lord's speech to Moses prior to the creation of the second set of tablets (Ex. 34:7). The Hebrew version of Exodus 20:5 appears on the link to this page.
Modern Christianity errs grossly in reading the so-called Ten Commandments as an imposing list of moral commands, currently obeyed by few if any humans. The Cecil B. DeMille/Charleton Heston motion picture portrayal has doubtless encouraged this view. In the film version, God gives the Ten Commandments to Moses alone, while the Israelites, ignorant of their contents, begin worshipping the Golden Calf. Upon discovery of the latter, Moses breaks the tablets, saying, "You are not worthy to receive these Ten Commandments." This latter statement makes no sense in context. If a teenager, who had not been previously told to wash the family car, were to bring that car home dirty one day, would the parents rightly respond, "You are not worthy to receive a written command to wash the car"? Furthermore, how does destroying the text of the commandments help disobedient Israel to become obedient?
In the book of Exodus, by contrast, the Lord spoke the Horeb discourse through Moses to all Israel (Deut. 5:4-5) long before they made the Golden Calf. The false worship of the latter occurred during a quite distinct encounter between the Lord and Moses, the purpose of which was to provide detailed instructions concerning Israel's public worship (chs. 25-31). The Ten Words were created for Israel to use as a weapon against their enemies ("Me-haters"), not as a coercion to use against themselves. But when they apostasized, they ceased being Israel in the proper sense, for their god was no longer the Lord who had brought them out of bondage. Deserving to be condemned themselves, they forfeited the right to judge others. Thus Moses broke the tablets of the Ten Words to deprive them of that right.
The so-called Ten Commandments, the first part of the "Book of the Testament" (Ex. 24:7), were intended to be promises of the life God enables in those who believe in him as the liberator from all forms of bondage. God's Spirit removes from his people any need to rebel or steal; he causes us to believe that we will receive justice and possessions by methods which will do no harm to our neighbor. We then receive the right to preach the judgment of the Ten Words against those who reject God's liberation and who harm their neighbor. The goal is that the bleak message of the Ten Words might drive its hearers to seek the liberation which they had previously ignored or denied (see Gal. 3:24).
