What are the Ten Commandments in order?

1 I am the Lord your God; 2 no other gods or idols; 3 do not take God’s name in vain; 4 Shabbat; 5 honour your parents; 6 do not murder; 7 do not commit adultery; 8 do not steal; 9 do not bear false witness; 10 do not covet.

Where are the Ten Commandments in the Bible?

In Exodus 20:1–14 (20:2–17 in some Christian editions) and in Deuteronomy 5:6–18.

Why do Jewish and Christian lists differ?

The Torah does not number them. Jewish tradition counts “I am the Lord” as the first; some Christian traditions merge or split other verses.

Are the Ten Commandments all of Jewish law?

No. The Torah has 613 commandments; the Ten are the ones God proclaimed to the whole people at Sinai.

The Ten Commandments עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת

The Ten Commandments – in Hebrew Aseret HaDibrot, “the ten statements” – were proclaimed by God at Mount Sinai and written on two stone tablets. The Torah gives them twice: in Exodus 20 and in Deuteronomy 5.

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt.
You shall have no other gods besides Me, and make no idols.
Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
Remember (and keep) the Shabbat day to make it holy.
Honour your father and your mother.
Do not murder.
Do not commit adultery.
Do not steal.
Do not bear false witness against your neighbour.
Do not covet anything that belongs to your neighbour.

Exodus 20:1–14

1וַיְדַבֵּר אֱלֹהִים אֵת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה לֵאמֹר

1And God spoke all these words, saying:

2אָנֹכִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִיךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים

2I am the LORD thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3לֹא יִהְיֶה־לְךָ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים עַל־פָּנָיַ

3Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.

4לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה־לְךָ פֶסֶל וְכָל־תְּמוּנָה אֲשֶׁר בַּשָּׁמַיִם מִמַּעַל וַאֲשֶׁר בָּאָרֶץ מִתָּחַת וַאֲשֶׁר בַּמַּיִם מִתַּחַת לָאָרֶץ

4Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, nor any manner of likeness, of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;

5לֹא־תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לָהֶם וְלֹא תָעָבְדֵם כִּי אָנֹכִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֵל קַנָּא פֹּקֵד עֲוֺן אָבֹת עַל־בָּנִים עַל־שִׁלֵּשִׁים וְעַל־רִבֵּעִים לְשֹׂנְאָי

5thou shalt not bow down unto them, nor serve them; for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me;

6וְעֹשֶׂה חֶסֶד לַאֲלָפִים לְאֹהֲבַי וּלְשֹׁמְרֵי מִצְוֺתָי

6and showing mercy unto the thousandth generation of them that love Me and keep My commandments.

7לֹא תִשָּׂא אֶת־שֵׁם־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לַשָּׁוְא כִּי לֹא יְנַקֶּה יְהוָה אֵת אֲשֶׁר־יִשָּׂא אֶת־שְׁמוֹ לַשָּׁוְא

7Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain.

8זָכוֹר אֶת־יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת לְקַדְּשׁוֹ

8Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

9שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים תַּעֲבֹד וְעָשִׂיתָ כָּל־מְלַאכְתֶּךָ

9Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work;

10וְיוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי שַׁבָּת לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לֹא־תַעֲשֶׂה כָל־מְלָאכָה אַתָּה וּבִנְךָ־וּבִתֶּךָ עַבְדְּךָ וַאֲמָתְךָ וּבְהֶמְתֶּךָ וְגֵרְךָ אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ

10but the seventh day is a sabbath unto the LORD thy God, in it thou shalt not do any manner of work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates;

11כִּי שֵׁשֶׁת־יָמִים עָשָׂה יְהוָה אֶת־הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת־הָאָרֶץ אֶת־הַיָּם וְאֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־בָּם וַיָּנַח בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי עַל־כֵּן בֵּרַךְ יְהוָה אֶת־יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת וַיְקַדְּשֵׁהוּ

11for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested on the seventh day; wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

12כַּבֵּד אֶת־אָבִיךָ וְאֶת־אִמֶּךָ לְמַעַן יַאֲרִכוּן יָמֶיךָ עַל הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ

12Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

13–16לֹא תִּרְצָח לֹא תִּנְאָף לֹא תִּגְנֹב לֹא־תַעֲנֶה בְרֵעֲךָ עֵד שָׁקֶר

13Thou shalt not murder. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

17לֹא תַחְמֹד בֵּית רֵעֶךָ לֹא־תַחְמֹד אֵשֶׁת רֵעֶךָ וְעַבְדּוֹ וַאֲמָתוֹ וְשׁוֹרוֹ וַחֲמֹרוֹ וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר לְרֵעֶךָ

14Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house; thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.

The full chapter on our Hebrew site

Deuteronomy 5:6–18

6אָנֹכִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִיךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים

6I am the LORD thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

7לֹא־יִהְיֶה לְךָ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים עַל־פָּנָיַ

7Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.

8לֹא־תַעֲשֶׂה לְךָ פֶסֶל כָּל־תְּמוּנָה אֲשֶׁר בַּשָּׁמַיִם מִמַּעַל וַאֲשֶׁר בָּאָרֶץ מִתָּחַת וַאֲשֶׁר בַּמַּיִם מִתַּחַת לָאָרֶץ

8Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, even any manner of likeness, of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

9לֹא־תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לָהֶם וְלֹא תָעָבְדֵם כִּי אָנֹכִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֵל קַנָּא פֹּקֵד עֲוֺן אָבוֹת עַל־בָּנִים וְעַל־שִׁלֵּשִׁים וְעַל־רִבֵּעִים לְשֹׂנְאָי

9Thou shalt not bow down unto them, nor serve them; for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the third and upon the fourth generation of them that hate Me,

10וְעֹשֶׂה חֶסֶד לַאֲלָפִים לְאֹהֲבַי וּלְשֹׁמְרֵי מִצְוֺתָי

10and showing mercy unto the thousandth generation of them that love Me and keep My commandments.

11לֹא תִשָּׂא אֶת־שֵׁם־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לַשָּׁוְא כִּי לֹא יְנַקֶּה יְהוָה אֵת אֲשֶׁר־יִשָּׂא אֶת־שְׁמוֹ לַשָּׁוְא

11Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain.

12שָׁמוֹר אֶת־יוֹם הַשַׁבָּת לְקַדְּשׁוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוְּךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ

12Observe the sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the LORD thy God commanded thee.

13שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים תַּעֲבֹד וְעָשִׂיתָ כָּל־מְלַאכְתֶּךָ

13Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work;

14וְיוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי שַׁבָּת לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה כָל־מְלָאכָה אַתָּה וּבִנְךָ־וּבִתֶּךָ וְעַבְדְּךָ־וַאֲמָתֶךָ וְשׁוֹרְךָ וַחֲמֹרְךָ וְכָל־בְּהֶמְתֶּךָ וְגֵרְךָ אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ לְמַעַן יָנוּחַ עַבְדְּךָ וַאֲמָתְךָ כָּמוֹךָ

14but the seventh day is a sabbath unto the LORD thy God, in it thou shalt not do any manner of work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy man-servant and thy maid-servant may rest as well as thou.

15וְזָכַרְתָּ כִּי־עֶבֶד הָיִיתָ בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם וַיֹּצִאֲךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ מִשָּׁם בְּיָד חֲזָקָה וּבִזְרֹעַ נְטוּיָה עַל־כֵּן צִוְּךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת־יוֹם הַשַׁבָּת

15And thou shalt remember that thou was a servant in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God brought thee out thence by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.

16כַּבֵּד אֶת־אָבִיךָ וְאֶת־אִמֶּךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוְּךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְמַעַן יַאֲרִיכֻן יָמֶיךָ וּלְמַעַן יִיטַב לָךְ עַל הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ

16Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God commanded thee; that thy days may be long, and that it may go well with thee, upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

17–20לֹא תִּרְצָח וְלֹא תִּנְאָף וְלֹא תִּגְנֹב וְלֹא־תַעֲנֶה בְרֵעֲךָ עֵד שָׁוְא

17Thou shalt not murder. Neither shalt thou commit adultery. Neither shalt thou steal. Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.

21וְלֹא תַחְמֹד אֵשֶׁת רֵעֶךָ וְלֹא תִתְאַוֶּה בֵּית רֵעֶךָ שָׂדֵהוּ וְעַבְדּוֹ וַאֲמָתוֹ שׁוֹרוֹ וַחֲמֹרוֹ וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר לְרֵעֶךָ

18Neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour’s wife; neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour’s house, his field, or his man-servant, or his maid-servant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour’s.

The full chapter on our Hebrew site

The Jewish numbering

In Jewish tradition the first statement is “I am the Lord your God” – a call to know and believe in God – and the second combines “no other gods” with the ban on idols. The Torah itself speaks of “ten statements” (Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 4:13) without numbering them. Several Christian traditions divide the text differently, which is why lists sometimes do not match.

The Mekhilta describes the two tablets as five against five: the first five concern a person’s relationship with God (honouring parents included, as parents are partners in creation), the last five relations between people.

Exodus and Deuteronomy

The two versions are almost identical. The main difference is Shabbat: Exodus says “Remember” (zachor) and grounds it in Creation; Deuteronomy says “Observe” (shamor) and recalls the slavery in Egypt. The Sages teach that “zachor” and “shamor” were spoken in a single utterance (Shevuot 20b) – words quoted in the Friday-night hymn Lecha Dodi.

In the synagogue

The Ten Commandments are read in the Torah portions Yitro and Va'etchanan and on Shavuot, the festival of the giving of the Torah. Most communities stand while they are read, though the Rambam objected to this custom lest some think only these commandments matter. In Temple times they were recited every day, but this was stopped so as not to give that impression (Berakhot 12a). They have two systems of cantillation: one verse by verse, and one statement by statement, used for the public reading.

Jewish tradition counts 613 commandments in the Torah; the Ten Commandments are not a summary that replaces them, though many commentators see all the others as connected to them.

Sources

Mekhilta deRabbi Yishmael, Yitro – the two tablets
Talmud, Shevuot 20b – “zachor” and “shamor” in one utterance
Talmud, Berakhot 12a – the daily recital in the Temple
Rambam, Responsa 263 – standing during the reading

Frequently asked questions

What are the Ten Commandments in order?: 1 I am the Lord your God; 2 no other gods or idols; 3 do not take God’s name in vain; 4 Shabbat; 5 honour your parents; 6 do not murder; 7 do not commit adultery; 8 do not steal; 9 do not bear false witness; 10 do not covet.
Where are the Ten Commandments in the Bible?: In Exodus 20:1–14 (20:2–17 in some Christian editions) and in Deuteronomy 5:6–18.
Why do Jewish and Christian lists differ?: The Torah does not number them. Jewish tradition counts “I am the Lord” as the first; some Christian traditions merge or split other verses.
Are the Ten Commandments all of Jewish law?: No. The Torah has 613 commandments; the Ten are the ones God proclaimed to the whole people at Sinai.