10 Commandments

Back Home Up Next


 

Modern life often glosses over the Ten Commandments, yet they are the basis of morality in our Judeo-Christian culture. The first four commandments deal with our relationship with God: obedience, honor and worship. The last six concern our relationship with others. Jesus summed up the meaning and intent of these commandments when he said: "Love the lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength ...", and " love your neighbor as yourself." While the Ten Commandments take on a negative form ("You shall not") Jesus says: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another."

  1. 'Thou shalt have no other gods before me.' Exodus 20: 3.

  2. 'Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any 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: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am o jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of then that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.' Exodus 20: 4-6.

  3. 'Thou 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.' Exodus 20: 7.

  4. 'Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day and hallowed it. Exodus 20: 8 - 11.

  5. 'Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.' Exodus 20: 12.

  6. 'Thou shalt not kill.' Exodus 20: 13.

  7. 'Thou shalt not commit adultery.' Exodus 20: 14.

  8. 'Thou shalt not steal.' Exodus 20: 15.

  9. 'Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.' Exodus 20: 16.

  10. 'Thou 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.' Exodus 20: 17.

Home ] Up ]

Send site additions and corrections to the Content Coordinator Sue Ann Jones
Send technical comments and issues to the Webmaster Mike Gaudet
Copyright © 2003 St. Mark's Episcopal Church; excluding materials reprinted with permission.