Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments

Overiew of the structure of the Ten Commandments, Jesus' teachings on them, and their sources in the Old Testament

Structure of the Ten Commandments

Love for God:	Love for Brother:
Commandments 1-3	Commandments 4-7
Worship only God Keep God's name holy Keep the Sabbath holy	Honor your father and mother Shall not kill Shall not commit adultery Shall not steal Shall not falsely accuse (defraud) Shall desire another's spouse Shall desire another's possessions

Jesus' teaching of the Commandments

Jesus clarifies and reinforces the Commandments several times in the Gospels, including:

Mark 10:19, The Rich Man

You know the commandments: ‘You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother.’” 

He replied and said to him, “Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.”

Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, “You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to [the] poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” (Mark 10:19)

Mark 12:28: The Greatest Commandment

One of the scribes, when he came forward and heard them disputing and saw how well he had answered them, asked him, “Which is the first of all the commandments?”

Jesus replied, “The first is this: ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone!

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’

The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mk 12:28-31)

John 13:34: The New Commandment

I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. (Jn 13:34)

John 15:12: The Vine and the Branches

This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. (Jn 15:12)

Traditional Catechetical Formula

1. I am the LORD your God: you shall not have strange Gods before me.
2. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
3. Remember to keep holy the LORD'S Day.
4. Honor your father and your mother.
5. You shall not kill.
6. You shall not commit adultery.
7. You shall not steal.
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
9. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor's goods.

Deuteronomy

1. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
2. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or 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 or 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 the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
3. 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.
4. Observe the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your manservant, or your maidservant or your cattle, or the sojourner who is within your gates; for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it.
5. Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the LORD your God gives you.
6. You shall not kill.
7. Neither shall you commit adultery.
8. Neither shall you steal.
9. Neither shall you bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. Neither shall you covet your neighbor's wife. You shall not desire your neighbor's house; you shall not desire your neighbor's wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor's.

Exodus 20:2-17

1. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. I am the LORD your God,
2. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or 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 or 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 the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
3. 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.
4. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your manservant, or your maidservant or your cattle, or the sojourner who is within your gates; for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it.
5. Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the LORD your God gives you.
6. You shall not kill.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor's.

References

See:

• CCC p. 496, between 2051 and 2052, "Life in Christ" section
• Catechism of the Catholic Church - PART 3 SECTION 2 - TEN COMMANDMENTS CHART (scborromeo.org)