The Ten Commandments are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship that play a fundamental role in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. They were given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai and are recorded twice in the Bible, in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. The commandments are:
- You shall have no other gods before me.
- You shall not make for yourself an idol.
- You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
- Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
- Honor your father and your mother.
- 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 anything that belongs to your neighbor.
The commandments are written with room for varying interpretation, reflecting their role as a summary of fundamental principles. They are not as explicit or as detailed as rules or as many other biblical laws and commandments, because they provide guiding principles that apply universally, across changing circumstances. The Ten Commandments form the basis of Jewish law, stating Gods universal and timeless standard of right and wrong.
