Then God spoke all these words: 2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3 You shall not have other gods beside me. 4 You shall not make for yourself an idol or a likeness of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth; 5 you shall not bow down before them or serve them. For I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous God, inflicting punishment for their ancestors’ wickedness on the children of those who hate me, down to the third and fourth generation; 6but showing love down to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments. 7 You shall not invoke the name of the Lord, your God, in vain. For the Lord will not leave unpunished anyone who invokes his name in vain. 8 Remember the sabbath day—keep it holy. 9 Six days you may labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God. You shall not do any work, either you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your work animal, or the resident alien within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord has blessed the sabbath day and made it holy. 12 Honor your father and your mother, that you may have a long life in the land the Lord your God is giving you. 13 You shall not kill. 14 You shall not commit adultery. 15 You shall not steal. 16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 17 You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, his male or female slave, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
In this passage, God delivers the Decalogue (Ten Commandments), divine imperatives spoken by God to Israel at Mount Sinai as part of His covenantal relationship with them after bringing them out of slavery in Egypt. These commandments serve as the moral foundation for Israel, distinguishing them as God’s chosen people and outlining their obligations to both God and neighbor. The structure of the Decalogue reflects two primary relationships: love for God (vv. 1-11) and love for neighbor (vv. 12-17), themes later emphasized by Jesus as the two great Commandments (Mt. 22:37-40). Their ongoing significance in salvation history is fulfilled in Christ, who perfects the Law, not by abolishing its moral demands but by calling His followers to live it through love (Mt. 5:17-20; Rom. 13:8-10).
The first three commandments focus on exclusive worship of God, prohibiting idolatry (vv. 3-6), misuse of God’s name (v. 7), and requiring observance of the Sabbath (vv. 8-11). These laws emphasize Israel’s obligation to recognize God’s sovereignty, holiness, and creative authority (Gen. 2:2-3). The remaining commandments govern human relationships, protecting family structure (v. 12), human life (v. 13), marriage (v. 14), property (v. 15), truthfulness (v. 16), and inner dispositions (v. 17). These precepts form the moral code that ensures justice and communal harmony.
Jesus explicitly affirms the Ten Commandments in Mt. 5:17-20, stating that He came not to abolish but to fulfill the Law. Jesus deepens the meaning of the Commandments by revealing their true spiritual intent, emphasizing not only external obedience but also the interior disposition of the heart. Rather than merely prohibiting sinful actions, He calls for a transformation of thought and desire, teaching that true righteousness begins within (Mt. 5:21-48). For example, Christ expands the prohibition against murder (v. 13) to include anger and hatred (Mt. 5:21-22) and extends the command against adultery (v.14) to include lustful intent (Mt. 5:27-28). Through Christ, the commandments move from external obligation to inner transformation.
The Commandments find their perfection in the law of love (Rom. 13:8-10), which does not abolish their moral demands but fulfills them in Christ, who empowers His followers to live them through the Holy Spirit. Jesus articulates this fulfillment in the two greatest commandments: love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself (Mt. 22:37-40). St. Paul reaffirms that love fulfills the Law (Gal. 5:14).
The Decalogue serves as a moral guide that reveals both God’s holiness and human sinfulness (Rom. 3:20). The Law was given to lead Israel toward righteousness, but because of sin, it also highlights humanity’s need for a Savior (Gal. 3:24). Just as Moses mediated the Old Covenant at Sinai, Christ, the New Moses, mediates the New Covenant in His blood (Lk. 22:20; Heb. 9:15), fulfilling the Law not by abolishing it but by writing it upon the hearts of believers through the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 3:3-6).
Under the Law and the Commandments, Jews were obligated to worship God alone, observe the moral law, follow the ceremonial and sacrificial laws, maintain purity and holiness, teach and preserve the Law, and await the Messiah. Under the New Covenant, followers of Jesus are obligated to love God and neighbor, fulfill God's law through grace, live by the Spirit, who fulfills the Law in the heart rather than by mere external observance, remain in communion with Christ, imitate His self-sacrificial love, and bear witness by proclaiming the New Covenant to others.
Almighty God, Your Commandments are a path to holiness and a sign of Your covenantal love. Through Your Son, Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of the Law, You have written these truths upon our hearts. Strengthen us by Your grace to love You above all things and to love our neighbors as ourselves. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
Sources
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
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