Where Are the Ten Commandments in the Bible? Memory Map

The Two Primary Bible Passages

The Ten Commandments appear twice in the Old Testament: once when Moses first received them from God, and again when he repeated them to the Israelites before they entered the Promised Land. Both passages sit within the Torah, also called the Pentateuch, and carry nearly identical content with a few notable wording differences.

Exodus 20:2–17: The First Written Account

Exodus 20 records the first delivery of the commandments, given directly to Moses on Mount Sinai.

Quick reference — Exodus 20:2–17:

This version ties the Sabbath command to God resting after creating the world in six days.

Deuteronomy 5:6–21: Moses' Restatement

Deuteronomy 5:6-21 contains Moses' retelling of the commandments, spoken just before the Israelites crossed into the Promised Land.

Quick reference — Deuteronomy 5:6–21:

Here, the Sabbath command is linked to Israel's slavery in Egypt rather than creation.

How the Two Accounts Differ

The two passages match in substance but differ in a few specific details, as shown below.

The Ten Commandments in Order

The Ten Commandments follow a clear sequence in Exodus 20:1-17, moving from a person's duty to God toward how people should treat their neighbors. Each command carries a short, direct instruction, and most translations keep the same numbering and order.

Commands About Worship and Loyalty to God

The first commandments focus on loyalty to God alone and reject the worship of idols.

God identifies himself as a jealous God in these verses, meaning he does not share worship with idols or other gods. These two commands set the foundation for the rest of the list, since loyalty to God comes before every other rule.

Commands About the Name of the Lord and the Sabbath

The third and fourth commandments shift from image and idol worship to how people speak about God and structure their week.

Sinai, Exodus, and the Covenant Setting

The Ten Commandments were not given in isolation. They arrived at a specific place, at a specific time, following a specific event: Israel's escape from slavery in Egypt.

Israel's Deliverance From Egypt

Israel spent generations as slaves in Egypt before God freed them through Moses.

Key facts:

• Egypt is described as a land of slavery for the Israelites.
• The exodus event happened before the law was given, not after.
• Israel reached the Sinai Desert three months after leaving Egypt, according to Exodus 19.
• This timing matters: the commandments came to a people already rescued, not a people trying to earn rescue.

Why order matters:

The law follows grace. God acted first; the commandments came after.

Mount Sinai, Thunder, and the Trumpet

Mount Sinai is the exact location where God gave the law to Moses, as confirmed by Sinai covenant accounts.

What happened at the mountain:

• Thunder and lightning surrounded the peak.
• A trumpet blast grew louder as the moment approached.
• The mountain was covered in smoke, described as rising like smoke from a furnace.
• The ground trembled.
• Boundaries were set so the people could not touch the mountain.

Sensory summary:

This event is sometimes called Mount Horeb in other parts of the Bible, though Mount Sinai and Horeb refer to the same general location.

Stone Tablets and the Covenant

God wrote the Ten Commandments on two stone tablets and gave them to Moses.

Core details:

• The commandments appear in Exodus 20:1-17.
• They were written on two stone tablets, not one.
• The tablets formed the center of a covenant, a binding agreement between God and Israel.
• Additional laws, called the Book of the Covenant, follow in Exodus 20:22-23:33.

What the covenant addressed:

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Why Numbering and Translation Can Vary

The Ten Commandments appear in two Bible passages, but the way they are counted and worded shifts depending on religious tradition and Bible version. These differences come from ancient manuscript formatting, translation choices, and centuries of theological interpretation.

Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant Numbering

The Bible text does not label the commandments 1 through 10. Each tradition splits the passage differently.

In Jewish tradition, this passage connects to a larger structure of 613 commandments, with the Ten Commandments serving as a summary of core moral law.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church follows a numbering system credited to Saint Augustine, which merges the prohibition on idolatry with the first commandment and splits coveting into two parts.

The Meaning of Decalogue and the Ten Words

The term "Ten Commandments" comes from a Greek word.

• Decalogue comes from dekalogos, meaning "ten words" or "ten sayings."
• The original Hebrew phrase, Aseret ha-Dibrot, also translates to "the ten words."
• This term appears in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible used by early Christian communities.
• Neither the Hebrew nor Greek text splits the commandments into ten labeled statements. The numbering was added later by scholars and religious leaders.

This is why the phrase "Ten Words" appears in some study Bibles instead of "Ten Commandments." Both terms refer to the same set of instructions.

Comparing KJV, NIV, and Other Bible Translations

Wording differs slightly between English Bible translations, though the core meaning stays the same.

How Jesus and the New Testament Frame the Law

Jesus and the New Testament writers do not remove the Ten Commandments. Instead, they connect the commandments to two central ideas: love and righteousness through faith.

The Greatest Commandment in Matthew 22

In Matthew 22, a religious leader asks Jesus which commandment matters most. His answer sets the frame for how the rest of the New Testament treats the law.

Jesus Christ places both commands above the rest without canceling the Ten Commandments. He states that the entire law rests on these two ideas.

Love for God and Neighbor as a Memory Framework

The two-part structure Jesus gives works as a simple sorting tool for the Ten Commandments. Adults can group each commandment under one of two labels.

Commandments tied to love God:

• No other gods
• No carved images
• No misuse of God's name
• Keep the Sabbath

Commandments tied to love your neighbor:

• Honor father and mother
• Do not murder
• Do not commit adultery
• Do not steal
• Do not lie
• Do not covet

This split gives a two-step recall path instead of ten separate items.

1. Ask: is this about God or about people?
2. Match the specific command to that category.

Paul uses the same grouping method in Romans 13:9, listing several commandments as summed up in "love your neighbor as yourself."

Law, Righteousness, and the New Covenant

The New Testament separates the moral standard of the commandments from the method of righteousness before God.

Paul writes that no one is made right with God by obeying the law alone; salvation comes through faith (Romans 3:20–22). The commandments still describe right and wrong conduct, but they do not serve as the payment for sin under the new covenant.

Hebrews 8:6–13 describes this new covenant as a replacement for the old one, not an addition to it. The moral content of the Ten Commandments carries forward, but the covenant structure around them changes under the gospel.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Ten Commandments appear in two Old Testament books with slight wording differences, and different faith traditions divide and number them in distinct ways.

What are the Ten Commandments in order?

This order matches the Exodus 20 listing. Catholic and Lutheran traditions split and combine a few of these differently, as shown later in this section.

Which Bible passages contain the Ten Commandments?

The Ten Commandments are found in two places:

• Exodus 20:1-17 — given after the exodus from Egypt
• Deuteronomy 5:6-21 — repeated by Moses to a new generation before entering Canaan

Both passages come from the same core moral law, though the wording is not identical.

Can I read the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20?

Yes. Exodus 20:1-17 is the first and most quoted version of the Ten Commandments in the Bible.

Key verses include:

• Exodus 20:3 — "You shall have no other gods before me."
• Exodus 20:13 — "You shall not murder."
• Exodus 20:15 — "You shall not steal."

This chapter sets up God's law for the nation of Israel right after the escape from slavery in Egypt.

Are the Ten Commandments repeated in Deuteronomy?

Yes. Deuteronomy 5:6-21 restates the same ten laws, but with a few changes in wording.

These changes are small but noted by scholars studying both versions of the commandments.

What are the Ten Commandments in simple terms?

• Worship only God
• Don't make idols
• Don't misuse God's name
• Rest one day a week
• Respect parents
• Don't kill
• Stay faithful in marriage
• Don't take what isn't yours
• Tell the truth
• Don't want what belongs to others

This plain-language version follows the basic meaning of each command without changing its intent.