The Ten Commandments Of Hebrew Life

The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue (meaning “ten sayings” or “ten statements”), are a list of laws given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai in stone tablets according to Hebrew biblical text. Ten out of 613 commandments given by God to the Jewish people were written, explaining ten precepts listed in two separate biblical passages. Those ten commandments include:

1. I am the Lord, thy God

2. You shall have no other Gods beside me

3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain

4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy

5. Honor thy father and mother

6. You shall not murder

7. You shall not commit adultery

8. You shall not steal

9. You shall not bear false witness against your fellow

10. You shall not covet

These commandments feature prominently in Hebrew life, religion, and culture, or characteristics of a particular group of people. They also provide the foundation for many religions such as Buddhism and Christianity

The ten commandments formed an important part of Jewish life as they were recited daily before reading out their daily statement of faith, and many Israelites believed that the last five commandments identify their duties regarding other people. The ten commandments helped to shape the way Israelites treat people, animals, work, and so on while giving the Jews control and justice while teaching them to only worship one God and to value human life. The Hebrew religion was also shaped by the ten commandments as Israelites saw the first five commandments as ways to work on their relationship with God. “The ten commandments…[suggested] that religious observance is closely connected with the observance of a moral code” (Puchner et al. 8) and prohibited the worship of any other gods, required the observance of the Sabbath, and revealed the intent of the Torah, later helping to evolve into the modern form of Judaism