The Abbreviated Version
You might think, “What
is wrong with the abbreviated version?” On face value, there does not appear to
be much wrong with it; except, like the Reader’s Digest version of the Bible,
it is very condensed. The abbreviated
version goes:
1) You shall not have other God’s before me.
2) You shall not make for yourselves any
graven images.
3) You shall not use God’s name in vain.
4) You shall remember the Sabbath.
5) You shall honor your mother and father.
6) You shall not kill.
7) You shall not commit adultery.
8) You shall not steal.
9) You shall not tell lies.
10) You shall not covet.
There are some
variations to this. Commandment no. 4 is often recited as “You shall remember
the Sabbath as a day of rest”, or “You shall remember the Sabbath, to keep it
holy”. Commandment no. 5 is sometimes: “You shall honor your parents” or “You
shall honor your Father and Mother”. Commandment no. 6 is sometimes, You shall
not murder. ”Commandment no. 9 is sometimes, “You shall not bear false
witness.”
These might seem like
minor points, but they do have different connotations. In this exploration of
the Ten Commandments, and what they really mean for us today, we will discover
their significance, and how they can benefit us. We will also see how they can
be distorted, misunderstood, dismissed, and overlooked.
The full version of
the Ten Commandments has been taken from the English Standard Version of the
Bible. Here is Exodus chapter 20, where the Ten Commandments are first
mentioned in the Bible. We shall consider the whole chapter to provide a little
context and throw some light on the awesomeness of the occasion when these
great truths were first presented to the people of Israel.
The Complete Version
The First Commandment
And God spoke all these
words, saying,
"I am the LORD your
God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
"You shall have no
other gods before me. (Ex. 20:1-3).
The Second Commandment
"You shall not make
for yourselves a carved 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 on 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 (Ex. 20:4-6).
The Third Commandment
"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 (Ex. 20:7).
The Fourth Commandment
"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. On it you shall not do
any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female
servant, or your livestock, 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 on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made
it holy (Ex. 20:8-11).
The Fifth Commandment
"Honor your father
and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God
is giving you. (Ex. 20:12).
The Sixth Commandment
"You shall not
murder (Ex. 20:13).
The Seventh Commandment
"You shall not
commit adultery (Ex. 20:14).
The Eighth Commandment
"You shall not
steal (Ex. 20:15).
The Ninth Commandment
"You shall not bear
false witness against your neighbor (Ex. 20:16).
The Tenth Commandment
"You shall not
covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his
male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that
is your neighbor’s" (Ex. 20:17).
A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.
Proverbs 18:2
He who gets wisdom loves himself; he who keeps understanding will prosper.
Proverbs 19:8
Go to:
Who Wants To Be Wise?
A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.
Proverbs 18:2
He who gets wisdom loves himself; he who keeps understanding will prosper.
Proverbs 19:8
Go to:
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