Ten Commandments

The Decalogue

The Ten Commandments (also known as the Decalogue, meaning "ten words") are the foundational moral laws given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai. They express the fundamental duties of the human person toward God and toward neighbor, and they represent a privileged expression of the natural moral law (CCC 2056, 2070).

The Two Tables of the Law

The Commandments are traditionally divided into two "tables." The first three commandments govern our love and obligations toward God (worshiping Him alone, honoring His name, and keeping the Sabbath holy). The remaining seven govern our love and obligations toward our neighbor (honoring parents, and prohibitions against murder, adultery, theft, false witness, and covetousness). Jesus did not abolish the Ten Commandments but fulfilled them, summarizing them in the dual command to love God with all one's heart and to love one's neighbor as oneself (CCC 2067).

Frequently Asked Questions

What do the Ten Commandments represent? They are the fundamental laws given by God to Moses that express man's fundamental duties towards God and neighbor.