If you've ever asked yourself, 'Where are the Ten Commandments in the Bible?' you're not alone. The Ten Commandments appear in two key places: Exodus 20:1–17 and Deuteronomy 5:6–21. These are not just dry rules. They are God's loving framework for freedom and a real relationship with Him. Let's look at both passages, notice their differences, and see why they still speak to us today.
The First Giving: Exodus 20
Three months after leaving Egypt, the Israelites camped at the foot of Mount Sinai. God was about to renew His covenant with a people He had rescued by His mighty hand. The scene was overwhelming: thunder, lightning, a thick cloud, and the sound of a trumpet. God descended on the mountain in fire, and from that holy encounter came the words we now call the Ten Commandments.
God spoke all these words, saying, “I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. “You shall have no other gods before me.
— Exodus 20:1-3
This opening statement is not a commandment itself. It is the foundation. Before telling the people what to do, God reminded them who He was and what He had already done. He is the Lord, the covenant-keeping God, and their deliverance from slavery was the proof of His love. The commands that follow are not a ladder to earn His favor. They are a response to grace already given.
Exodus 20 then unfolds with the full list: commands about worshiping God alone, avoiding idols, honoring His name, keeping the Sabbath, honoring parents, and prohibitions against murder, adultery, theft, false witness, and coveting. The Sabbath command here ties directly to creation:
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. You shall labor six days, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God. You shall not do any work in it, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates; for in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy.
— Exodus 20:8-11
This first giving of the law was a holy moment. The people trembled, and Moses alone drew near to God. The Ten Commandments, written on two stone tablets by the finger of God (Exodus 31:18), became the centerpiece of the covenant. They were placed inside the Ark of the Covenant, symbolizing their enduring importance.
The Second Giving: Deuteronomy 5
Forty years later, the generation that heard God's voice at Sinai had died in the wilderness. Now, on the plains of Moab, Moses addressed their children. They had not personally stood at the thundering mountain, so Moses retold the story and repeated the law. Deuteronomy means 'second law'—but it's not a different law; it's the same covenant restated for a new generation about to enter the Promised Land.
Need words for prayer today?
This 30-day guide gives you Scripture, reflection, prayer, and simple daily steps.
“I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. “You shall have no other gods before me.
— Deuteronomy 5:6-7
The opening is nearly identical to Exodus 20. As the chapter continues, though, a few meaningful differences appear. The most striking shift appears in the Sabbath command. Instead of grounding rest in creation, Deuteronomy points to redemption from Egypt:
You shall remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and Yahweh your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm. Therefore Yahweh your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.
— Deuteronomy 5:15
Moses was not editing God's words. He was applying them to the people's present situation. For the Exodus generation, creation was the ultimate sign of God's authority. For the Deuteronomy generation, deliverance from slavery was the fresh, personal experience of God's power. Both reasons are true, and together they show the richness of the Sabbath command.
Deuteronomy 5 also includes a brief expansion on honoring parents ('that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you') and adds 'or anything that is your neighbor's' to the final command against coveting. These are not contradictions. They are complementary insights into God's heart.
Why Two Versions? Key Differences and Purpose
Having both Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 is not a mistake. It is a gift. God inspired both accounts so that we might understand His commands more fully. Here are three differences that help us see why both matter:
- The Sabbath motivation: In Exodus, it's rooted in creation; in Deuteronomy, in redemption. This shows that the Sabbath is about both celebrating God as Creator and remembering His saving acts.
- The wording of the tenth commandment: Exodus says "you shall not covet your neighbor's house..."; Deuteronomy says "neither shall you covet your neighbor's wife, and you shall not desire your neighbor's house..." The Deuteronomy version puts the wife first, perhaps emphasizing the sanctity of marriage for a people about to settle in a land where women were sometimes treated as property.
- Pastoral tone: Deuteronomy consistently adds motives of compassion, like caring for servants and animals on the Sabbath because "you were a slave." This reveals God's heart for the vulnerable and reminds Israel of their own rescue.
These differences don't create contradiction; they highlight different facets of the same unchanging God. Some Christians find it helpful to read both passages back-to-back, allowing the combined witness to shape their understanding of God's law. In the Catholic and Orthodox traditions, the numbering of the commandments sometimes differs slightly, but the content remains the same—a reminder that there is flexibility in how we list them while affirming their substance.
Why Did Moses Retell Them?
Moses' retelling wasn't just repetition; it was a covenant renewal. The people were about to enter a land filled with idolatry and temptation. They needed to hear God's law again, personalized for their new context. The same is true for us. We need to rehearse God's truth in every season. The God who gave the commands at Sinai is the same God who walks with us today, but our circumstances change, and we need to hear His voice afresh.
Where the Bible Actually Says 'Ten Commandments'
You might be surprised to learn that the phrase 'Ten Commandments' isn't found in Exodus 20 or Deuteronomy 5. God called them 'all these words' (Exodus 20:1). The specific term appears elsewhere in Scripture. Those references show that the Ten Commandments were a unique revelation of God's moral law.
Find a prayer for the moment you are facing.
Use the quick-find guide to turn straight to prayers for home, healing, decisions, forgiveness, protection, and more.
He was there with Yahweh forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread, nor drank water. He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.
— Exodus 34:28
He declared to you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even the ten commandments. He wrote them on two stone tablets.
— Deuteronomy 4:13
Other passages also refer to them: Deuteronomy 10:4 says, "And he wrote on the tablets, in the same writing as before, the Ten Commandments that the Lord had spoken to you on the mountain out of the midst of the fire." These verses tell us that the Ten Commandments were the words of the covenant, written by God's own hand—not an arbitrary set of rules, but the relational foundation of Israel's life with God.
Seeing where Scripture uses the phrase helps us connect the dots. The two tablets often represented two sides of the same law: the first four commands about loving God, the last six about loving neighbor. This division was later picked up by Jesus when He summarized the entire law (Matthew 22:37-40).
Are the Ten Commandments Still Relevant for Christians Today?
Every believer must wrestle with this question, and Christians across traditions have answered it with a resounding yes—though not always in the same way. The New Testament never dismisses the Ten Commandments as outdated; instead, it deepens and fulfills them in Christ.
“Don’t think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn’t come to destroy, but to fulfill.
— Matthew 5:17
Jesus did not set aside the moral law. He embodied it and showed us its full meaning. The apostles continued to use the commandments as a moral guide. Paul, when teaching about love, directly quoted several of them:
For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other commandments there are, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
— Romans 13:9
James also warned against breaking even one command, showing the unity of the law:
Pray one day at a time.
A gentle Scripture and prayer guide for tired hearts seeking strength, peace and guidance.
For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
— James 2:11
The moral content of the Ten Commandments clearly endures. However, the Sabbath commandment often raises honest questions. Christians who worship on Sunday see it as the Lord's Day, a celebration of Christ's resurrection that fulfills the Sabbath rest. Others, including Seventh-day Adventists and some Messianic believers, continue to observe a Saturday Sabbath as a creation ordinance and a sign of God's covenant. Both groups, however, agree that the principle of regular rest and worship is vital. The command to rest is not about legalism. It is about trusting God's provision.
It is also important to remember that keeping the commandments is not how we earn salvation. Grace saves us; the law guides us. Like a mirror, it shows us our need for a Savior. Like a map, it shows us how to walk in the freedom Christ has won.
How Jesus and the Apostles Used the Ten Commandments
When a lawyer asked Jesus which commandment was the greatest, He did not choose one from the Ten. He summarized them all. But His summary came straight from the same heart that gave the tablets at Sinai:
Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”
— Matthew 22:37-40
This was not a replacement. It was a lens. The first four commandments show us what it means to love God; the last six show us what it means to love neighbor. Jesus then took the commands deeper. He said that anger is a form of murder (Matthew 5:21-22) and lust is a form of adultery (Matthew 5:27-28). He did not lower the standard. He raised it, showing that God cares about the heart, not just outward actions.
The apostle Paul expanded on honoring parents, calling it the first commandment with a promise (Ephesians 6:2). This shows that the apostles saw the Ten Commandments as a living part of Christian teaching. They did not treat them as a relic of the old covenant. They applied them in light of Christ's resurrection and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For believers today, this means the Ten Commandments are not a burden but a gift. They reveal God's character—His holiness, His justice, His mercy. They protect our relationships and point us to Jesus, who kept them perfectly on our behalf. When we read Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5, we are not just studying ancient history. We are hearing the voice of the God who still leads His people toward promised rest.
Whether you read Exodus 20 or Deuteronomy 5, God's words invite you into a deeper relationship with Him. Take a moment today to open your Bible and rediscover these timeless commands—not as a checklist, but as a reflection of His love and a path to freedom. As you go, ask the Holy Spirit to write them on your heart, just as God wrote them on stone. Let them shape your worship, your relationships, and your daily walk with the One who first loved you.
Questions people ask
Why are the Ten Commandments listed twice in the Bible?
The Ten Commandments appear first in Exodus 20 as God spoke them directly at Mount Sinai after delivering Israel from Egypt. They appear again in Deuteronomy 5 when Moses retold the law to the next generation about to enter the Promised Land. The two versions serve different purposes: Exodus emphasizes God's authority as Creator, while Deuteronomy highlights His redemption. Both are inspired and together give us a fuller picture of God's character and commands.
Where does the Bible first mention the 'Ten Commandments'?
The exact phrase 'Ten Commandments' first occurs in Exodus 34:28, where Scripture says God wrote 'the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments' on the stone tablets. It also appears in Deuteronomy 4:13 and 10:4. The original passages in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 do not use that label; God called them 'all these words.' So the term comes later to identify this unique moral revelation.
What are the differences between Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5?
The most notable difference is the reason given for the Sabbath. Exodus 20:11 ties it to God's rest after creation, while Deuteronomy 5:15 ties it to deliverance from slavery in Egypt. Deuteronomy also slightly expands the commands to honor parents and not covet, and adds a more pastoral, compassionate tone throughout. These differences reflect the audience: the first generation at Sinai learned of God as Creator, the second as Redeemer.
Are Christians still supposed to keep the Ten Commandments?
Most Christians across traditions believe the moral principles of the Ten Commandments are still binding because they reflect God's unchanging character. Jesus affirmed them and deepened their meaning (Matthew 5:17-48). The apostles quoted them as guides for holy living. How the Sabbath command is observed varies among Christians: some observe Sunday as the Lord's Day, others keep a Saturday Sabbath, but all recognize the need for rest and worship. The commandments are not a means of salvation but a loving guide for those already saved by grace.
How did Jesus summarize the Ten Commandments?
Jesus summarized the entire law—including the Ten Commandments—with two great commands: love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-40). The first four commandments show how to love God, and the last six show how to love others. By giving this summary, Jesus didn't abolish the Ten Commandments but revealed their core purpose and pointed to Himself as the one who fulfilled them perfectly.
Need words for prayer today?
Find a Scripture-shaped prayer for anxiety, family, grief, healing, guidance, gratitude, and days when words are hard to find.