Moses' Story
A painting of the people at Mount Sinai when God gave the Ten Commandments

Moses' Story · Event 31 of 59

The Ten Commandments

At Mount Sinai · Mount Sinai (Horeb)

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2 accounts of this passage

Exodus 20:1–21

1God spoke all these words, saying, 2I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3"You must have no other gods besides me. 4"You must not make an idol for yourself — no carved image of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath the earth. 5"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 3rd and 4th generation of those who hate me." 6But I show mercy to thousands of those who love me and obey my commandments. 7"You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God, because the LORD will not let anyone who misuses his name go unpunished. 8"Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. 9You have 6 days to do all your work, 10but the 7th day is a Sabbath belonging to the LORD your God. On that day, no one may do any work — not you, not your sons or daughters, not your male or female servants, not your livestock, and not any foreigner living among you. 11The LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them in 6 days, and he rested on the 7th day. That is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. 12"Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live a long life in the land the LORD your God is giving you. 13"You must not murder. 14"You must not commit adultery. 15"You must not steal. 16"You must not give false testimony against your neighbor. 17"You must not covet your neighbor's house. You must not covet your neighbor's wife, his male or female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." 18The people saw the thunder and lightning, heard the trumpet sound, and saw the mountain covered in smoke. When they saw this, they moved away and stood at a distance. 19They said to Moses, "You speak to us and we'll listen, but don't let God speak to us directly — we'll die!" 20Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that his fear may be before you, to prevent you from sinning." 21The people stayed far back while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.

Read Exodus 20
Up nextThe Covenant Is SealedExodus 24:1–11

About this event

What happened?

God spoke the Ten Commandments. He began, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” He told Israel to have no other gods, make no idols, and not misuse his name. He told them to keep the Sabbath day holy and honor their father and mother. They were not to murder, commit adultery, steal, lie about their neighbor, or covet. The people saw the thunder and smoke and were afraid. They asked Moses to speak to them instead of God.

Who is here?

  • God
  • The Israelites

Where did this happen?

Mount Sinai (Horeb)

The mountain of God in the wilderness, where God gave Israel his law. The Bible also calls it Horeb. Where it stands is not known for certain.

Where this fits

Event 2 of 10 in At Mount Sinai: God gives the Ten Commandments and his covenant. Israel worships a golden calf, and Moses pleads for them.

Also in:Major Teachings

Good to know

In Deuteronomy 5, Moses retells the commandments near the end of his life with small differences. There the Sabbath is tied to Israel's rescue from slavery, not to creation. The KJV says “You shall not kill”; most newer Bibles say “murder.” Jewish and Christian traditions number the commandments in slightly different ways.

Keep exploring

Before thisGod Comes Down on Mount SinaiExodus 19:1–25After thisThe Covenant Is SealedExodus 24:1–11

Moses' Story