The Ten Commandments – the religious and moral rules that were given by God to Moses on mount Sinai

The Ten Commandments in Judaism religious studies

To remember the Ten Commandments and what each one says, see our Ten Commandments animation.

The ten commandments are a list of rules, principles or tenets to do with ethical living and the worship of God. They play an important part in both Judaism and Christianity.

These ten rules are part of a list of 613 commandments that Christians and Jews believe God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai. The Bible says the ten commandments were written on two stone tablets that God presented to Moses.

These 613 commandments were themselves part of a larger covenant of statutes and judgements.

According to the book of Exodus in the Bible, when Moses reported to the people of Israel what had transpired between God and himself, they agreed to be obedient and do all that the Lord had said.

Jews and Christians worldwide aspire to comply with the ten commandments; even non-religious people acknowledge the relevance of the rules that the Bible says God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai.