Most people know the Ten Commandments exist, but fewer can tell you exactly where to find them in Scripture. When you reach for your Bible to read God’s moral law in its original context, you need to know where to turn.
The Ten Commandments appear in two primary locations: Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:4-21. Both passages record God speaking these laws directly to His people, giving them the foundational principles for how to live in relationship with Him and with one another.
Where Are the Ten Commandments Found in the Bible?
The Ten Commandments are found in Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:4-21. Exodus records the first delivery at Mount Sinai, while Deuteronomy presents Moses recounting them to the next generation before entering the Promised Land.
The First Account: Exodus 20
The primary location sits in the book of Exodus, chapter 20. This passage marks the moment when God spoke audibly to the entire nation of Israel from Mount Sinai.
The context matters deeply here. God had just delivered His people from 400 years of slavery in Egypt through miraculous signs and wonders.
He brought them to the wilderness at the base of a smoking, trembling mountain. Then He spoke these commandments directly to the people, not through Moses first, but in a voice they all heard.
Exodus 19:16-19 describes thunder, lightning, thick cloud, and a trumpet blast so loud the people trembled. God chose to announce His moral law with unmistakable authority and divine presence.
The commandments themselves begin in Exodus 20:1 with the words, “And God spoke all these words.” What follows in verses 2-17 is the complete list of the Ten Commandments in their original form.
This isn’t a human idea about morality. This is God defining right and wrong, establishing the standards for His covenant people.
The Second Account: Deuteronomy 5
Forty years after Sinai, Moses stood before a new generation of Israelites. Most of the people who heard God speak at the mountain had died in the wilderness because of their unbelief.
In Deuteronomy 5:4-21, Moses recounts the Ten Commandments again. He reminds this generation that God “spoke with you face to face at the mountain, out of the midst of the fire.”
The wording in Deuteronomy carries slight variations from Exodus, particularly in the explanation of the Sabbath command. Where Exodus 20:11 grounds Sabbath rest in God’s creation pattern, Deuteronomy 5:15 connects it to remembering their slavery in Egypt.
Both accounts carry equal authority because both record what God actually said. The variations show that God tailored His emphasis to different audiences without changing the commands themselves.
Why Two Locations Matter for Your Understanding
God didn’t accidentally repeat Himself. He placed these commandments in two distinct books for specific reasons that deepen your grasp of His character and intentions.
Exodus Shows the Original Giving
Reading Exodus 20 puts you at the base of Mount Sinai. You witness the inaugural moment when God established His covenant with Israel through law.
The surrounding chapters in Exodus show what happened immediately before and after this event. God’s presence descended on the mountain in fire and smoke (Exodus 19:18).
The people became so terrified by God’s voice that they begged Moses to speak to them instead (Exodus 20:18-19). The law came wrapped in holy fear and reverent awe.
This context reminds you that God’s standards aren’t suggestions. They flow from His holy nature and demand a response of worship and obedience.
Deuteronomy Shows the Ongoing Relevance
Deuteronomy means “second law” or “repeated law.” Moses knew this new generation needed to hear these commandments as if God spoke them yesterday, not four decades ago.
The repetition teaches a crucial truth: God’s moral law doesn’t expire with one generation. Each believer must hear, understand, and apply these commands personally.
Deuteronomy 5:3 makes this explicit: “Not with our fathers did the LORD make this covenant, but with us, who are all of us here alive today.” God spoke to their ancestors, but He speaks to them too.
The same applies now. When you read the Ten Commandments, you’re not studying ancient history—you’re hearing God’s voice speaking directly to your life.
What the Ten Commandments Actually Say
Knowing where to find the commandments matters less if you don’t know what they contain. Here’s the complete list from Exodus 20:3-17:
- First Commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me” (v. 3)
- Second Commandment: “You shall not make for yourself a carved image” (v. 4-6)
- Third Commandment: “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain” (v. 7)
- Fourth Commandment: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (v. 8-11)
- Fifth Commandment: “Honor your father and your mother” (v. 12)
- Sixth Commandment: “You shall not murder” (v. 13)
- Seventh Commandment: “You shall not commit adultery” (v. 14)
- Eighth Commandment: “You shall not steal” (v. 15)
- Ninth Commandment: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” (v. 16)
- Tenth Commandment: “You shall not covet” (v. 17)
The first four commandments govern your relationship with God. The last six govern your relationships with other people.
Jesus later summarized the entire law this way: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” and “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39). The Ten Commandments flesh out what that love actually looks like in practice.
Other Places Scripture References the Ten Commandments
While Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 contain the full text, the Bible references these commandments throughout both testaments. Recognizing these references helps you see how central they are to all of Scripture.
The Stone Tablets
Exodus 31:18 tells us that God wrote the commandments on two stone tablets with His own finger. Moses broke these tablets when he saw Israel worshiping the golden calf (Exodus 32:19).
God commanded Moses to cut new tablets, and He wrote the commandments again (Exodus 34:1, 28). These tablets were placed inside the Ark of the Covenant (Deuteronomy 10:5).
God literally carved His moral law in stone to show its permanence. Unlike ceremonial laws that would change with Christ’s coming, the moral principles in the Ten Commandments reveal God’s unchanging character.
Jesus and the Commandments
Jesus quoted and referenced the Ten Commandments repeatedly during His earthly ministry. When a rich young ruler asked what he must do to inherit eternal life, Jesus listed several commandments (Matthew 19:16-19).
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus took commandments like “You shall not murder” and “You shall not commit adultery” and showed their deeper spiritual meaning (Matthew 5:21-28). He didn’t abolish the law; He fulfilled it and revealed its full intent.
Jesus made it clear that loving God and loving others fulfills the entire law (Matthew 22:40). The commandments show what that love requires.
Paul’s Letters
The apostle Paul referenced the Ten Commandments when teaching about righteousness, sin, and Christian living. In Romans 7:7, he wrote, “I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, ‘You shall not covet.'”
Romans 13:9 lists several commandments and then states, “Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”
Paul understood that the moral law reveals God’s standards while also showing our desperate need for grace. No one keeps the commandments perfectly, which drives us to Christ.
How to Read the Commandments as a Christian
You might wonder how the Ten Commandments apply to you now that Christ has fulfilled the law. This is where careful biblical thinking matters.
They Reveal God’s Character
The commandments show you what God values and what He hates. His command not to lie reflects His own truthfulness (Titus 1:2).
His command to honor parents reflects the honor due to Him as our heavenly Father. Every commandment is a window into who God is.
When you read “You shall have no other gods before me,” you learn that God is jealous for your whole heart. When you read “You shall not murder,” you learn that God values human life because people bear His image.
They Expose Your Need for Christ
Romans 3:20 states, “Through the law we become conscious of our sin.” The commandments function like a mirror, showing you where you fall short of God’s glory.
Have you always honored your parents perfectly? Have you never desired something that belonged to someone else?
The law reveals that you cannot save yourself through obedience. This awareness should drive you to Christ, who kept the law perfectly in your place.
They Guide Your Sanctification
After you trust Christ for salvation, the commandments serve as a guide for Christian living. The Holy Spirit writes God’s law on your heart (Hebrews 8:10), giving you both the desire and power to obey.
You don’t obey to earn God’s love—you already have that through Christ. You obey because you love Him and want to reflect His character.
James 2:8-11 shows that the royal law of love includes keeping the commandments. Grace doesn’t nullify God’s moral standards; it empowers you to live them out.
Practical Steps for Studying the Ten Commandments
Knowing where the commandments are found is just the beginning. Here’s how to engage with them meaningfully:
- Read both passages in context. Don’t just read Exodus 20:1-17 in isolation. Read chapters 19-24 to see the full story of God giving the law at Sinai.
- Compare the two accounts. Open your Bible to Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 side by side. Notice the similarities and slight differences, asking why God chose to emphasize certain points differently.
- Memorize the commandments. You can’t apply what you don’t remember. Work through the list until you can recall all ten without looking.
- Study each commandment deeply. Take one commandment per week and search for other Scriptures that expand on it. See what Jesus and the apostles said about it.
- Examine your heart honestly. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you where you’ve broken each commandment in thought, word, or deed. Confess specifically and receive God’s forgiveness through Christ.
- Apply them to daily decisions. When facing choices about honesty, sexuality, materialism, or worship, let the commandments shape your actions.
Common Questions About the Ten Commandments
Several questions often arise when people study where and how the commandments appear in Scripture. Addressing these helps clarify what God intends for you to understand.
Are the Ten Commandments Still Binding Today?
The moral principles in the Ten Commandments remain as relevant now as when God first spoke them. Jesus affirmed their ongoing importance (Matthew 5:17-19).
However, Christians relate to them differently than Old Testament Israel did. You don’t keep the Sabbath to earn right standing with God—Christ is your righteousness.
The commandments now serve as beloved instructions from your Father, not as a ladder to climb toward acceptance. Colossians 2:16-17 makes clear that ceremonial aspects have found their fulfillment in Christ, but the moral law reflects God’s eternal nature.
Why Do Different Traditions Number Them Differently?
You might notice that Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish traditions divide the commandments slightly differently. The Hebrew text doesn’t number them explicitly, leaving room for different organizational approaches.
Some combine the prohibition against other gods and graven images into one commandment. Others split the coveting command into two.
These differences don’t change the content—all the same material appears in every tradition. What matters is understanding and obeying what God said, not how humans have organized it.
Did Moses Write the Commandments or Did God?
Exodus 31:18 clearly states that God Himself wrote the commandments on the stone tablets “with the finger of God.” Moses didn’t compose them or write them down—God did.
After Moses broke the first set, Exodus 34:1 records God telling Moses to cut new tablets, “and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets.” God wrote them both times.
This divine authorship sets the Ten Commandments apart from the rest of the law that Moses wrote. God spoke them audibly to the people and carved them in stone Himself.
Living Under the Greater Commandments
Jesus didn’t lower God’s standards when He summarized the law as love for God and neighbor. He raised them by showing that external compliance means nothing without internal transformation.
The Pharisees could check off commandments like items on a grocery list while their hearts remained far from God. Jesus showed that God’s law penetrates deeper than actions—it examines motives, desires, and thoughts.
Matthew 5:28 demonstrates this: “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” God cares about the condition of your heart, not just the compliance of your hands.
This should both humble you and fill you with hope. You’re humbled because you can’t even keep the law in your thought life, let alone your actions.
You’re hopeful because Christ kept the law perfectly for you and offers you His righteousness as a gift. Then the Holy Spirit begins changing you from the inside out, producing the fruit of obedience that the law always demanded but could never create.
The Beauty of God’s Boundaries
Modern culture often views the Ten Commandments as restrictive, limiting, or outdated. This misses their purpose entirely.
God gave these commands to protect what He loves and to create space for human flourishing. The command not to murder protects life.
The command not to commit adultery protects marriage. The command not to steal protects property and trust between people.
God’s boundaries are like guardrails on a mountain road—they don’t limit your freedom, they protect your life. Psalm 19:7-11 describes God’s law as perfect, trustworthy, right, radiant, pure, firm, and more precious than gold.
When you see the commandments this way, obedience becomes a joy rather than a burden. You’re following the loving instructions of a Father who knows what’s best for you.
Where to Go From Here
Now that you know where to find the Ten Commandments in Scripture, open your Bible to Exodus 20. Read the passage slowly, picturing yourself standing at the base of Mount Sinai.
Hear God’s voice speaking these words with authority and love. Let them search your heart and reveal areas where you’ve fallen short.
Then turn to the New Testament and read Romans 3:21-26. See how God provided righteousness apart from the law through faith in Jesus Christ.
The law shows you your need; the gospel meets that need completely. You stand before God clothed in Christ’s perfect obedience, free to pursue holiness out of gratitude rather than fear.
Read both Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 this week. Notice what stands out to you in each passage.
Ask God to write His law on your heart through the Holy Spirit, transforming you from the inside out. The same God who spoke from Sinai speaks to you now through His Word—listen closely and respond with obedient faith.
If you want to grow deeper in your understanding of Scripture and its practical application to your life, we invite you to explore more faith-based resources. You can find additional articles and insights at The Bible Christian, where topics range from foundational truths to challenging questions. For a powerful exploration of Christ’s redemptive work, read about the power of the cross and how it transforms everything about your relationship with God and His law.