The Ten Commandments summarize God’s moral law by expressing His holy standards for how people are to relate to Him and to one another. They form the foundation of all biblical ethics, revealing what is pleasing to God and what it means to live in righteousness.
Exodus 20:1–17 presents these commandments, which can be divided into two sections: the first four focus on loving and honoring God: having no other gods, avoiding idols, revering His name, and keeping the Sabbath. The last six address loving others by prohibiting dishonor to parents, murder, adultery, theft, false witness, and coveting.
Jesus summarized the entire law in two great commandments:
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind… And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37–40)
The Ten Commandments reveal God’s moral character and expose human sinfulness (Romans 3:20). They were never intended as a means of earning salvation but to show our need for grace and to guide believers in holy living.
While Christians are not under the law as a covenant of works, its principles remain authoritative as the moral will of God. The commandments point to Christ, who perfectly fulfilled the law and empowers His followers to live in obedience by the Spirit (Romans 8:3–4).
In short, the Ten Commandments condense God’s moral requirements into ten clear directives that call His people to love Him supremely and love others sincerely.
