Ten Things We are Commanded to Remember, Observe and Hold Dear

(The Ten Commandments in Positive Form)

The Hebrew Scriptures do not refer to what we call the Ten Commandments as “commandments” at all.  It refers to them as the “Ten Words,” or the “Ten Things.”  Neither does it number them, which is why there are several different numbering schemes in use among Christians and Jews. (For example, what some Christians call the Third Commandment, “Remember the Sabbath Day,” others call the Fourth Commandment.) Below is a traditional numbering of the Ten Things which is commonly used in Judaism.  Note that the First “Thing” is not a commandment at all, but a statement of truth, which is probably why Christians have traditionally begun numbering the Commandments with the Second “Thing,” being that it is the First “Commandment.”

The Ten Things are mostly stated in the negative—you shall not—and are very narrow in their scope. They focus on a single particularly egregious example of the very opposite of what the Word or Thing is really about.  For example, God wants us to value human life.  The most egregious example of the opposite of that is murder. He wants us to value and cherish marriage, so he forbids the egregious opposite of marital fidelity, adultery. And so on. So, although they are framed very narrowly, the actual subject matter of each of these Ten Things is not narrow at all, but very broad.

Below I have reframed the Ten Words or Commandments, putting them first into positive form, and then expanding their sense to include more of what each is really about. Together they outline the basic relationships and duties which constitute and govern a human life.

So, without further ado, the Ten Things we are commanded to remember, observe and hold dear:

The First Thing: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”
There is a God. He created you; you belong to Him; you are uniquely indebted to Him and accountable to Him.

The Second Thing: “You shall have no other gods before me.”
You shall fear, love and trust in God above all things, maintaining absolute allegiance to Him alone. God will reward those who fear Him and observe these things, and punish those who do not.

The Third Thing:  “You shall not take the Name of the LORD your God in vain.”
You shall know God just as He has revealed Himself.  You shall know and revere His Word, believe it and obey it.

The Fourth Thing: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”
You shall respect the distinction between the sacred and the profane, reverencing the holy presence of God.

The Fifth Thing: “Honor your father and your mother.”
You shall honor and revere the culture and the people who made you what you are: your parents who raised you; your heritage; and your leaders, laws, customs and social structure.  You shall receive their wisdom and carefully pass it on to the next generation.

The Sixth Thing: “You shall not murder.”
You shall hold every human life to be sacred, created by God, for God, in the image of God, and belonging uniquely to God, from its conception onward.

The Seventh Thing: “You shall not commit adultery.”
You shall honor marriage and the natural family. You shall honor and hold sacred the sexual act because of its purpose, the procreation of human life, and marriage as the sole proper relationship for the sexual act and the procreation of human life.

The Eighth Thing: “You shall not steal.”
You shall engage in meaningful labor throughout your life, taking care of yourself, and contributing to your family, to your community, and to the world, according to your ability.

The Ninth Thing: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
You shall support justice and the integrity of human society by speaking and acting according to truth, honoring and elevating only those who are honorable and deserving, and shaming and sanctioning only those whose words or deeds are worthy of shame.

The Tenth Thing: “You shall not covet.”
You shall control and discipline yourself, your mind, your body, your word and actions, your thoughts, your appetites, your desires, and your emotions.

James D. Burns
Pastor, First Lutheran Church (LC-MS)
Benton, Arkansas