The Ten Commandments

1. I AM the LORD [YHVH*] your God [Elohim*], who bought you (all) out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. You (all) shall have no other gods [yhvh-no vowel markers] before (in preference to, rather then) Me.

2. You (all) shall not make an idol (carved image, statue of any god used as an instrument of worship, any object of ardent or obsessive devotion) or likeness of what is in heaven, what is on the earth or in the ocean (water beneath).

3. You (all) shall not take (make use of, engage in) the name of the LORD [YHVH*] your God [Elohim*] in vain (having no real value, worthless), for the LORD [YHVH*] will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.

4. Remember the Sabbath (7th day of the week, Saturday, set aside for rest and worship) and keep it Holy. Six days you (all) shall work, but the seventh is a shabbot for the LORD [YHVH*] your God [Elohim*]. In it you (all) shall do no work, neither your daughter, son, slave, nor beast of the field or your house guest.

5. Honor (held in high regard or great reputation, integrity, chastity or purity, good sense of right and wrong) your father and your mother that your days will be prolonged in the land that the LORD [YHVH*] your God [Elohim*] gives you (all).

6. You (all) shall not kill (to cause the death of, make die, tire out;
murder = to kill with Malice or Premeditation).

7. You (all) shall not commit (Latin: to bring together) adultery (voluntary sexual intercourse between married persons that are not married to each other).

8. You (all) shall not steal(to take without right).

9. You (all) shall not bear (to bring forth, to tell) false (not true, lying, deceiving, dishonest) witness (as attesting to a fact, a person who saw, can give first account) against your neighbor (a fellow man, near, close).

10. You (all) shall not covet (to want strongly something that belongs to another, to long for with envy) your neighbors house, his wife, his slave or his possessions.

* YHVH = God of "Mercy" * Elohim = God of "Strict Judgment"


This was written by Gwen Strong,
one of the talented woman of MHM.
Todah rabbah Gwen, we loved your
wonderful insights into
G-d's Ten Commandments!

If you would like to use this article,
please feel free to do so.

There is no copyright on it...


Mayim's Logo
Mayim's Endnote