Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue (from Greek deka, "ten" and logos, "word, speech, or saying"), are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Judaism and Christianity. In Hebrew, they are referred to as עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת (a-seret ha-dib-rot), literally meaning "the ten words" or "the ten sayings." In Arabic, they are known as الوصايا العشر (al-wasaya al-'ashar), and in Latin as Decalogus. The Ten Commandments are recorded in the books of Exodus (Exodus 20:2-17) and Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 5:6-21) in the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament. They are traditionally understood as the words God spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, and they form the basis for Jewish law and later influenced Christian moral teaching. The commandments include prohibitions against idolatry, blasphemy, murder, adultery, theft, and covetousness, as well as instructions to keep the Sabbath holy and to honor one's parents.