The 10 Commandments are some of the most well-known religious teachings in the world. They’ve been depicted in movies, monuments, and even courtrooms. But how well do you really know them?
Despite their fame, there are numerous myths and misunderstandings surrounding these ancient laws. Here are 15 common misconceptions about the 10 Commandments that many people, even religious folks, often get wrong.
1. The 10 Commandments Were Meant to Earn Salvation
One of the most pervasive myths about the 10 Commandments is that following them was how people in the Old Testament earned their way into heaven. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
God gave the commandments to the Israelites after He had already freed them from slavery in Egypt, not as a prerequisite for their deliverance.
The Bible consistently teaches that salvation has always been by faith, not works. The 10 Commandments were meant to show the Israelites how to live in a way that reflected their identity as God’s chosen people, not to earn their redemption.
Obeying the commandments was about staying in right relationship with God, not scoring points for the afterlife.
2. The 10 Commandments are a Complete Moral Code
While the 10 Commandments cover some crucial ethical territory, they are far from an exhaustive list of moral do’s and don’ts. Notably absent are any explicit prohibitions against things like rape, child abuse, slavery, or animal cruelty.
The commandments also focus heavily on offenses against God rather than interpersonal issues.
This doesn’t mean the 10 Commandments are worthless as a moral guide, but it’s important to recognize their limitations. They were never meant to be a stand-alone ethical system.
Rather, they served as a foundation for the more detailed laws found elsewhere in the Old Testament, which addressed a wider range of moral issues.
3. The 10 Commandments are Easy to Keep
“Don’t murder? Don’t steal? No problem!” Many people assume the 10 Commandments are a breeze to follow, at least for generally decent folks. But Jesus’ teachings in the New Testament paint a different picture.
He pointed out that truly obeying the commandments requires more than just avoiding the specified actions.
For example, Jesus equated being angry with someone to murder and looking at someone lustfully to adultery. The point was that God is concerned with our hearts, not just our outward behavior.
By this standard, no one can claim to have kept the commandments perfectly. They set a high bar that exposes everyone’s need for grace.
4. The 10 Commandments are Irrelevant Today
In an increasingly secular society, it’s common to view the 10 Commandments as outdated relics of a bygone era. After all, what do ancient religious laws have to offer the modern world?
Quite a bit, actually. While some of the commandments deal with specifically religious matters, many of them speak to timeless ethical principles.
Prohibitions against murder, theft, and dishonesty, for instance, remain essential for any functioning society. And the command to honor one’s parents has been linked to positive outcomes like increased empathy and academic success.
Far from being obsolete, the 10 Commandments continue to offer valuable moral guidance for navigating life in the 21st century.
5. The First Commandment Isn’t Really a Commandment
The first of the 10 Commandments simply states, “I am the Lord your God.” Many people don’t see this as a command at all, since it doesn’t explicitly tell anyone to do anything.
But Jewish tradition regards acknowledging God’s existence and uniqueness as the most fundamental of all the commandments.
Maimonides, a renowned Jewish scholar, argued that this first “statement” is in fact the command to know that God exists. In other words, it’s a call to recognize and embrace the reality of the one true God.
This lays the foundation for the rest of the commandments, which only make sense in light of God’s identity and authority.
6. The 10 Commandments Prohibit All Killing
“Thou shalt not kill” is one of the most famous lines from the 10 Commandments. It’s often taken as a blanket prohibition against ending human life under any circumstances. However, the original Hebrew wording is more precise. It forbids murder, meaning the unjust or unauthorized taking of life.
The Old Testament actually prescribes the death penalty for certain offenses and depicts God ordering the Israelites to kill enemy combatants in battle.
So while the 10 Commandments certainly condemn murder, they don’t rule out all forms of killing, such as self-defense or capital punishment (though the ethics of these actions are still debated).
7. The 10 Commandments Forbid Worshipping Any God Besides Yahweh
The first two commandments prohibit worshipping other gods or idols. This is often interpreted to mean that the God of the Bible is the only deity that exists.
But some scholars argue that the original context suggests otherwise. The ancient Israelites lived in a polytheistic culture where the existence of many gods was taken for granted.
The 10 Commandments, then, weren’t meant to deny the reality of other gods, but to affirm that Yahweh alone was worthy of Israel’s worship and allegiance. In other words, it was more about loyalty than ontology.
Only later did Jewish and Christian theology develop a strict monotheism that ruled out the existence of any gods besides the God of the Bible.
8. The Ban on Graven Images Prohibits All Religious Art
The second commandment’s prohibition on making “graven images” or idols is sometimes taken to mean that all religious artwork is off-limits.
Tourists are often surprised to see ornate sculptures and paintings in ancient churches and synagogues, assuming they violate this commandment. But the ban on graven images was originally more specific.
The concern was with images that were worshipped as gods in their own right or thought to embody the divine. As long as religious art isn’t treated as an object of worship itself, it doesn’t necessarily conflict with the second commandment.
In fact, God Himself commissioned various artistic elements for the Tabernacle and Temple, from carved cherubim to embroidered curtains.
9. Taking the Lord’s Name in Vain Just Means Cursing
Many people assume that the commandment against taking the Lord’s name in vain is all about not using God’s name as a swear word. While that’s certainly included, the original meaning was broader.
In the ancient world, names were thought to carry the essence and authority of the person they referred to.
To take God’s name in vain meant to invoke it carelessly or for deceptive purposes. This could include making false oaths in God’s name or using His name to lend credibility to ungodly actions.
It’s more about misrepresenting God’s character than just watching your language, though both matter.
10. The Sabbath Command is No Longer Relevant
The fourth commandment to “remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy” may seem like one of the most outdated parts of the Decalogue.
In our 24/7 culture of constant productivity, the idea of taking a whole day off each week to rest and worship can feel impractical or even irresponsible. But research suggests we ignore this commandment to our own detriment.
Studies have linked regular Sabbath observance to a host of positive outcomes, including better physical health, mental well-being, and relationship quality. (ref) The principle of taking regular time to rest, recharge, and reconnect with God and others is just as relevant now as it was in ancient times. We neglect it at our peril.
11. Honoring Your Father & Mother Only Applies to Children
The fifth commandment to honor one’s father and mother is often seen as a directive solely for young children. Once you reach adulthood, you’re off the hook, right? Not exactly.
While the commandment certainly includes obeying and respecting parents during childhood, its application extends beyond that. In the ancient world, honoring parents also involved caring for them in their old age and preserving their legacy after death.
So, while the specifics of how we honor parents may change as we grow older, the basic principle of showing them respect and supporting them when needed continues throughout life. It’s a lifelong commandment, not just a childhood one.
12. Adultery Only Counts if You’re the Married Party
The seventh commandment prohibits adultery, which is often defined as a married person having sexual relations with someone other than their spouse.
But the biblical understanding of adultery was actually broader than that. It encompassed any sexual activity outside of the marriage covenant, whether by married or unmarried parties.
So even if an unmarried person sleeps with someone else’s spouse, both are guilty of adultery in biblical terms. The commandment isn’t just about respecting your own marriage vows, but respecting the institution of marriage itself.
It’s a call to sexual purity and faithfulness that applies to everyone, regardless of marital status.
13. The 10 Commandments Forbid All Lying
“Thou shalt not bear false witness” is often shortened to “don’t lie.” But the commandment is actually more specific than that. It prohibits giving false testimony against someone, particularly in a legal context.
While that certainly includes lying in court, not all lies are necessarily covered by this commandment. The Bible contains several examples of lies told to protect innocent life, such as Hebrew midwives deceiving Pharaoh to save Hebrew babies.
This suggests that the intent and consequences of a lie matter in evaluating its morality. The ninth commandment focuses on lies that unjustly harm others, not all falsehoods in any context.
14. Coveting Is Just Thinking, Not Doing
The tenth and final commandment prohibits coveting things that belong to others, from houses and spouses to servants and livestock. Some argue that this commandment is unfair because it polices thought, not just action.
How can we control what we want? But the biblical concept of coveting goes beyond mere desire.
To covet in the biblical sense is to fixate on and plot to obtain something that rightfully belongs to another. It’s not just admiring your neighbor’s possessions, but resenting him for having them and scheming to make them your own.
The tenth commandment targets the heart attitude that often leads to outward sins like theft and adultery.
15. The 10 Commandments are Unique to the Bible
The 10 Commandments are so central to the Bible’s moral teaching that it’s easy to assume they’re unique to Judaism and Christianity. But scholars have noted striking parallels between the biblical Decalogue and other ancient Near Eastern legal codes, such as the Code of Hammurabi.
While the 10 Commandments have some distinctive elements, many of their basic ethical principles, such as prohibitions on murder and theft, show up in other cultures’ laws too.
This suggests that the 10 Commandments aren’t just arbitrary rules, but reflect universal moral intuitions embedded in the human conscience. Their enduring relevance testifies to the common ethical foundation we all share as humans made in God’s image.
The 10 Commandments have been a cornerstone of Judeo-Christian ethics for millennia, but they are often misunderstood. From their original context and purpose to their modern-day application, misconceptions abound.
By examining these myths, we can gain a clearer understanding of what the commandments really mean and why they still matter today.
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Martha A. Lavallie
Martha is a journalist with close to a decade of experience in uncovering and reporting on the most compelling stories of our time. Passionate about staying ahead of the curve, she specializes in shedding light on trending topics and captivating global narratives. Her insightful articles have garnered acclaim, making her a trusted voice in today's dynamic media landscape.
