Commandment

Biblical Usage

A commandment is a command that God gave to his people. The best-known commandments in the Old Testament are the Ten Commandments, given through Moses at Mount Sinai (Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 5). Deuteronomy 6:1 groups together "the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments." Psalm 119 celebrates the word of God, alternating among terms such as law, testimonies, precepts, statutes, commandments, and judgments.

In the New Testament, when Jesus is asked which is "the great commandment," he answers with love for God (Deuteronomy 6:5) and love for one's neighbor (Leviticus 19:18) (Matthew 22:34–40). He also gives his disciples a new commandment: "That ye love one another" (John 13:34).

Terminology and Background

The Hebrew word mitzvah derives from a verb meaning "to command," and the Greek word entolē likewise means a command. The New Korean Revised Version renders several Hebrew words as gyemyeong (commandment), gyurye (ordinance), beopdo (precept), yullye (statute), and similar terms. Because the same original word is sometimes translated differently depending on the passage, the Korean terms do not always correspond one-to-one with the original-language words.

The commandments were given within the covenant between God and Israel. The Ten Commandments open with the words "I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage" (Exodus 20:2). This preface shows that the commandments are a rule of life given to a people who have already been redeemed. Later Jewish tradition counts 613 commandments in the Pentateuch.

Significance Across Scripture

Jesus said that the law and the prophets hang on the two commandments of love. Paul likewise wrote that "love is the fulfilling of the law" (Romans 13:8–10). Paul regarded the commandment as holy, just, and good (Romans 7:12), yet he taught that a person is not justified by the works of the law (Galatians 2:16). First John states that loving God means keeping his commandments, and that "his commandments are not grievous" (1 John 5:3).

Interpretations and Debates

• Scope of the Old Testament commandments: The Westminster Confession of Faith (chapter 19) divides the Mosaic law into moral, ceremonial, and judicial (civil) law. It holds that the ceremonial law has been abrogated in Christ, while the moral law remains binding on believers. Dispensationalism tends to regard the Mosaic law as given to Israel and therefore does not apply it directly to believers today.
• The role of the law: The Lutheran tradition places the distinction between Law and Gospel at its center and has emphasized the law's role in bringing people to recognize their sin. John Calvin placed particular weight on the law as a rule guiding the life of the believer. Wesleyan theology connects the commandments with a life of sanctification.
• The Sabbath commandment: Most Protestants understand the fourth commandment in connection with observance of the Lord's Day (Sunday). The Seventh-day Adventist Church, by contrast, maintains that the Saturday Sabbath must be kept. For details, see the article Sabbath and Lord's Day.
• Numbering the Ten Commandments: Many Protestants, including the Reformed churches, count the prohibition against making idols separately as the second commandment. The Catholic Church and Lutherans include this prohibition within the first commandment and divide the prohibition against coveting into two.
• The new commandment and the Ten Commandments: The new commandment is sometimes presented as a replacement for the Ten Commandments. The text, however, does not directly explain the relationship between the two, and interpretations differ among traditions.

In the Korean Church

Korean churches teach the Ten Commandments, together with the Apostles' Creed and the Lord's Prayer, as a basic component of Christian instruction. The Ten Commandments are commonly memorized in Sunday school and in instruction for baptism and confirmation.