The Ten Commandments
b. The Ten Commandments (20:1–17)
The Ten Commandments, in their present form in Exodus 20, reveal signs of later development and expansion from an earlier form. It is likely that the original form was very brief and much easier to memorize. Some believe that all of the commands were negative at first, even though two of them now are expressed in the positive. (See verses 8 and 12.) This Decalogue, as it is called, has been inserted into the narrative at this point in order to prove its divine authority and its connection with Moses. In this way these commandments become a summary of “the people’s obligation” in the covenant that was established at Mount Sinai.
There is a close parallel account of the Decalogue in Deut 5:6–21, and the translator should be aware of the similarities and differences. Both accounts have the same form of law that is quite different from the laws listed in “The Book of the Covenant” (20:22–23:33). Here the laws are expressed as demands with no punishment listed. This form of law is known as categorical, or apodictic. In the Book of the Covenant, however, the laws are almost entirely in the form known as case law, or casuistic law. The usual pattern is “If … then …,” with the situation given in the “if” clause and the punishment described in the “then” clause.
Another feature of the Ten Commandments is that they are all given in the second person singular—“You [singular] shall not.” And yet, in their present position, they are presented as God’s demands spoken to all the people. This gives them greater personal impact, even though each individual is simply one member of a community. Translators should feel free to change to the second person plural if that carries greater force in the receptor language.
These laws are not identified as “commandments” in the text. In fact they are called “ten words” in 34:28. Also in 24:3 they are referred to as “words,” while the laws in 20:22–23:33 (“the Book of the Covenant”) are referred to as “ordinances.” The expression “You shall not,” with the word “not” coming first, actually occurs twelve times, and it is not found in verse 12 at all. As a result there are different traditions as to how the ten demands should be counted.
Jewish tradition has always counted verse 2 as the first commandment, since it is really the first “word.” Protestants usually count verse 3 as the first commandment, and verse 4 as the second. The Roman Catholic tradition, however, considers verses 3 and 4 to be the first commandment, and then divides verse 17 into two for the ninth and tenth. (The Lutheran and Anglican traditions also share this interpretation.) For this reason, in an intercon fessional translation especially, it is better not to number them from one to ten.
Osborn, Noel D., and Howard A. Hatton. A Handbook on Exodus. New York: United Bible Societies, 1999. Print. UBS Handbook Series.
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