Four Versions of the Ten Commandments: The First Commandment

It is discussions about things that everyone thinks they know that often reveal some very interesting surprises. Discussions about the Ten Commandments often fit into that category.

 Depending on who is presenting the list of commandments, you may be surprised to learn that the commandments will differ. In this series I will present four versions of the Ten Commandments that are based on Exodus 20, the verses that are traditionally called ”The Ten Commandments.” The different versions are Jewish, Catholic, Protestant and ours (Biblical Heritage Center). I will present the different versions of each commandment in separate blogs, so you will have time to consider the differences.

Each blog will list the versions in a chronological order based on when the source came into existence or in our case, last week when we completed the analysis:

(1) Rabbinic Judaism (200 CE)

(2) Catholicism (325 CE)

(3) Protestantism (16^th century CE)

(4) Biblical Heritage Center (analysis completed in 2014 CE)

The Book of Exodus is part of the Torah, which is the first section of the Jewish Scriptures. It existed long before Rabbinic Judaism, Catholicism, Protestantism or the Biblical Heritage Center came into being; just as Rabbinic Judaism existed before the others. At the end of this series I will provide an overview.

The First Commandment

Rabbinic Judaism

I am the Lord your G-d who brought you out of the land of Egypt.

Catholicism

I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them.

Protestantism

You shall have no other gods but me.

Biblical Heritage Center

You shall not have other gods but me.

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