Number of Commandments in Jewish Law
The question of the number of commandments in Jewish law elicits various interpretations, ranging from the foundational "Ten Words" to the comprehensive 613 mitzvot. The Decalogue, often referred to as the Ten Commandments, serves as a summary of immutable moral law [1]. These "Ten Words" were initially given to Israel at Sinai, written by God on two stone tablets [1, 2]. Deuteronomy 10:4 explicitly states that God "wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments, which Yahweh spoke to you on the mountain out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly" [6]. The Hebrew term for these is "Ten Words" (עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדְּבָרִים, aseret ha-devarim), not "commandments" in the sense of individual precepts [2].
While the Ten Commandments are foundational, Jewish tradition recognizes a much larger body of divine commands. The Babylonian Talmud, for instance, identifies 613 mitzvot (commandments) [16, 17]. This number is derived from the 611 commandments received and taught by Moses, augmented by the first two of the Ten Commandments ("I am the Lord your God" and "You shall have no other gods") which were heard directly from God [16, 17]. Rabbi Saadiah Gaon is noted for having enumerated these 613 commandments, a tradition also referenced by Abraham Ibn Ezra [10]. Rashi further connects the 613 mitzvot to the Ten Commandments, suggesting that the latter encompass the former [14].
The concept of "all the commandments" appears frequently in Deuteronomy, emphasizing the comprehensive nature of God's law [3, 4, 5, 7]. This suggests that the divine expectation extends beyond the Decalogue to a broader set of instructions. Josephus, in his Antiquities of the Jews, also refers to "Several Laws," indicating a multitude of precepts beyond the initial ten [8].
Christian theological traditions also acknowledge the Decalogue as a distinct set of commands. Augustine, for example, refers to the Law having ten commandments [13]. John Calvin notes that the Law is "divided into ten heads," though he allows for freedom of judgment in the precise division of these commandments [15]. Charles Hodge, one theologian, similarly affirms the division into ten distinct precepts, often called "The Ten Words" or "The Ten Commandments" [11]. He also discusses the historical debate regarding the division of these ten into two tables, with some traditions assigning three to the first table and seven to the second, while others assign four to the first and six to the second [12]. John Gill, a Baptist commentator, interprets "all the law" in Galatians 5:13 as referring to the Decalogue, which he understands to be summarized by love for God and neighbor [9].
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Commandments, the Ten — (Ex. 34:28; Deut. 10:4, marg. "ten words") i.e., the Decalogue (q.v.), is a summary of the immutable moral law. These commandments were first given in their written form to the people of Israel when they were encamped at Sinai, about fifty days after they came out of Egypt (Ex. 19:10-25). They were written by the finger of God on two tables of stone. The first tables were broken by Moses when he brought them down from the mount (32:19), being thrown by him on the ground. At the command of God he took up into the mount two other tables, and God”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Ten Commandments — The popular name in this, as in so many instances, is not that of Scripture. There we have the "TEN WORDS," (Exodus 34:28; 4:13; 10:4) the "[1215]Covenant," Ex., Deut. 11. cc.; (1 Kings 8:21; 2 Chronicles 6:11) etc., or, very often as the solemn attestation of the divine will, the "TESTIMONY." (Exodus 25:16,21; 31:18) etc. The circumstances in which the Ten great Words were first given to the people surrounded them with an awe which attached to no other precept. In the midst of the cloud and the darkness and the flashing lightning and the fiery smok”
- Deuteronomy “You shall not add to the word which I command you, neither shall you take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of Yahweh your God which I command you. -- Deuteronomy 4:2”
- Deuteronomy “You shall observe to do all the commandments which I command you this day, that you may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which Yahweh swore to your fathers. -- Deuteronomy 8:1”
- Deuteronomy “if you keep all this commandment to do it, which I command you this day, to love Yahweh your God, and to walk ever in his ways; then you shall add three cities more for yourselves, besides these three. -- Deuteronomy 19:9”
- Deuteronomy “He wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments, which Yahweh spoke to you on the mountain out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly: and Yahweh gave them to me. -- Deuteronomy 10:4”
- Deuteronomy “Deuteronomy 10:13 (LEB) — to keep the commandments of Yahweh and his statutes that I am commanding you today ⌞for your own good⌟.”
- Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, CHAPTER 12, section 1: . Several Laws.”
- Galatians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Galatians 5:13: For all the law is fulfilled in one word,.... Not the ceremonial law, to which acts of mercy, kindness, and love are opposed, and from which they are distinguished; but the law of the decalogue given to Moses on Mount Sinai, and by him to the people of the Jews; and intends either only the second table of it, since only love to the neighbour is mentioned; or else the whole of it, both tables, since it is said, "all the law"; which by Christ is reduced to two heads, love to God, and love to the neighbour; and though the former is not here expressed, it is implied as”
- Sefaria (Jewish (Rationalist)) “Abraham Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 27:1: KEEP ALL THE COMMANDMENTS. Namely, that thou shalt set thee up great stones to contain the entire Torah. The Gaon, 5 Rabbi Saadiah Gaon. of blessed memory, said that the commandments 6 The 613 commandments of the Torah. were listed upon the stones, as in the Halakhot Gedolot . 7 A Geonic compendium by Rabbi Simon Kayyra (ninth century) of Talmudic law arranged according to the order of the tractates of the Talmud. The Halakhot Gedolot was the first to enumerate the 613 commandments. Rabbi Saadiah Gaon uses the Halakhot Gedolot as an illustration of a list ”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 40: § 2. Division of the Contents of the Decalogue. As the law given on Sinai and written on two tables of stone, is repeatedly called in the Scriptures “The Ten Words,” or, as it is in the English version of Exodus xxxiv. 28 , “The Ten Commandments,” there is no doubt that the contents of that law are to be divided into ten distinct precepts. (See Deut. iv. 13 , and x. 4 .) This summary of moral duties is also called in Scripture “The Covenant,” as containing the fundamental principles of the solemn contract between God and his chosen people”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 40: divide the tenth, refer three commandments to the first table and seven to the second. According to the third arrangement mentioned above, there are four in the first, and six in the second. The only objection urged against this is founded on the symbolism of numbers. Three and seven among the Jews are sacred end significant; four and six are not. Arguments for the Arrangement adopted by the Reformed. There are two questions to be determined. First, should the commandments concerning idolatry be united or separated? In favour of consideri”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 8: Augustine — Exposition on Psalms — PSALM L.[10] (part 10): of whom reply was made to Elias, "I have left me seven thousand men that have not bowed knees before Baal,"[8] far exceed that number of fishes. Therefore the hundred and fifty-three fishes[9] doth not alone express just such a number of saints, but Scripture doth express the whole number of saints and righteous men by so great a number for a particular reason; to wit, in order that in those hundred and fifty-three all may be understood that pertain to the resurrection to eternal life. For the Law hath ten commandments:[10”
- Sefaria (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki) on Song of Solomon 5:16: Studded with precious gems. For He included in the Ten Commandments the six hundred and thirteen commandments. 65 See Rashi in Shemos 24:12. There he quotes Rav Sa’adia Gaon’s Sefer Hamitzvos wherein he connects the 613 mitzvos to the Ten Commandments.”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 44: to consider the division of the commandments, provided we remember that it is one of those matters in which every man should have full freedom of judgment, and on account of which, difference of opinion should not lead to contention. We are, indeed, under the necessity of making this observation, lest the division which we are to adopt should excite the surprise or derision of the reader, as novel or of recent invention. There is no room for controversy as to the fact, that the Law is divided into ten heads since this is repeatedly”
- Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Makkot 49a.47:1: is 611, the number of mitzvot that were received and taught by Moses our teacher. In addition, there are two mitzvot: “I am the Lord your God” and: “You shall have no other gods” (Exodus 20:2, 3), the first two of the Ten Commandments, that we heard from the mouth of the Almighty, for a total of 613.”
- Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Makkot 49b.47:1: is 611, the number of mitzvot that were received and taught by Moses our teacher. In addition, there are two mitzvot: “I am the Lord your God” and: “You shall have no other gods” (Exodus 20:2, 3), the first two of the Ten Commandments, that we heard from the mouth of the Almighty, for a total of 613.”