The First Law of God in the Ten Commandments
The First Law of God, as outlined in the Ten Commandments, is a foundational concept in biblical theology. The term "Ten Commandments" is derived from the Greek fathers, who referred to them as the "Decalogue," meaning "ten words" [4].
The biblical account of the giving of the Ten Commandments is found in Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:4-21. According to Exodus 20:1, God spoke all the words of the Decalogue directly to the Israelites [7]. The commandments were written by the finger of God on two tables of stone, which were later broken by Moses and rewritten at God's command [1, 3].
The First Commandment, as recorded in Exodus 20:3, is "You shall have no other gods before Me." Jesus reiterated this commandment in Mark 12:30, quoting Deuteronomy 6:4-5, emphasizing the importance of loving God with all one's heart, soul, mind, and strength [2]. This commandment is considered the foundation of the rest, as it establishes the exclusive worship of the one true God.
The significance of the First Commandment is underscored by its connection to the concept of love. In Galatians 5:14, it is written that "the whole law is fulfilled in one word: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'" [5]. This love is not limited to human relationships but is rooted in the love for God, as Jesus taught that the second commandment, to love one's neighbor, is like the first [6].
The interpretation of the First Commandment has been consistent across various Christian traditions. According to Matthew Henry, the commandment is a fundamental law that arises from the truth that there is one God, and it is to be worshipped exclusively [9]. The commandment is also seen as a guard against idolatry and a hedge around the true worship of God.
The Jewish tradition also emphasizes the importance of the First Commandment. Abraham Ibn Ezra notes that the term "Ten Commandments" is not used in the Hebrew Bible; instead, it is referred to as "aseret ha-devarim," or "the ten words/statements" [8].
The First Commandment remains a cornerstone of Christian theology, emphasizing the importance of exclusive devotion to God. As the foundation of the Decalogue, it sets the tone for the rest of the commandments, which provide guidance on how to live a life that is pleasing to God.
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”
- Mark “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’This is the first commandment. -- Mark 12:30”
- Deuteronomy “Deuteronomy 10:4 (KJV) — And he wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments, which the Lord spake unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly: and the Lord gave them unto me.”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Decalogue — The name given by the Greek fathers to the ten commandments; "the ten words," as the original is more literally rendered (Ex. 20:3-17). These commandments were at first written on two stone slabs (31:18), which were broken by Moses throwing them down on the ground (32:19). They were written by God a second time (34:1). The decalogue is alluded to in the New Testament five times (Matt. 5:17, 18, 19; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20; Rom. 7:7, 8; 13:9; 1 Tim. 1:9, 10). These commandments have been divided since the days of Origen the Greek father, as they stand in th”
- Galatians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Galatians 5:14: 5:14 the whole law can be summed up (or the whole law is fulfilled): Christ’s followers fulfill the law by exercising love toward every neighbor (Lev 19:18; see Matt 7:12; Luke 6:27-36; 10:25-37; John 13:34-35; 15:9-17; Rom 13:8-10).”
- Matthew (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Matthew 22:35: This is the first and great commandment. Whether the object of it is considered, who is the first and chief good; or the manner in which it is to be observed, which requires and engrosses the whole heart, soul, and mind, and all the strength and power of man; or its being the principle from whence all the duties, and actions of men should flow, and the end to which all are to be referred; and is not only a compendium of the duties of the first table of the decalogue, but of all others that can be thought to, and do, belong to God. This is the first command in order ”
- Exodus (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Exodus 20:1: Here is, I. The preface of the law-writer, Moses: God spoke all these words, Exo 20:1. The law of the ten commandments is, 1. A law of God's making. They are enjoined by the infinite eternal Majesty of heaven and earth. And where the word of the King of kings is surely there is power. 2. It is a law of his own speaking. God has many ways of speaking to the children of men (Job 33:14); once, yea twice - by his Spirit, by conscience, by providences, by his voice, all which we ought carefully to attend to; but he never spoke, at any time, upon any occasion, as he spo”
- Sefaria (Jewish (Rationalist)) “Abraham Ibn Ezra on Exodus 20:1: AND GOD SPOKE. There are some very difficult questions to be raised in this chapter. Many say that God only uttered the first two statements. 1 The Biblical term for what is known in the western world as the Ten Commandments is aseret ha-devarim (Deut. 4:13; 10:4), the ten words or the ten statements. This is term that will be employed in this work. As proof they offer the fact that the first statement reads, I am the Lord thy God (v. 2), and the second, for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God (v. 5). 2 In other words, the first two statements are in the first ”
- Deuteronomy (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Deuteronomy 12:1: From those great original truths, That there is a God, and that there is but one God, arise those great fundamental laws, That that God is to be worshipped, and he only, and that therefore we are to have no other God before him: this is the first commandment, and the second is a guard upon it, or a hedge about it. To prevent a revolt to false gods, we are forbidden to worship the true God in such a way and manner as the false gods were worshipped in, and are commanded to observe the instituted ordinances of worship that we may adhere to the proper object of w”