שמע ישראל יהוה אלהינו יהוה אחד
עשרת הדברים
Aseret HaDabariym - The Ten Words (of יהוה)
The phrase 'the ten words' (from whence the expression Ten Commandments comes from) is somewhat of a misnomer, since a careful reading will establish that there are actually more than ten "instructions" involved. I am not going to take the time to 'split hairs' or enumerate each one, as I consider it to be a non-issue. The instructions of יהוה 'Elohiym are the instructions of יהוה 'Elohiym and encompass many more than these 'ten'. Additionally, the 'Ibriym (Hebrews– notably my brother Yehuwdah {rabbinical writings}) never refer to this passage as the ten commandments. They are known to us as Aseret HaDabariym or the Ten Sayings (The Ten Words, the Ten Statements or the Ten Declarations); עשרת הדברים aw-ser'-eht haw-daw-bar-'eem (Shemoth [exodus] 34:28, Dabariym [deuteronomy] 4:13 and Dabariym [deuteronomy] 10:4). The phrase 'ten commandments would actually be: Aseret ha-Mitsuah (commandment or Mitzvot).
While the various replacement-religionists of the Greco-Roman world have relegated the whole of the Towrah of יהוה to these ten (which they promptly ignore and replace with their own rules/dogma– but that is another article) these are not, by any means, the whole of the instructions of 'Elohiym. The 'Ibriym (Hebrews) have taught, since basically the day we received the Towrah, that these two passages are (more or less) chapter headings, under which all of יהוה's instructions can be grouped. For the Ibriy (or righteous gowyim [nations] – righteous follower of יהוה gentile) it is imperative to realize:
Qoheleth 12
13. This is the end of the word and subject; when all has been heard intelligently with attention and interest, listened to and is obeyed: you must fear 'Elohiym, and you must hedge about, as with thorns, and guard and protect to do His mitsuwthiy; for this is the whole duty of man.
Shemoth [exodus] 20
AND 'Elohiym spoke all these words, saying:
2. I am יהוה your 'Elohiym, who brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim, out of the house of bondage.
3. You will have no gods neither above or beyond nor next to or that are equal to Me.
4. You will not make any carved or engraved image, nor 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.
5. You will not prostrate yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I am יהוה your 'Elohiym, — a jealous 'El, visiting and depositing the perversity and the evil of the fathers onto the sons, even to the great grandchild and the great, great grandchild of those which hate Me!
6. And showing loving kindness to thousands of them that love Me and keep My commandments.
7. You will not bring the Name of יהוה your 'Elohiym to evil uselessness; for יהוה will not hold him guiltless that brings His Name to evil uselessness.
8. Mark and remember and speak about the Shabbath day, to keep it Qadash.
9. Six days you will labor, and do all your work;
10. But the seventh day is a Shabbath to יהוה your 'Elohiym: in it you will not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your man-servant, or your maid-servant, or your cattle, or your stranger that is within your gates:
11. For in six days יהוה made Heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. For that reason יהוה blessed the Shabbath day, and made it Qadash.
12. Honor your father and your mother that your days may be long in the land which יהוה your 'Elohiym gives you.
13. You will not murder, you will not commit adulterous apostasy; you will not steal nor will you bear false witness against your neighbor.
14. You will not covet your neighbor's house; you will not covet your neighbor's wife, or his man-servant, or his maid-servant, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor's.
15. And all the people saw and perceived the thundering, and the flaming lightning, and the voice like the noise of the showphar, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they trembled, and stood far off.
16. And they said to Mosheh: You speak with us, and we will hear; but do not let 'Elohiym speak with us, lest we die.
17. And Mosheh said to the people: Fear not: for 'Elohiym has come to prove you, so that fear of Him may be before your faces that you do not sin.
18. And the people stood far off, and Mosheh drew near to the thick darkness where 'Elohiym was.
19. And יהוה said to Mosheh: Thus you will say to the sons of Yisra'el, You yourselves have seen that I have talked with you from Heaven.
**All Towrah and Tanakh quotes are from His Name Tanakh unless otherwise noted.
Download your free Tanakh PDF from the His Name Tanakh menu tab above.
Please sign the Hear O Yisra'el Guestbook. Your privacy is assured.