Exodus 20

Exodus 20 records the Ten Commandments, given to Israel at Mount Sinai — the moral foundation of the covenant and of Western law. Four commandments govern love of God; six govern love of neighbor.

The Book of Exodus · Old Testament · chapter 20 of 40.

Where this chapter sits

Israel has camped at Sinai since chapter nineteen, where thunder, smoke, and a trumpet blast marked God's descent onto the mountain in view of the whole camp. The commandments arrive as words spoken aloud to the assembled people rather than relayed only through Moses, which opens a longer block of case law continuing through chapter twenty three. Jewish, Catholic, Orthodox, and Reformed traditions number and divide the ten sayings differently, though the wording is shared.

Key verses (KJV)

“And God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD thy God.” — Exodus 20:1-2 (KJV)

“Honour thy father and thy mother.” — Exodus 20:12 (KJV)

What to notice as you read

Notice the list opens not with a command but a claim of relationship: I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of Egypt, stated before any prohibition follows. The commands rest on what God has already done, not only on what he now requires.

Read Exodus 20 on your iPhone

Read the full text of Exodus 20 in Quiethaven — choose your translation, read offline, and pick up where you left off. Pair it with a daily verse and a prayer timer.

Other chapters worth reading

• Joshua 1
• Ruth 1
• 1 Samuel 16
• 1 Kings 19

Explore more

• Full overview of Exodus
• Read the whole Bible offline
• Today's verse of the day

Frequently asked questions

Where does Exodus 20 come in Exodus?

It is chapter 20 of 40 in Exodus, a book of Law in the Old Testament. The other widely-read chapters of Exodus are linked further down this page.

Where can I read Exodus 20?

Read the full text of Exodus 20 — and the whole Bible, offline, in your preferred translation — free in the Quiethaven app for iPhone.