ten

Bible Dictionary

Ten
The popular name in this, as in so many instances,is not thatof Scripture. There we have the "TEN WORDS," (exodus 34:28;4:13; 10:4) the "[1215]Covenant," Ex., Deut. 11. cc.; (1 kings8:21; 2 chronicles 6:11) etc., or, very often as the solemnattestation of the divine will, the "TESTIMONY." (exodus25:16,21; 31:18) etc. The circumstances in which the Ten greatWords were first given to the people surrounded them with anawe which attached to no other precept. In the midst of thecloud and the darkness and the flashing lightning and the fierysmoke and the thunder like the voice of a trumpet, Moses wascalled to Mount Sinai to receive the law without which thepeople would cease to be a holy nation. (exodus 19:20) Here, aselsewhere, Scripture unites two facts which men separate. God,and not man was speaking to the Israelites in those terrors,and yet, in the language of later inspired teachers, otherinstrumentality was not excluded. No other words wereproclaimed in like manner. And the record was as exceptional asthe original revelation. Of no other words could it be saidthat they were written as these were written, engraved on theTables of Stone, not as originating in man s contrivance orsagacity, but by the power of the Eternal Spirit, by the"finger of God." (exodus 31:18; 32:16) The number Ten was, wecan hardly doubt, itself significant to Moses and theIsraelites. The received symbol, then and at all times, ofcompleteness, it taught the people that the law of Jehovah wasperfect. (psalms 19:7) The term "Commandments" had come intouse in the time of Christ. (luke 18:20) Their division into twotables is not only expressly mentioned but the stress is uponthe two leaves no doubt that the distinction was important, andthat answered to that summary of the law which was made both byMoses and by Christ into two precepts; so that the first tablecontained Duties to God, and the second, Duties to our Neighbor. There are three principal divisions of the two tables:

That of the Roman Catholic Church, making the first tablecontain three commandments and the second the other seven.

The familiar division, referring the first four to our dutytoward God and the six remaining to our duty toward man.

The division recognized by the old Jewish writers, Josephusand Philo, which places five commandments in each table. Ithas been maintained that the law of filial duty, being aclose consequence of God s fatherly relation to us, maybereferred to the first table. But this is to place humanparents on a level with God, and, by purity of reasoning theSixth Commandment might be added to the first table, asmurder is the destruction of God s image in man. Far morereasonable is the view which regards the authority of parentsas heading the second table, as the earthly reflex of thatauthority of the Father of his people and of all men whichheads the first, and as the first principle of the whole lawof love to our neighbor; because we are all brethren and thefamily is, for good and ill the model of the state. "TheDecalogue differs from all the other legislation of Moses:(1) It was proclaimed by God himself in a most public andsolemn manner. (2) It was given under circumstances of mostappalling majesty and sublimity. (3) It was written by thefinger of God on two tables of stone. (5:22) (4) It differedfrom any and all other laws given to Israel in that it wascomprehensive and general rather than specific andparticular. (6) It was complete, being one finished whole towhich nothing was to be added, from which nothing was evertaken away. (6) The law of the Ten Commandments was honoredby Jesus Christ as embodying the substance of the law of Godenjoined upon man. (7) It can scarcely be doubted that Jesushad his eye specially if not exclusively on this law, (5:18)as one never to be repealed from which not one jot or tittleshould ever pass away. (8) It is marked by wonderfulsimplicity and brevity such a contrast to our humanlegislation, our British statute-book for instance, which itwould need an elephant to carry and an OEdipus to interpret."

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