If you’re a Christian, you might think you know the Ten Commandments pretty well. But there’s a good chance some of what you believe about them isn’t quite accurate, whether that’s because of a misconception from the movies or hearsay.
Either way, let’s look at some of these common misunderstandings. We’ll get to the real story behind these ancient guidelines; you might be surprised to find out what you’ve got wrong.
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“Thou shalt not kill”
Most of us grew up hearing “Thou shalt not kill” and took it to mean all kinds of killing were off-limits but the original Hebrew wording is more specific. It actually says that murder is wrong.
As such, it’s not a blanket ban on killing in self-defense or in times of war; instead, it’s just unlawful and intentional killing. It’s still a pretty strong command, though.
“Thou shalt not commit adultery”
Despite what you might’ve heard, the 10 Commandments don’t simply forbid physical adultery.
It’s actually broader and includes any significant betrayal of a spouse’s trust, like emotional affairs, and it’s meant to encourage a marital commitment’s integrity. Steering clear of physical cheating is just the tip of the iceberg.
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy”
Many people think going to church on the Sabbath day means you need to attend a church service once a week and you’re good. But that’s not true.
Originally, this Commandment was meant to encourage people to take a full day off work to rest & spiritually reflect. Whether you’re religious or not, we can all agree that the idea of a rest day can sound pretty appealing.
“Honor thy parents”
Hearing “Honor thy parents” sounds like you should say “yes” to them all the time, right? Actually, no. This Commandment involves respect & care for your parents, especially as they get older.
You’re meant to recognize the role they play in your life and make sure they’re being taken care of. It makes sense.
“Thou shalt not covet”
Coveting is a lot more than simply wishing you had your neighbor’s new car. In fact, it means having such a strong desire for others’ possessions that it could drive you to do unfair things to get them.
Coveting is that intense itch to have what isn’t yours; a kind of insane envy. It’s a lot more extreme than jealousy.
“Thou shalt not steal”
Even if you’re not religious, you can probably agree that “Thou shalt not steal” makes a lot of sense. It’s always wrong to take someone else’s belongings.
But this commandment actually covers all forms of stealing, like swiping someone’s idea and calling it your own. In the Bible, any kind of thievery is wrong.
“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain”
Most people reduce the idea that you shouldn’t use the Lord’s name in vain to simply mean that you shouldn’t drop God’s name in a curse.
But really, this Commandment teaches people more than that, including not using it lightly by making false promises or pretending something’s divinely sanctioned when it’s not. Instead, you’re meant to respect His sacred name.
“No graven images”
Like most religions, Christianity forbids idolatry with the command, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.” But most people misinterpret this command as telling people to avoid physical idols.
The truth is that it includes any form of idolatry. This means you should avoid worshipping money, fame, or anything else; other than God.
“Thou shalt have no other gods before me”
Similarly, the command “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” involves more than polytheism. The command forbids people from prioritizing anything in life over ethical and moral principles that are supposed to guide us.
It doesn’t matter what kind of obsession it is, when it takes priority over the Lord, then there’s a problem.
“Thou shalt not bear false witness”
Even though you might think “Thou shalt not bear false witness” forbids all kinds of lying, it actually doesn’t. The command specifically targets false statements that harm others, like lying in court.
So, we can infer that little white lies or fibs are acceptable sometimes. The Bible is just against deceit that really hurts someone else.
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