If you’re looking for a quick page number, you’re out of luck. Bibles aren't all printed the same way, obviously. But if you want the "where" in terms of the actual narrative structure of the text, you’re looking for a very specific moment in the desert. Most people think they’re just in one spot. They aren't.
Finding where is the 10 commandments in the bible actually requires you to open up two different books: Exodus and Deuteronomy.
You’ve probably seen the old movies. Charlton Heston standing on a mountain with lightning crashing behind him. It’s iconic. But the Bible’s version is a bit more complicated and, honestly, a lot more repetitive than Hollywood lets on. The core list—the "Decalogue," if you want to be fancy about it—appears twice in the Old Testament. Once as the law is being given for the first time, and once as a reminder forty years later.
The First Location: Exodus 20
The primary spot everyone thinks of is Exodus 20. This is the big one. This is the moment right after the Israelites escaped Egypt. They’re at the base of Mount Sinai. It’s loud. There’s smoke. The ground is literally shaking.
In this chapter, God speaks the words directly. It’s a terrifying scene. The text says the people were so scared they asked Moses to go talk to God alone because they thought they were going to die just from listening. If you read Exodus 20:1-17, you’ll find the standard list.
- No other gods.
- No idols.
- Don't take the name in vain.
- Keep the Sabbath.
- Honor your parents.
- Don't murder.
- Don't commit adultery.
- Don't steal.
- Don't lie.
- Don't covet.
Wait, it gets weirder. Later, in Exodus 34, there’s a different list after Moses smashes the first set of tablets. Some scholars call this the "Ritual Decalogue." It’s much more focused on festivals and sacrifices. If you’re searching for the classic moral laws, though, stay in chapter 20.
The Second Location: Deuteronomy 5
The second place you’ll find the 10 commandments is Deuteronomy 5.
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Think of Deuteronomy as a long, passionate speech. Moses is an old man now. The original generation that stood at Sinai has died out in the wilderness. Now, the children of those people are standing on the edge of the Promised Land. Moses is basically saying, "Listen up, before you go in there, let’s review the rules."
It’s almost identical to the Exodus version, but there are some tiny, fascinating tweaks. For example, in Exodus, the reason for the Sabbath is that God rested after creation. In Deuteronomy 5:12-15, the reason is that the Israelites were slaves in Egypt and deserve a break. It's a more social-justice-oriented spin on the same law.
Seeing the two side-by-side helps you realize the Bible isn't just a static list; it’s a living history.
Why is it in two places?
It’s about memory. Ancient cultures were oral. You didn't just hand someone a PDF of the law. You recited it. You repeated it. The fact that the list appears in two different books shows how central it was to the identity of the people. It was their constitution.
The New Testament Connection
If you’re a Christian or just interested in how the Bible connects, you’ll find the 10 commandments mentioned again in the New Testament. Jesus doesn't just list them; he ups the ante.
In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), he references them several times. He says things like, "You’ve heard it said ‘Do not murder,’ but I tell you if you’re even angry with your brother, you’ve broken the spirit of the law."
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He’s not changing the "where" of the commandments, but he is changing the "how." He basically says the laws are written on the heart now, not just on stone. He eventually boils the whole list down to two big ones: Love God and Love your neighbor.
The Numbering Mystery
Here is something that messes with people: not everyone counts them the same way.
If you ask a Catholic, a Lutheran, and a Jewish Rabbi to count to ten using these verses, they’ll give you different lists. Catholics usually group the "No Idols" command with the first one and then split "Coveting" into two separate rules. Jewish tradition counts the opening statement—"I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt"—as the first commandment.
Same text. Different math.
Historical Context: Was it actually stone?
Archaeologists and historians like Kenneth Kitchen have spent decades looking at how ancient Near Eastern treaties were written. The 10 commandments follow the exact format of a "Hittite Suzerainty Treaty." This was a standard legal contract between a King and his subjects.
- Preamble: Who is the King? (I am the Lord).
- Historical Prologue: What did the King do for you? (Brought you out of Egypt).
- Stipulations: The rules (The Commandments).
When you ask where is the 10 commandments in the bible, you're looking at a legal document that defined a nation. The tablets were kept in the Ark of the Covenant, which was basically a gold-plated chest. This chest sat in the Tabernacle, and later the Temple in Jerusalem.
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Then, it vanished.
After the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem in 586 BC, the physical tablets disappeared from history. We have the text, but the rocks are gone.
How to use this today
Knowing where these verses are isn't just for trivia. It's about understanding the foundation of Western law. Whether you're religious or not, the "Thou Shalt Nots" shaped the legal codes of the UK, the US, and most of Europe.
If you want to read them for yourself right now, do this:
- Open a Bible (or a Bible app) to Exodus chapter 20. This is the "official" debut.
- Compare it to Deuteronomy chapter 5. Look for the differences in why the Sabbath is kept.
- Check out Matthew 22:37-40 to see how Jesus summarized the whole thing.
The commandments aren't just hidden in some obscure chapter. They are the backbone of the entire book. If you're looking for them, you're looking at the moment a group of refugees became a nation with a moral code.
Actionable Insight: If you're studying the Bible for the first time, don't just read the list. Read the chapters around it. Exodus 19 sets the stage with the mountain on fire, and Exodus 21-23 gives the "case laws"—real-life examples of how to apply the 10 commandments to things like property damage or helping a neighbor. It turns the abstract rules into a practical guide for living in a community.