Commandments

The commandments (Hebrew mitzvot; Greek entolai) are the divine instructions given to govern the covenant relationship between God and his people. The Decalogue ("Ten Commandments") given at Sinai (Ex. 20:1–17; Deut. 5:6–21) forms the core of the Mosaic covenant stipulations — covering duties toward God (no other gods, no idols, no misuse of the divine name, the Sabbath) and toward other people (honor of parents, and prohibitions of murder, adultery, theft, false witness, and covetousness). The full Mosaic law expanded these into 613 commandments in Jewish tradition, governing worship, diet, civil life, and social ethics. Jesus affirmed the abiding authority of the commandments (Matt. 5:17–19) while deepening them to address heart motivations rather than external compliance alone (Matt. 5:21–48), and distilled them into two: love God with all the heart, and love the neighbor as oneself (Matt. 22:37–40; Deut. 6:5; Lev. 19:18). Paul argues that love fulfills the entire law (Rom. 13:8–10; Gal. 5:14). In the NT, obedience to Christ's commands is the mark of genuine love for him (John 14:15, 21; 1 John 5:3) and the evidence of abiding in him (1 John 2:3–5).