who wrote the ten commandments

Who Wrote the Ten Commandments? According to the biblical account in the Book of Exodus, God Himself wrote the Ten Commandments on two stone tablets and gave them to Moses on Mount Sinai. This event is described as a direct divine act, emphasizing its sacred importance.

Biblical Account

The primary source for this story comes from the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). Key verses state:

• Exodus 31:18 : "When He [God] had finished speaking with him [Moses] upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God."

• Exodus 32:15-16 : Describes the tablets as inscribed by God, not by human hand.

• After Moses shattered the first set in anger upon seeing the golden calf idolatry, God instructed him to prepare new tablets, which God rewrote (Exodus 34:1-4; Deuteronomy 10:1-5).

This narrative portrays the commandments as God's literal handwriting, a "finger of God" metaphor highlighting divine authorship since God is spirit (John 4:24).

Different Perspectives

Interpretations vary across viewpoints:

• Traditional Religious View : God is the sole author; Moses was the recipient and deliverer. This is upheld in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions, with no human writing involved initially.

• Academic/Biblical Criticism : Scholars note textual complexities. Exodus 34:27-28 says Moses wrote "the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments," suggesting possible later editing or composite authorship in the biblical texts themselves. Reddit discussions in r/AcademicBiblical highlight this ambiguity, debating if "he" refers to Moses or God.

• Historical Origins : Some researchers trace influences to ancient Near Eastern codes, like those at Delphi or Hittite treaties, but the Bible attributes the content uniquely to God. No archaeological evidence confirms the tablets exist today.

Viewpoint| Key Claim| Supporting Texts
---|---|---
Divine Authorship| God wrote both sets| Ex 24:12, 31:18, 32:16, Deut 10:4 1
Moses' Role| Moses transcribed or rewrote| Ex 34:27-28 5
Scholarly Debate| Textual layers from multiple sources| Documentary Hypothesis (J, E sources) 59

Cultural and Modern Context

The Ten Commandments remain foundational to Western law and ethics, influencing legal systems despite debates over their display (e.g., recent U.S. state laws sparking discussions). No major recent news (as of 2026) alters the traditional story, though forum threads like Reddit continue exploring mythical aspects of Moses.

TL;DR : God wrote them per the Bible; Moses carried them down. Scholarly views see nuances in the text.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.