DECALOGUE (nn1in ri*/, ; Sept. of SAKa Xeryot and Ta Mut ii.7)/ha7 a; Vulg. decem verba, the ten words. Exod. xxxiv. 28 ; Deut. iv. 13 ; x. 4). This is the name most usually given by the Greek Fathers to the law of the two tables, given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai. The decalogue was written on two stone slabs (Exod. xxxi. IS), which, having been broken by Moses (xxxii. 19), were re newed by God (xxxiv. s, etc.) They are said (Deut. ix. so) to have been written by the finger of God, an expression which always implies an imme diate act of the Deity. The decalogue is five times alluded to in the N. T., there called evroXtit, com mandments, but only the latter precepts are sped fically cited, which refer to our duties to each other (Matt. xix. 18, 19, etc. ; Mark x. 19 ; Luke xviii. 20 : Rom. xiii. 9 ; vii. 7, 8 ; Matt. v. ; i Tim. i. 9, to). Those which refer to God are supposed by some to be omitted, from the circumstance of their containing precepts for ceremonial observances ( Jeremy Taylor's Life of Christ, and Doctor Dubi tan. ; Rosenmiiller's Scholia in Exod.) [Law].
The circumstance of these precepts being called the ten words has doubtless led to the belief that the two tables contained ten distinct precepts, five in each table, while some have supposed that they were called by this name to denote their perfection, ten being considered the most perfect of numbers [is Sends sraprEXcia . . . ciptOodu 1-6.€1.09, Philo, De Septen., c. 9]. Philo divides them into two pentads, the first pentad ending with Exod. xx. 12, Honour thy father and thy mother,' etc., or the fifth commandment of the Greek, Reformed, and Anglican churches, while the more general opinion among Christians is that the first table contained our duty to God, ending with the law to keep the Sabbath holy, and the second our duty to our neighbour [Philo, De Deco logo]. As they are not numerically divided in the Scriptures, so that we cannot positively say which is the first, which the second, etc., it may not prove uninteresting to the student in biblical literature if we here give a brief account of the different modes of dividing them which have prevailed among Jews and Christians. These may be classed as the Talmudical, the Origenian, and the two Masoretic divisions.
1. The Ldolud/cal (Makkah, xxiv. a). Accord ing to this division, which is also that of the modern Jews, the first commandment consists of the words ' I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage' (Exod. xx. 2 ; Dent. v. 6) ; the second (Exod. xx.
3), Thou shalt have none other Gods beside me ; thou shalt not make to thyself any graven image,' etc., to ver. 6 ; the third, 'Thou shalt not take God's name in vain,' etc. ; the fourth, Remember to keep holy the Sabbath-day,' etc. ; the fifth, Honour thy father and thy mother,' etc. ; the sixth, Thou shalt not kill ;' the seventh, Thou shalt not commit adultery ;' the eighth, Thou shalt not steal ;' the ninth, Thou shalt not bear false witness,' etc. ; and the tenth, 'Thou shalt not covet,' etc., to the end. This division is also supported by the Targum of the Pseudo-Jonathan, a work of the sixth century, by Aben in his Commentary, and by Maimonides (Sepher mmiz yak). It has been also maintained by the learned Lutheran Peter Martyr (Loci Communes, Basle, 15So, loc. 14, p. 684). That this was a very early mode of dividing the decalogue is further evident from a passage in Cyril of Alexandria's treatise against Julian, from whom he quotes the following invective That decalogue, the law of Moses, is a wonderful thing, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not hear false witness ; but let each of the precepts which he asserts to have been given by God himself be written down in the identical words, 'I am the Lord thy God who brought thee out of the land of Egypt ;' the second follows, Thou shalt have no strange gods beside me ; thou shalt not make to thyself an idol.' He adds the reason, for I, the Lord thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the sins of the fathers upon the children."Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. Remember the Sab bath day. Honour thy father and thy mother. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's goods.' What nation is there, by the gods, if you take away these two, Thou shalt not adore other gods,' and Re member the Sabbath,' which does not think all the others are to be kept, and which does not punish more or less severely those who violate them ?' 2. The next division is the Origenian, or that approved by Origen, and is that in use in the Greek and in all the Reformed Churches, except the Lutheran.