The Ten Commandments Or The Ethical Decalogue

Law and authority have historically been, and indeed continue to be, at the forefront of importance in the functions of societies. The crux of the matter revolves around the idea of fairness – equality for all under the umbrella of moral convictions. One may see the implementation of law as the exercise of such moral convictions: those who do wrong unto others should justifiably face the consequences of their actions. Correspondingly, those who promote goodness and righteousness should seemingly be rewarded for their benevolence. However, this gamble of right versus wrong contains a fortune of implications and further inquiries. To what, if any, extent should punishments and rewards be implemented? Does law care for the magnitude of the action

Foremost, it establishes the basis of the relationship between God and the Israelites – one to be held rather constant throughout the works of the Bible. Highly noted by an imbalance in power distribution, the Commandments assert God as the clear power holder in the relationship between God and his people, Israel. This is explicitly brought forth in the beginning works of the introduction to the Ten Commandments, in which God proclaims, “I the LORD am your God who brought you our of the land of Egypt, the house of bondage: You shall have no other gods besides Me (Exodus 20:2-3).” This assertion unreservedly sets stage for the forthcoming commandments, asserting God’s undeniable role as the dispenser of laws. The covenant is thus seen much less as an agreement between two parties, and more so a proclamation of a set of rules; one which unanimously exercises the commands of one party, without the contention from the other. As God sets the commandments forth, their substance holds two key implications. First, that God’s law giving is an act of “divine redemption” (Buttrick 80). As God has saved Israel, he calls forth the commandments as an oath for Israel to believe in His eternal power. It is a testament to the relationship between the two parties which is expected to be upheld throughout. Second, and almost embedded within the

It is thus then, that Jewish moral law does not require explicit elucidations to promote justice within the individual’s moral compass. Rather, it is the exact ambiguity that plays towards the Commandments’ substance; God’s trust in his people to consciously obey with “[devotion] and fervency” (Watson, 2) – that is, without rejection of any commandment -- and actively interpret the Commandments’ meanings is a means of promoting fair justice by freedom of choice within the