Monday, April 22, 2019

The Versions of the Decalogue in Mosiah 16, Exodus 20, and Deuteronomy 5


In the book of Mosiah in the Book of Mormon, as well as in Exo 20 and Deut 5, the Decalogue is stated. I think it would be interesting to present the versions of the Decalogue in a side-by-side comparison to see similarities and differences in the renditions thereof:

Mosiah 16:12-24 (*)
Exo 20:2-17
Deut 5:6-22
(first commandment omitted; "remainder" [i.e. nos. 2-10] quoted by Abinadi: "And now I read unto you the remainder of the commandments of God . . . " [Mosiah 13:11])
I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other Gods before me.
I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of things which is in heaven above, or which is in the earth beneath, or which is in the water under the earth. And again, thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them nor serve them, for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth centuries of them that hate me, and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or the likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I am the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third or fourth generation of them that hate me. And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work; but the seventh day, the sabbath day of the Lord thy God, thou shalt not do any work, thou nor thy son nor thy daughter, thy manservant nor thy maidservant nor thy cattle nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth and the sea and all that in them is; wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it.
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day, wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee. Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor why maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou. And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out of thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.
Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
Honour thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Neither shalt thou commit adultery.
Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not steal.
Neither shalt thou steal.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighour.
Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.
Thy shalt not covet thy neighbor's house; thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant nor his maidservant nor his ox nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor's.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or anything that is thy neighbour's.

(*) The text I am using is Royal Skousen, The Book of Mormon: The Earliest Text.