The 613 commandments in the Old Testament Law are traditionally derived from the Torah (the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). These commandments are often called mitzvot, a Hebrew term meaning “commandments,” and they encompass moral, ceremonial, and civil laws given by God to Israel.
The enumeration of 613 mitzvot was first popularized by the Jewish scholar Rabbi Moses Maimonides (Rambam) in the 12th century. While the Bible does not explicitly list or number the commandments as 613, they are derived from an analysis of the Torah text. These commandments are traditionally divided into two categories:
- Positive commandments (mitzvot aseh)—things to do (248 commands).
- Negative commandments (mitzvot lo ta’aseh)—things to avoid (365 prohibitions).
Below is an overview of the types of commandments, categorized by their general themes, along with key biblical references.
1. Commandments Related to God
These include laws about worshiping God, reverence for His name, and observing the Sabbath.
- Positive Commandments:
- Believe in God: “I am the Lord your God.” (Exodus 20:2)
- Love God: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:5)
- Negative Commandments:
- Do not worship other gods: “You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3)
- Do not make idols: “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.” (Exodus 20:4)
2. Commandments Related to Worship
These deal with sacrifices, festivals, and the Temple.
- Positive Commandments:
- Observe the Sabbath: “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” (Exodus 20:8)
- Celebrate the Passover: “Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt.” (Exodus 12:17)
- Negative Commandments:
- Do not offer sacrifices outside the Temple: “You must not offer burnt offerings in just any place.” (Deuteronomy 12:13-14)
- Do not profane God’s name: “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.” (Exodus 20:7)
3. Commandments Related to the Priesthood
These regulate the duties and restrictions of priests and Levites.
- Positive Commandments:
- Honor the priests: “Treat the priests as holy, because they offer the food of your God.” (Leviticus 21:8)
- Support the Levites: “Give the Levites their inheritance.” (Numbers 18:21)
- Negative Commandments:
- Priests must not defile themselves by contact with the dead (except close relatives): “The priests must not make themselves ceremonially unclean.” (Leviticus 21:1)
- Do not desecrate the holy offerings: “They must not desecrate the holy offerings the Israelites present to the Lord.” (Leviticus 22:15)
4. Commandments Related to Civil Law
These govern relationships between people, justice, and property.
- Positive Commandments:
- Return lost property: “If you find your fellow Israelite’s ox or sheep straying, do not ignore it but be sure to take it back to its owner.” (Deuteronomy 22:1)
- Treat employees fairly: “Do not withhold wages from a hired worker overnight.” (Leviticus 19:13)
- Negative Commandments:
- Do not steal: “You shall not steal.” (Exodus 20:15)
- Do not oppress the vulnerable: “Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner.” (Exodus 22:21)
5. Commandments Related to Family and Personal Behavior
These include laws about marriage, sexual purity, and personal conduct.
- Positive Commandments:
- Honor your parents: “Honor your father and your mother.” (Exodus 20:12)
- Be fruitful and multiply: “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.” (Genesis 1:28)
- Negative Commandments:
- Do not commit adultery: “You shall not commit adultery.” (Exodus 20:14)
- Do not covet: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.” (Exodus 20:17)
6. Commandments Related to Dietary Laws
These define clean and unclean foods and practices.
- Positive Commandments:
- Eat unleavened bread during Passover: “For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast.” (Exodus 12:15)
- Observe kosher slaughter laws: “You must slaughter your animals in the way I have commanded you.” (Deuteronomy 12:21)
- Negative Commandments:
- Do not eat blood: “But you must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water.” (Deuteronomy 12:16)
- Do not eat unclean animals: “You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.” (Leviticus 11:8)
7. Commandments Related to Festivals
These laws regulate the observance of the holy festivals.
- Positive Commandments:
- Celebrate the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost): “Celebrate the Festival of Weeks with the firstfruits of the wheat harvest.” (Exodus 34:22)
- Observe the Day of Atonement: “You must deny yourselves and fast.” (Leviticus 16:29)
- Negative Commandments:
- Do not work on the Sabbath: “On it you shall not do any work.” (Exodus 20:10)
- Do not work on festival days: “No regular work shall be done on those days.” (Leviticus 23:7)
8. Commandments Related to Justice and Judgment
These govern fair treatment and the administration of justice.
- Positive Commandments:
- Appoint judges: “Appoint judges and officials for each of your tribes in every town the Lord your God is giving you.” (Deuteronomy 16:18)
- Punish murderers: “Anyone who takes the life of a human being is to be put to death.” (Leviticus 24:17)
- Negative Commandments:
- Do not accept bribes: “Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the innocent.” (Exodus 23:8)
- Do not pervert justice: “Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits.” (Exodus 23:6)
Conclusion
The 613 commandments cover every aspect of life for the Israelites, including their relationship with God, ethical behavior, and communal living. These laws were given specifically to the nation of Israel under the Mosaic Covenant to set them apart as God’s holy people. For Christians, the New Testament teaches that Jesus fulfilled the Law (Matthew 5:17) and inaugurated a New Covenant based on grace and faith (Hebrews 8:13).
- Romans 10:4 (NIV):
“Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.”