The Ten Commandments: A Short History of an Ancient Text

by Michael D. Coogan

The complex and surprising history of one of the world’s most famous texts

In this lively and provocative book, Michael Coogan guides readers into the ancient past to examine the iconic Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue. How, among all the laws reportedly given on Mount Sinai, did the Ten Commandments become the Ten Commandments? When did that happen? There are several versions of the Decalogue in the Old Testament, so how have different groups determined which is the most authoritative? Why were different versions created?
 
Coogan discusses the meanings the Ten Commandments had for audiences in biblical times and observes that the form of the ten proscriptions and prohibitions was not fixed—as one would expect since they were purported to have come directly from God—nor were the Commandments always strictly observed. In later times as well, Jews and especially Christians ignored and even rejected some of the prohibitions, although the New Testament clearly acknowledges the special status of the Ten Commandments. Today it is plain that some of the values enshrined in the Decalogue are no longer defensible, such as the ownership of slaves and the labeling of women as men’s property. Yet in line with biblical precedents, the author concludes that while a literal observance of the Ten Commandments is misguided, some of their underlying ideals remain valid in a modern context.

Genres: Religion, History, Nonfiction, Old Testament

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Michael David Coogan is Director of Publications for the Harvard Semitic Museum and Professor of Religious Studies at Stonehill College. For several decades, he has taught an introductory course on the Hebrew Scriptures at Harvard University, as well as at Wellesley College, Boston College, and Stonehill College. One of the leading biblical scholars in the United States, he is the author of The Old Testament: A Historical and Literary Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures, and editor of the acclaimed third edition of The New Oxford Annotated Bible.

Reviews

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great little backgrounder. Refresh your seminary memories. I bought several books on the Ten Commandments before I started an online course on the same, and this is my favourite. Goes over suzerainty treaties, the multiple textual sources, the various readings throughout the Pentateuch. Very readable too. Patrick Miller's Interpretation commentary (The Ten Commandments) is pretty good and more in depth, too. I wouldn't recommend Hauerwas and Willimon (The Truth about God) or Kass and Fishbane (The Ten Commandments). Both are too doctrinaire and certain.

[Drew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some interesting history of the Decalogue that is overshadowed by his uncharitable interpretation of the New Testament and ham-fisted polemic about public uses of the Ten Words.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I am in a Read the Bible in One Year study, when this book popped up in my cheap ebook email, I decided to buy it. It was an interesting and short exposition of the three places in the Old Testament that the Ten Commandments (or Decalogue) appears. He discusses the differences in the three versions and also how these commandments (or words) show up in other parts of the Old and New Testaments.

[Julia Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very accessible read!

[Melanie Ransome · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. While there is no doubt that Mr. Coogan is a great scholar and his information on the history of the Decalogue is sound. I feel that he has down-played the role of Christian faith in America and how deep that can run with some people. He is obviously (as stated) against displaying the Commandments in public squares, however, I believe that if we were founded on certain principles, which we were, we should embrace them.

Take into consideration the current state of our society; I believe the fact that we have lost sight of the principles that our Country is founded on directly correlates to our current down-fall.

[Fred Kohn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt bad rating this book so low; there is certainly nothing ghastly about it. My main disappointment is that although the author did a great job of tracing the original history of the decalogue, and a reasonable job of reconstructing the N.T. author's likely attitude towards it, he then immediately jumped into a discussion of how we ought to view the decalogue today. Surely he could have squeezed a chapter or two tracing the development of Christian attitude towards the decalogue in the intervening centuries between the writing of the N.T. and the present day?

[Sarah - All The Book Blog Names Are Taken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Religious texts can sometimes be dense, but this was an interesting and easy read. I guess I've never noticed before just how different the commandments appear in various forms throughout the Bible.

I find myself sharing many of the same views as the author. While I am a Christian, I don't necessarily agree either with displaying the commandments. As we were a nation founded with the idea of separation of church and state in mind, it seems fitting that one religion should not be given preference over another.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some useful information and analysis on the different versions of the Decalogue in Exodus and Deuteronomy, and how various Jewish and Christian traditions divide the commandments. Other than that not much substance here.