What Are the Ten Commandments?

What was...?

by Yona Zeldis McDonough, Tim Foley (Illustrations)

Learn the story behind the ten laws that have been the guiding light of Judeo-Christian belief.

Not just about Moses, whose origin story leaves open questions, this book looks back at the time when the commandments were written, how the belief in one all-powerful God set the Israelites apart from other ancient peoples, and the roles the Ten Commandments have played in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It also looks at what each individual commandment means and how together they form the basis of leading a moral life as well as forming a just government.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Childrens, Religion

112 pages, Paperback

Published October 10, 2017

About the author

I live in Park Slope, Brooklyn and many of my novels take place here. But my new novel takes place in New Hampshire, and I have woven into it a historical component: the tragic story of Ruth Blay, who in 1768 was the last woman hanged in the state. When I read about Ruth, I was fascinated and horrified in equal measure, and I knew I had to write about her.
I was educated at Vassar College and Columbia University, where I studied art history. But I started writing fiction in my 20's and never looked back. I am the author of seven novels, 27 books for children and am the editor of two essay collections. I'm also the fiction editor of Lilith Magazine . Please visit my website, http://www.yonazeldismcdonough.com or find me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/yzmcdonough; I love to connect with readers everywhere.

Reviews

[Esraa Gibreen · Rating 2 out of 5]

أريد وضعه في رف (fiction) على جودريز.

[Readasaurus Rex · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wrong

They got so much wrong with this. Th Israelites passed through The sea of reeds which no one knows where it is??? Um...no. It was The Red Sea. Not only that but they try and discredit that Moses was even a real person and that it's all just a story. The person who wrote this should really do some studying before writing a book!!!

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that this is an ok book. There are some things that I read that I hadn't read before and that was because it is from a different standpoint/ religion. I am Christian and there were a few things that I hadn't read about before. I think that the author did a good job about writing not only about the ten commandments but also about Moses and what was going on during that time. I would recommend this book to others.

[Seth Elmore · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is more about Moses than what the actual 10 commandments are. The authors also say Moses parted “The Sea of Reeds,” and they say no one knows where that is in the world. (Not sure if they think the Red Sea, in that area or where?) Archaeology has also shown us there have been Egyptian chariots found in The Red Sea. However, anyone who has read the Bible knows it is The Red Sea Moses parted. The authors also say there is no historical evidence of Moses being a real person. We have the Bible, and Paul and others clearly write that Moses was a true historical figure. They also seem to appeal to this new wave of “deconstruction” and describe believing what you want essentially. 2/5 because the book is not really about the 10 commandments and lacks knowledge about true historical evidence.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book. Very good. Explains the Ten Commandments in such a way that children will understand it, and maybe a lapsed religious person will recollect things they may or may not have already known. I know I learned some new things.

[Linden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great beginner book on the ten commandments. Probably everyone should read it. Clear, concise and not preachy. Just basic facts.

[Kristi Clemow · Rating 3 out of 5]

As usual, cute book

[Samuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent read. I had higher hopes for this book than I probably should have, yet at the same time this book was quite accurate to the Bible itself - only told in a condensed, childlike format.
Chapters 1-5 do a great job referencing the end of Genesis, retelling the Book of Exodus, and mentioning select part out of the rest of the Torah. Even some of Joshua is brought up in this book. So it does a great job giving context and history!
Chapter 6 makes a distinction between One God vs Many Gods - an important conversation. However, it introduces Egyptian and Hindu gods, and that might not be something to expose young children to.
Chapter 7 was great, it went over the 10 Commandments one by one, and gave simple yet accurate explanations and examples of them.
Chapter 8 was terrible. You're allow to disagree, but I believe that the Bible is the True and Living Word of God. Well, chapter 8 plants a seed of doubt that Moses might not a been a real person. I find this hard to believe given all that the Bible says about Moses - like him being God's friend. Sure the chapter brings up some fair points, but I wouldn't read this chapter to my children.
Chapter 9 isn't terrible, but it does miss the mark. It tries to explain how a Covenant is a Contract, but a relationship with God is no where to be found in its explanation. As if a Covenant = a contract, but I would say they are different and I would teach a child as much too.
Chapters 10-11 speak to the impact that the 10 Commandments had on other religions and our Founding Fathers. These parts are a bit of a mixed bag. Some sentences are good others are bad.

Worth keeping, I think, and reading to children, but with parental guidance.

[Goddess of Chaos · Rating 4 out of 5]

"...ten rules for leading a good life and loving God."

This book is so much more than a list of the ten commandments, or even simply an attempt to understand those ten guides to living.

This book attempts to place them in 'historical context' even as it acknowledges we lack proof Moses lived.

The book does a nice job of balancing the importance of the ten commandments in both the Jewish and Christian faiths, as well as highlighting how the Koran and the Muslim faith has direct parallels as well.

I appreciate that this book doesn't take for granted that the reader can pronounce words like Canaan and offers nice pronunciation guides in the text. It also has some nice information boxes, for example explaining the numbers listed after a book name for a Bible quote.

If you are looking for a deep dive, for kids, specifically on the ten commandments, I'm not sure this is what you want -- this does a great job of putting them in context within the old testament, and presents Moses life in an abbreviated and flowing manner. (I feel like portions of at least 2, maybe three or 4 books from the Bible given Joshua is in here are put together in one smooth story, without the duplication that comes with the separate books in the Bible.). The ten commandments weren't listed until... chapter 5 or later.

It's a good book, but the focus might be broader than some expect from the title.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book targeted to the young reader who may be wondering about this topic. What Are the Ten Commandments? by Yona Zeldis McDonough provides a general overview of how they came to be as well as some biblical background leading up to them being written on stone tablets by God for Moses to present to the people of Israel. Some reviewers took issue of some parts of the book as being confusing or mistaken and that may be the case. After all, is the Bible a religious book providing guidance for how to live your life, a written history of ancient times, or perhaps a little of both. I found it to be a quick read and generally conforming to my understanding of the histories of the Israelites and the Christians. Certainly mistakes or factually incorrect information in any book should be challenged and corrected, but with ancient stories handed down for generations before finally being written down leave a lot of room for errors both unintentional and intentional. I'm sure real Biblical scholars would find much to take issue with, but for most of us casual readers just wanting a general understanding of what the Ten Commandments were, what they consist of, and how they influence how we live our lives, this was worthwhile to read.

[Victoria B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book about the Ten Commandments is mostly based on the Bible. Presents information about how the Commandments relate to Jewish, Christian, and Muslim religions as well as ancient Egyptian gods (Chapter 6: One God vs Many Gods). Also included is a chapter called "Is Moses Real?" where the author raises doubt about whether Moses existed and whether the Israelites actually wandered the desert.

This book is good for people who would like a base knowledge of the Commandments - otherwise you'll likely have issues with some of the information.

[Eric · Rating 1 out of 5]

While the author gets the basic premise, there was a good amount of misinformation and fictionalizing. I had to stop frequently to explain the correct stories for my children as we read together.

If you're looking for a good devotional for children, this is not it. If you're looking for something to help teach them Bible, this is not it. Just don't bother with this one.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This does for the most part tell the story of Moses and the Ten Commandments. There are some inaccuracies in it though. I as a Christian do believe and know the Biblical account of Moses is true and accurate.

[Dana Robinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good overview of a bunch of commandment-related things, but I dinged it heavily for promoting the idea that the US is a Christian nation with a government based on Biblical principles. A+ for pointing out the lack of historical evidence for Moses, though.

[Sue · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a Jewish version, and it struck me as odd with many discrepancies--until I realized that fact. I'm not saying it's right or wrong because, surely, I was not there but I could not finish this.

[Marisel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting. It is not focused only on the 10 commandments, but the whole story about them, and the religions that follow them.

[Callie · Rating 5 out of 5]

so informative!

[Theresa Gottshall · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although the basic concepts are in the book - the 10 commandments there is a lot of information that is not true. Need to know your bible and history to sort out the fiction.

[Rainbow Bay Stanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

8 min review @ my channel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wW1v...

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't a big fan of this one.

[Natsu · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's easy to read for non-native speaker. It's good for Tadoku(多読)

[Greygirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

~5 Stars~ Read with my dad