The Ten Commandments: Ethics for the Twenty-First Century

New American Commentary Studies in Bible & Theology #7

by Mark Rooker

In this new volume from the New American Commentary Studies in Bible & Theology series, Mark Rooker discusses one by one the language of each of the Ten Commandments and its complete meaning in the ancient context. Adding a depth of understanding that can’t be obtained by looking only at the commandment itself, he shows how each commandment echoes elsewhere in the Old Testament, how it was violated in Israel’s history, and how it surfaces again in the New Testament. In conclusion, Rooker includes an extended section on the theological significance of each commandment and its contemporary implications.

Genres: Theology, Old Testament, Christianity, Religion

248 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Brenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a commentary on the Ten Commandments, not a book written for the general public, though it is pretty accessible. It goes into the Hebrew words, OT and NT and ancient cultures context. I used it for a unit on the Ten Commandments in Sunday School, and it was very helpful.

[Bill · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is rife with historical revisionism presented as truth, in the service of Evangelical Christianity. That wouldn't be so bad if it didn't pose as an academic treatment of the ten commandments.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mark F. Rooker is Senior Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Rooker is a respected Old Testament scholar and the author of several books, including commentaries on Leviticus and Ezekiel, the widely praised introduction The World and The Word: An Introduction to the Old Testament (with Michael Grisanti and Eugene Merrill), and the present volume on the Decalogue in the NAC Studies in Bible & Theology series.

The Ten Commandments: Ethics for the Twenty-First Century is a practical tour de force into the ethical heartbeat of God that transcends all cultural bounds. For Rooker, readers of this volume will “clearly see that the Ten Commandments are founded on the creation account of Gen[esis] 1-2” (Author’s Preface). It is here that Rooker, again and again, uncovers the transcendent nature of the Ten Commandments as he independently explores the meaning and significance of each.

Rooker opens the volume with a useful introduction concerning the influence of the Decalogue on Western law and the significance of the Ten Commandments in the Old Testament, Judaism, and Christianity. Rooker does well to familiarize readers with the Ancient Near Eastern background of the Ten Commandments and properly position the Decalogue within the historical context of the biblical narrative.

Rooker explores each Commandment with both academic rigor and contemporary sensitivity. It is here that readers will appreciate the approach of this volume most. The Ten Commandments is laden with meaningful exegesis and seasoned reflection on nearly every page. Those looking for serious interaction with scholarship will be quickly satisfied as Rooker guides the reader through the Commandments. Still, Rooker likewise possesses a unique awareness of ethical implications of the Commandments on the Christian life. For Rooker, “the law is not understood as a means of salvation but as instruction regarding the shape a redeemed life is to take in everyday affairs . . . the Ten Commandments are absolute and ultimate. We do not observe them for social stability, for happiness, or for security and prosperity. The Ten Commandments manifest the attributes of God. Thus we should delight in carrying out His commands” (p. 199).

The regularity of balance between academic and pastoral concerns that Rooker demonstrates in this volume is both uncommon and unexpected. The Ten Commandments: Ethics for the Twenty-First Century offers readers careful exegesis and relevant application. Rooker has breathed new life into the Decalogue for contemporary readers, and pastors, lay-leaders, and even laity will do well to inhale along with him. It comes highly recommended!

[Michael Boling · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Ten Commandments are the foundation for not only how believers view relating to God and their fellow man, but they also form the crux of what many societies root their civil laws upon, specifically the declarations found in the ten commandments regarding prohibitions against stealing, murder, bearing false witness, and the necessity for children to obey their parents. With that said, while most are familiar with these ten commands from God, there are elements of these heavenly instructions that have likely been overlooked. Dr. Mark Rooker in his book The Ten Commandments: Ethics for the Twenty-First Century, explores these timeless commands noting how they all remain valid for the body of Christ today.

Dr. Rooker begins this excellent book with a look into how the Ten Commandments have influenced the establishment of laws in Europe and the United States. He rightly notes “The Ten Commandments have thus left an indelible stamp on the laws and values of the West as a unique legal constitution.” Furthermore, he explains the significance of the Ten Commandments in the Old Testament, walking the reader through the many ways in which the Israelites both strayed from and returned to God’s divine commands revealed to them in this covenantal structure of the Ten Commandments. Dr. Rooker also clearly explains the differences between how the Ten Commandments are presented in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5, noting why each chapter relayed to Israel a different reason for reflecting on these all important instructions.

After establishing the overall importance of the Ten Commandments within the Old Testament corpus, Dr. Rooker next engages each individual set of commands, a discussion which forms the remainder of this book. Each of the remaining chapters provides the reader with an introduction to the commandment being discussed, followed by an in-depth analysis of its meaning as well as how that particular commandment was reflected in the teachings of the Old and New Testaments. Additionally, Dr. Rooker provides valuable and relevant discussion on a number of particular nuances of these respective commands.

There were a number of excellent points made by Dr. Rooker in this book. I will endeavor to point out a couple of particular issues he discussed that deserve special attention. For instance, the third commandment, “Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God, because the Lord will punish anyone who misuses His name” is typically thought of as merely a prohibition on cursing. While cursing definitely falls under what this command addresses, Dr. Rooker points out there is much more that needs to be understood. He aptly notes “In the ancient Near East, nothing was thought to exist unless it had a name…The name of a deity was thought to be equivalent to that deity and was believed to express something of the deity’s essence or character.” This idea can also be found in the numerous instances in which God changed an individual’s name due to a special event taking place or a new purpose being given to that individual by God. Abraham, Sarah, and Jacob are clear examples of individuals who experienced name changes. God’s name was considered as so holy that the Jews avoided speaking it. Thus, Dr. Rooker correctly reminds us that the true thrust of the third commandment is “The concern for God’s reputation, that He be associated with truthfulness.” Misusing God’s name through broken oaths, swearing, or any other blatant or even passing comment, reflects poorly on the God whose name must be associated with truthfulness and holiness. Using God’s name in vain is truly disrespect to God.

Another interesting aspect of the Ten Commandments Dr. Rooker addresses is in relation to the fifth commandment, “Honor your father and your mother so that you may have a long life in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” Most rightly associate honor with obedience. However, the concept rooted in the Hebrew word often translated as honor carried a much deeper sense of meaning in the ancient Near Eastern mindset and in family relationships of that time. The word honor comes from the root word kabod meaning “heaviness.” Dr. Rooker provides a quote from Israeli scholar Moshe Weinfeld who suggests that kabod or honoring means “The filial duties are mainly twofold: reverence, which means obedience and is widely attested in the didactic sources of the Bible (Prov. 1:8; 23:22, Ben Sira 3:1-16); and care, which is not specified in the Bible but is attested in external sources (Ugaritic) and in the rabbinic literature.” Thus this deep sense of family involved for the ancient Hebrew the concomitant ideas of obedience and caring for parents in their elder years. The centrality of family as an important and foundational structure of society has its roots in this important commandment which according to Dr. Rooker, occupies “central importance to the entire list” of the Ten Commandments for its ties together the commandments related to our relationship with God to those of a more societal nature.

This is a book I most highly recommend to all believers. The insights provided by Dr. Mark Rooker are timely for they present the incredibly timeless truths found in the Ten Commandments. This list of how we are to relate to God and our fellow man are not just a list of commands. For the ancient Israelite, they formed the foundation of God’s laws, His instructions on righteous living. Additionally, these commands were believed to be the marriage covenant between God and His people. In order to be a faithful bride committed to our marriage vows with the Bridegroom, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, understanding what is revealed in the Ten Commandments is of vital importance. Dr. Rooker’s work will provide the reader with the needed insight into grasping what God has revealed to us in these commands.

I received this book for free from B&H Academic for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Phillip Howell · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Excellent Overview

This book is a great resource for teaching or in depth studying of the Ten Commandments in the Ancient Near East, Old Testament and New Testament. It does not dive into many of the ethical and cultural issues related to each commandment but it is an excellent overview of the commandments. The introduction and conclusion are both very good summaries of some of the many the theological discussions that have been had on the topic.

[Robbie Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful in explaining the meaning and purpose of the Ten Commandments and its connections with the rest of Scripture.

[Bradley Blaylock · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was solid but it spent far less time on practical modern application than I anticipated.

[Rachel Grepke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of us know the basic ideas of the ten commandments given in the Bible. Bit we seldom go beyond that thought. This little book takes you through those ten common laws and explains the meaning behind the original texts, where we find the law biblically and how it applies now. While I enjoyed this book, there were moments where I felt it got off point once or twice. Lots of information for a smaller book.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Ten Commandments: Ethics for the twenty-first century by Mark Rooker is a good and quite concise look at the meaning of each of the ten commandments, comparing them to the laws of other nations, looking at the repetition(or the significance of their non-repetition) in the New Testament, their application in the lives of Christians and their significance, or comparison to our modern culture.

Have you ever wondered about the statement some people make, that other nations had laws similar to the ten commandments before the ten commandments were given out to Moses and Israel? I really liked Rooker's point about how the how the Ten commandments express God's eternal will, and how "This is known by the conviction of the human conscience but more explicitly by the ancient pagan law codes discovered in the Near East. Many of these law codes contain statutes similar to the Ten commandments which indicate their recognition of basic intrinsic moral values. Indeed, the law sin the Decalogue are not entirely new to Israel. The Bible presupposes a moral code long before the theophany on Mount Sinai. This is indicated in earlier biblical events such as the slaying of Abel by his brother Cain(Gen 4)…." This is also supported by Romans 2:15.

The rather intricate looks at each individual commandment were quite insightful, here are a couple of comments to demonstrate this: In his section on the 2nd commandment he comments: "Idolatry has never been connected to ethical behavior……Wrong thoughts about God lead to wrong behavior." And looking at the 3rd, taking the Lord's name in vain he states that, "This commandment addresses any insincere reference to the Lord, as His name is the revelation of His person. This would include offering praise or singing to God out of routine without any thought to what one is singing or praying."

Also, I really appreciate Rooker's explanation of how the ten commandments function in the lives of Christians, "It could be said that the law illuminates sanctification. It provides a guide for the believer to what is pleasing in God's sight."
He explains that they functioned in a similar manner in the old testament, "Works have never been the instrument of salvation; they are the evidence of salvation. Obedience to the laws should be placed in the domain of sanctification rather than justification wherein by adherence to these laws a social distinction was maintained between the Israelites and the rest of the world."

There were some statements that I didn't quite agree with, but overall I liked it. It is interesting, well written and is a good overview of the moral law of God.

Many thanks to B&H publishing group for sending me a free review copy of this book. (My review did not have to be favorable)

[Mark A Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do the Ten Commandments have any relevance or role in the life of a New Testament-era Christian? By examining each commandment’s place in both the Old and New Testaments, Rooker highlights their function and purpose for believers today. Although written in an academic format, Rooker manages to write in an accessible way. Helpfully, his conclusions are rooted in personal application of these truths. Rooker has provided a vital resource in the study of the Ten Commandments.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

An in depth commentary or reference book for the Ten Commandments. I found the information very helpful when teaching a Bible study on this subject, particularly in the first five commandments.