How do these commandments in Mark 10:19 connect to the Ten Commandments? Verse in Focus Mark 10:19: “You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’ ” Commandments Jesus Recited • Do not murder • Do not commit adultery • Do not steal • Do not bear false witness • Do not defraud • Honor your father and mother Direct Links to the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:12-17; Deuteronomy 5:16-21) • Honor your father and mother — 5th Commandment (Exodus 20:12) • Do not murder — 6th (Exodus 20:13) • Do not commit adultery — 7th (Exodus 20:14) • Do not steal — 8th (Exodus 20:15) • Do not bear false witness — 9th (Exodus 20:16) • Do not defraud — captures the spirit of the 10th (Exodus 20:17, “You shall not covet”) by forbidding greedy exploitation that grows out of coveting (see Leviticus 19:13; Deuteronomy 24:14). Why Jesus Chose These Particular Commands • He highlights the “second table” — the commands governing relationships with people. • The rich young ruler claimed outward obedience; Jesus directs him to the heart issue of covetousness (“Do not defraud”). • By selecting relational commands, Jesus exposes the man’s need to love his neighbor as himself (Leviticus 19:18; Romans 13:9). ‘Do Not Defraud’ and the 10th Commandment • Coveting breeds actions that wrong others; defrauding is coveting in motion. • Jesus’ wording moves the discussion from hidden desire to tangible injustice, making the internal sin unmistakably practical. Order Matters • Jesus begins with the interpersonal commands and ends with the parental one, mirroring their order at Sinai but rearranged to emphasize action over honor. • The first four commandments (worship and Sabbath) are not quoted because the man’s stumbling block is horizontal, not vertical, obedience. Parallel Gospel Accounts • Matthew 19:18-19 and Luke 18:20 list the same set, confirming the connection. Key Takeaways for Today • Jesus treats the Ten Commandments as historically accurate and permanently authoritative. • Outward conformity is not enough; the heart that covets, defrauds, or withholds love still violates God’s law (James 2:10). • True obedience embraces both the letter and the spirit of every command, fulfilled perfectly in Christ and worked out in believers by the Spirit (Romans 8:3-4). |
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