Catechism of the Catholic Church

Share this paragraph of the Catechism:

To Catechism home page

Paragraph:

2056 The word "Decalogue" means literally "ten words." ¹¹ God revealed these "ten words" to his people on the holy mountain. They were written "with the finger of God," ¹² unlike the other commandments written by Moses. ¹³ They are pre-eminently the words of God. They are handed on to us in the books of Exodus ¹⁴ and Deuteronomy. ¹⁵ Beginning with the Old Testament, the sacred books refer to the "ten words," ¹⁶ but it is in the New Covenant in Jesus Christ that their full meaning will be revealed.

Move forward or back a paragraph: Previous | Next

Where this paragraph appears in the Catechism:

TABLE OF CONTENTS

»

PART THREE: LIFE IN CHRIST

»

SECTION TWO: THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

Notes for the above paragraph:

11 Ex 34:28; Deut 4:13; 10:4.

12 Ex 31:18; Deut 5:22.

13 Cf. Deut 31:9. 24.

14 Cf. Ex 20:1-17.

15 Cf. Deut 5:6-22.

16 Cf. for example Hos 4:2; Jer 7:9; Ezek 18:5-9.

English Translation of the Cathechism of the Catholic Church for the United States of America © 1997, United States Catholic Conference, Inc.

To Catechism home page