# Commandments 11-15? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 11, 2003, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commandments-11-15/154300 "2003-02-11T05:28:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commandments-11-15/154300/1 "2003-02-11T05:28:39Z")
There’s an ad for Adobe Acrobat that has run in a bunch of magazines recently that shows Moses holding THREE stone tablets labeled, in Roman Numerals, 1-5, 6-10, and 11-15. The writing on the tablets is (I presume) in Hebrew. So…what does the text on the third tablet say? Did they actually think up some new commandments (Like, thou shalt not pirate software?) or is it just a nonsense stew of Hebrew letters? Anyone know? I tried searching at the Adobe site, but I couldn’t find any mention of the ad or a link to an on-line copy of the ad, sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commandments-11-15/154300/2 "2003-02-11T05:31:58Z")
I bet it’s a still from a scene from Monty Python’s “History of the World, Part II” Moses comes down from the Mount bearing three stone tablets and exclaims “God has sent with these 15…” [drops one of the tablets, which shatters “…errr…ten. ten Commandments!” ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commandments-11-15/154300/3 "2003-02-11T05:36:43Z")
Or maybe that was Mel Brooks? ---
**Author:** ![critter42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@critter42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/critter42)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commandments-11-15/154300/4 "2003-02-11T05:46:48Z")
[hijack] Actually, It’s History of the World, Part I and it was a Mel Brooks movie, not a Python movie. [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Ficer67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Ficer67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ficer67)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commandments-11-15/154300/5 "2003-02-11T05:55:09Z")
Nevermind the movie, what about the third tablet? ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commandments-11-15/154300/6 "2003-02-11T06:31:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ficer67 \* > \*\*Nevermind the movie, what about the third tablet? \*\* They must be pretty cruddy tablets if they break apart like moon dust when they’re dropped rather than rend earth asunder. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commandments-11-15/154300/7 "2003-02-11T06:48:28Z")
The surprising thing is that even though it is tradition that there are ten commandments and that they are the ones starting on Exodus 20:2, there is no clear stop in the number of commandments in the chapter! After some chitchat with Moses about the scary special effects, the commandments do continue: > [@](#): > > 20:23 > Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold. > > 20:24 > An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee. > > 20:25 > And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it. > > 20:26 > Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon. Followed by Judgements that do sound like commandments also! Including the famous: > [@](#): > > 21:24 > Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, > 21:25 > Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. Since many judgements deal with slavery and God not condemning it, I see why those rules are not mentioned anymore. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commandments-11-15/154300/8 "2003-02-11T15:10:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GIGObuster \* > \*\*The surprising thing is that even though it is tradition that there are ten commandments and that they are the ones starting on Exodus 20:2, there is no clear stop in the number of commandments in the chapter! \*\* Actually, **GIGObuster** , there is. You just didn’t look in the right place. Dueteronomy 5 makes it clear that only these 10 were given publicly among the “special effects.” In addition Dueteronomy 4:13 also specifies that only 10 commandments were written on the tablets. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commandments-11-15/154300/9 "2003-02-11T15:48:22Z")
**StarvingButStrong** , do you have a link to the ad? Or at least could you mention magazines and page numbers, so someone who reads Hebrew can look at it? You can’t translate what you don’t have. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commandments-11-15/154300/10 "2003-02-11T16:02:12Z")
How about the OP’s question? I saw that ad, too, and wondered the same thing (right after noting they were mutating an old Mel Brooks gag). For that matter, do the first two tablets really say anything? It’s an Adobe print ad. I found the image online, but unfortunately, the resolution isn’t quite good enough to read them: [http://www.esc2000.com/Newsletters/Artwork%20Newsletter/Moses1.jpg](http://www.esc2000.com/Newsletters/Artwork%20Newsletter/Moses1.jpg) The image has been captioned here for use in a job search advice article in an online newsletter. I saw the ad in a doctor’s office, in “Fortune”, I believe. This link suggests that it ran in the New Yorker recently, and shows a picture of the New Yorker cover in question (scroll down to “Thursday”): [http://www.planetpdf.com/mainpage.asp?webpageid=2205](http://www.planetpdf.com/mainpage.asp?webpageid=2205) ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commandments-11-15/154300/11 "2003-02-11T16:09:14Z")
Why on earth would they bother creating actual Hebrew text and then numbering it with Roman numerals? ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commandments-11-15/154300/12 "2003-02-11T16:11:13Z")
It’s not really the ten commandments. First of all, #4 is simply much too short to hold the Sabbath commandment. In addition, commandments 6-8 are only two words in Hebrew, far too long for the script in the picture. As for what language it is, I can’t say because the script is too small. However, I doubt they would mix Hebrew characters (which are read right to left) with English characters (which are clearly readable in the Roman numerals and are read left to right). Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commandments-11-15/154300/13 "2003-02-11T16:15:17Z")
The ad has run several times in Time and Newsweek. I have a copy I ripped out of the 1/27 Newsweek, unfortunately there is no page number on it. OTOH, I do have the page, and would be happy to snail it to any volunteer Hebrew reader. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commandments-11-15/154300/14 "2003-02-11T16:21:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by StarvingButStrong \* > \*\*The ad has run several times in Time and Newsweek. I have a copy I ripped out of the 1/27 Newsweek, unfortunately there is no page number on it. OTOH, I do have the page, and would be happy to snail it to any volunteer Hebrew reader. \*\* If you like, you can send it to me. However, I already offered my opinions above based on the online available copy. If the hardcopy is more legible, I’ll be happy to take a look at it. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commandments-11-15/154300/15 "2003-02-11T16:40:56Z")
Note that in spite of the historical anachronism, it has been common artistic practice for Moses to be depicted with tablets bearing Roman numerals, and sometimes, as in this case, lettering which is either the Hebrew alphabet or intended to strongly suggest same. The question becomes whether the artist: 1 - Just made some squiggles thought to look right. 2 - Looked at the Hebrew alphabet, and just copied some characters. 3 - Used some Hebrew equivalent of “lorem ipsem” text. 4 - Actually said something. 4 is probably the least likely. I think Zev settled that it can’t be the real 10 commandments text. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commandments-11-15/154300/16 "2003-02-11T18:00:18Z")
**Zev** I agree that Deuteronomy says that but the word comandments is used later in exodus, also with the context of the tablets: > [@](#): > > 34:1 > And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest. > > [snip] > > 34:14 > For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God: > > 34:15 > Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice; > > 34:16 > And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods. > > 34:17 > Thou shalt make thee no molten gods. > > 34:18 > The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt. > > 34:19 > All that openeth the matrix is mine; and every firstling among thy cattle, whether ox or sheep, that is male. > > 34:20 > But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me empty. > > 34:21 > Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest. > > 34:22 > And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year’s end. > > 34:23 > Thrice in the year shall all your menchildren appear before the LORD God, the God of Israel. > > 34:24 > For I will cast out the nations before thee, and enlarge thy borders: neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou shalt go up to appear before the LORD thy God thrice in the year. > > 34:25 > Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven; neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the passover be left unto the morning. > > 34:26 > The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother’s milk. > > Ex.34:1 > 34:27 > And the LORD said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel. > > 34:28 > And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments. To me it shows that _what_ the Ten Commandments were is something that was settled down later. And as I see the differences between the Ten Commandments among Christians, Catholics and Jews the answer is: It is not settled yet. As for the OP: that ad for sure was a joke, but I think one can not ignore that the Bible is very flexible with the commandments so you can safely add 5 more from the bible if you choose. Now go, and don’t eat beef stroganoff. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commandments-11-15/154300/17 "2003-02-11T20:25:06Z")
Another useless thing on this topic: According to a Shel Silverstein cartoon, God actually gave Moses **20** commandments. He chiseled off 10 because it was too heavy to carry. The missing ten were: 1. Thou shalt not compromise. 2. Thou shalt not judge. 3. Thou shalt not seek rewards. 4. Thou shalt not follow leaders. 5. Remember every day, to keep it holy. 6. Honor thy children. 7. Thou shalt not destroy thy body before its time. 8. Mind thine own business. 9. Thou shalt not waste thy time. 10. Thou shalt not lay guilt upon the head of thy neighbor. So the idea of “extra commandments” and what Moses did to them has been around for a while. (Brooks did it first, but Silverstein’s is funny, too.) ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commandments-11-15/154300/18 "2003-02-11T20:27:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mobo85 \* > \*\*Another useless thing on this topic: > > According to a Shel Silverstein cartoon, God actually gave Moses **20** commandments. He chiseled off 10 because it was too heavy to carry. \*\* Considering that in Jewish tradition there are 613 commandments, it’s a good thing that they weren’t all on the tablets. Poor Moses would have had a hernia. 😃 Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commandments-11-15/154300/19 "2003-02-11T20:29:05Z")
> [@](#): > > 1. Thou shalt not follow leaders. And thou shalt watch the parking meters … ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commandments-11-15/154300/20 "2003-02-11T21:01:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by StarvingButStrong \* > \*\*There’s an ad for Adobe Acrobat that has run in a bunch of magazines recently that shows Moses holding THREE stone tablets labeled, in Roman Numerals, 1-5, 6-10, and 11-15. The writing on the tablets is (I presume) in Hebrew. > \*\* I googol’d not once, nor twice yet even thrice and could not find that Adobe ad, though I did find sites that mentioned it. When I think of documents that will last forever, [ChiseledMarble.com](http://ChiseledMarble.com) comes to mind. If that site does not exist - [DriedMud.com](http://DriedMud.com) and/or [Adobe.com](http://Adobe.com) are good too. I’d still like to know why God’s tablets were both heavy and breakable. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commandments-11-15/154300.md?page=2)