20:1–17 The Ten Commandments, or “Ten Words” of the covenant. These are expressions of the eternal law of God that transcend the Old and New Testaments. As God had created order in the heavens and earth with ten words (Gen. 1:3–29), so He creates order in society with ten words. The first four commandments describe how the people are to relate to God, while the remainder describe how God’s people are to relate to each other (Deut. 4:13 note). See “The Three Purposes of the Law” at Deut. 13:10.