Redundant Commandments

Nine of the Ten Commandments appear outside of the Decalogue, in some cases frequently, in other parts of the Pentateuch. The first two commandments, “You shall not have other gods…, you shall not make for yourself any sculpture or image” and “you shall not bow down to them and you shall not worship them,” are paralleled in various biblical codes and legal passages:

1 “You shall not bow down to any other god” (Exodus 34:14).

2. “You shall not make with me gods of silver nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold” (Exodus 20:23 [20:20 in Hebrew]).

3. “You shall not bow down to their gods and you shall not worship them” (Exodus 23:24).

4. “You shall not make molten gods for yourself” (Exodus 34:17).

5. “You shall not make molten gods for yourselves” (Leviticus 19:4).

6. “You shall not erect for yourselves a sculpture or pillar” (Leviticus 26:1).