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- Ten Commandments:
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- "The climax of Torah is the Decalogue, the Code of the Ten words, received by Moses on Mount Sinai. The Decalogue is specifically the gift of grace of God the Redeemer (Exod 20:2), given to his people, not to bring them into bondage but because they have been brought out of bondage. That it is unique among the several codes found in the OT can scarcely be disputed. Originally spoken by God in a context calculated to produce unforgettable awe (19:9-25), it was afterward inscribed by his finger on two tables of stone (31:18); in fact, it was inscribed by him a second time after Moses in anger shattered the first two tables (Deut 10:1-4). It was placed in the ark of the covenant (Exod 25:21) and thus enshrined at the very center of Israel's worship." (The New International Dictionary of the Bible, © 1987 Zondervan, p. 228)