commandment

noun (a commandment, commandments)

«commandment» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition and Early Modern English — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

Everyday

(Bible) A commandment is a rule given by God; the Ten Commandments are rules God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai, such as "Do not steal" and "Honour your father and your mother". tree →
(formal) A commandment is any strong rule or order. tree →

In the lessons

In RE and Sunday school children learn the Ten Commandments, carved on two stone tablets; Jesus said the greatest commandments are to love God and to love your neighbour as yourself. In everyday jokes people speak of "the eleventh commandment" for a family rule. Phrases: the Ten Commandments, keep the commandments, break a commandment, the greatest commandment.

Examples

Moses came down the mountain with the Ten Commandments. tree →
"You shall not steal" is one of the commandments. tree →
Jesus said, "Love one another" was a new commandment. tree →
Our class made a poster of the Ten Commandments. tree →
Mum's eleventh commandment is "Thou shalt not leave wet towels on the floor." tree →
Keeping the commandments is hard sometimes. tree →
The Caliph's commandment fell upon me like a thunderbolt. tree →

Note

Countable; plural commandments. Spelling: command + ment (two m's after the co). Old-style "thou shalt" means "you shall". A command is any order; a commandment is usually a solemn, lasting rule.

In Jewish tradition

A rule or order given by God, like those God gave to Moses for the people of Israel to keep. Often "My commandments" means all of God's laws together.

Interpretation. Tradition counts 613 commandments (mitzvot) in the Torah, some to do and some not to do. Keeping them is seen as the way of living in the covenant with God.

Examples

And ye shall keep My commandments, and do them: I am the LORD. (Torah LEV.22.31, JPS 1917) tree →
If ye walk in My statutes, and keep My commandments, and do them; (Torah LEV.26.3, JPS 1917) tree →
But if ye will not hearken unto Me, and will not do all these commandments; (Torah LEV.26.14, JPS 1917) tree →
If they profane My statutes, and keep not My commandments; (Writings PSA.89.32, JPS 1917) tree →
I made haste, and delayed not, to observe Thy commandments. (Writings PSA.119.60, JPS 1917) tree →
And now, this commandment is for you, O ye priests. (Prophets MAL.2.1, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Countable; plural commandments. Spelling: command + ment (two m's after the co). Old-style "thou shalt" means "you shall". A command is any order; a commandment is usually a solemn, lasting rule.

Early Modern English

Meaning

A firm order or law given by God or by a ruler, which people must obey. tree →

Then and now

Today commandment mostly means one of God's rules. The sentence about the Caliph's commandment uses the old sense of a ruler's order, which we would now call an order.

Examples

Yet ye would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God; (Torah DEU.1.26, JPS 1917) tree →
The Caliph's commandment fell upon me like a thunderbolt. (The Arabian Nights Entertainments) tree →
And they took their first journey, according to the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses. (Torah NUM.10.13, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Today: order, rule.

On Mova

Trees and pragmatics of «commandment» in the school dictionary: every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
«commandment» in the school dictionary on Mova free.
Trees and pragmatics of «commandment» in the Judaism dictionary: every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
«commandment» in the Judaism dictionary on Mova free.
Trees and pragmatics of «commandment» in the Early Modern English dictionary: every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
«commandment» in the Early Modern English dictionary on Mova free.

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