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The Meaning, Importance and Interpretation of the Ten Commandments

Excerpted from our free Ten Commandments course, from a lecture by Rudolf Steiner:

...The Ten Commandments are interpreted by the great majority of people today as if they were legal ordinances, that is, like the laws of any modern state. It is conceded, of course, that the laws of the Ten Commandments are more extensive and general, and have a validity independent of their time and place. They are thus held to be more universal, but people are still conscious of them as having the same effect or objective as any modern legislation. So seen, however, they do not contain the actual vital nerve that lives in them. This is borne out by the fact that all translations presently available have unconsciously incorporated an essentially superficial explanation that is not at all in the spirit of their original meaning. When we enter into this spirit, you will see how the interpretation of them forms part of the studies of spiritual science, requiring a transformed way of thinking...

As this excerpt by Rudolf Steiner suggests, it is our own inner relationship to the Ten Commandments which needs to be cultivated. Additionally, translations which reflect the depth of the Ten Commandments are essential to work with. Click here for access to the rest of our free course on the Ten Commandments.