The Ten Commandments: An Exposition in the Language of Stewardship

In my own work I have come to understand stewardship as tending something that is not mine to own, keeping it whole, and passing it on uncorrupted. I try to live by these principles, but I am still learning how to embody them.

I had the sense that this way of living would line up with the Ten Commandments. Not as a replacement or an improvement, but as a parallel. The Commandments are given here exactly as they appear in scripture, alongside a reading in the language of stewardship.

This is simply how they read to me. The resemblance is not forced. It comes through naturally. I offer it in that spirit.

The Ten Commandments

1 You shall have no other gods before Me.

Keep your heart and mind oriented toward what is real and life-giving. Do not scatter yourself among false centres or hollow promises. Where your attention rests, your life will follow, so let it rest on the true.

2 You shall not make for yourself an idol.

Let no object, image, or tool replace the living source it is meant to serve. Honour symbols for what they point to, but do not mistake them for the source itself. Keep the form in service to the truth, never the other way around.

3 You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

When you speak of the sacred, or take on a sacred role, let your life match your words. Do not claim alignment with what is holy or true while living in contradiction to it. Integrity is the bond between your name, your word, and your actions.

4 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Keep rhythms that renew you and the world around you. Let work and rest stand in balance, recognising that pause and reflection are part of the order that sustains life. Renewal is as essential as action.

5 Honour your father and your mother.

Respect the roots from which you have grown, the people, places, and patterns that have shaped your being. Honour does not mean blind obedience, but a conscious acknowledgement of the lineage and environment that gave you life.

6 You shall not murder.

Protect life in all its forms. This means not only refraining from harm, but also safeguarding the conditions in which life can grow and flourish. Every being has a place in the web of life; do not sever their thread.

7 You shall not commit adultery.

Be faithful to the bonds you have chosen. Trust, once given, is a living thing. Tend it with care, and let your commitments be a place where others can rest without fear of betrayal.

8 You shall not steal.

Take only what is freely given. This applies not only to possessions, but to time, energy, ideas, and trust. Respect what belongs to another, and accept only what is offered willingly.

9 You shall not bear false witness.

Speak the truth as it is, without twisting it to harm or to serve your own advantage. Truthfulness is more than accuracy. It is the refusal to distort reality for gain, and the commitment to keep your word worthy of belief.

10 You shall not covet.

Be at peace with what is yours to tend. Gratitude for your own portion will root you more deeply than envy for what belongs to another. Let your attention be on what you can nurture, not on what you wish to take.

The Ten Commandments have stood for thousands of years as a guide to right relationship with the divine, with others, and with oneself. The readings here are not a new law. They are one way of hearing the same structure in a different voice.

Others will hear them differently, shaped by their own lives and work. Integrity, care, and right relationship are not bound to one tradition. They show themselves wherever people choose to live in a way that supports life and truth.

If you read them differently, I’d be interested to hear. My hope is that the parallels, differences, or even disagreements can open useful conversation about the principles that guide us, whatever language or tradition we draw them from.