Week 1 Day 1 - What are the Commandments? Pt 1

While we ponder our scripture verses, certain keywords and phrases will stand out, or need to be looked into for us to truly understand and clarify its meaning.

Nephi 17:3 is no different.

Let's take a look at the first sentence in this verse:

"And thus we see that the commandments of God must be fulfilled."

Summed up it is saying that the previous verses, detailing how God aided Nephi and his family through the wilderness, is proof enough to keep the commandments.

Which lends itself to a bigger question: What are the Commandments?

The events in 1 Nephi occur before the birth of Christ and so the holy book we turn to is the Torah.

Translations differ but the featured versions, so the versions under the headings, are from navigating the Bible

This translation was interesting because the one I had been reading had been saying 'You shall/not' instead. But lets address them as they come up.

Number One

"Do not have any other gods before Me."
- Exodus 20:3

 I've also seen:
From the 'My Tanach' app,

"You shall have no other gods before me."

 and from the King James Version and Gospel Library

"Thou shalt have no other gods before me."

What I am getting is do not have other gods around if you worship God. He doesn't accept multiple worship. You only worship Him.

Number Two

"[Do not represent] such gods by any carved statue or picture of anything in the heaven above, on the earth below, or in the water below the land."
- Exodus 20:4

Literally translated it begins with 'Do not make'.

My Tanach

"You shall not make for you any engraved image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth below, or is in the water under the earth;"

King James Version

"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth."

I think that this one, the first, and the third, really need to be taken together, because separated this commandment sounds like carving of anything that lives in heaven, underground, or in underground water, isn't allowed.

You could further argue that heavens also includes the earthly sky, so would mean that you aren't allowed to carve birds or suns. Angels are out.

Maybe water under the earth could be taken to mean really deep water so sea creatures are out too.

But that would begin to start sounding like God is forbidding artistic representation of many of His creatures and human concepts. 

Without taking it with the first commandment of only having one God, and the third commandment of not worshipping idols, does this commandment make sense and become clearer. 

It probably could have been one commandment instead of two.

Do not worship representations/idols that you have made.