The so called “Ten Commandments” are a part of a long covenant that God made with the Children of Israel. Reading in Exodus and in Deuteronomy it is not clear where this Covenant begins and ends. To consider it as a whole, take note that God made a Covenant with Abraham and then repeatedly revised it. This is as though the Covenant was evolving, or in process, or even that God was revealing His will more and more over a long time span.
A covenant has two parts: party of the first part, and party of the second part. God was the party of the first part;
the Children of Israel being the party of the second part.
God's part is like this: (From Exodus Ch. 20)
{1} And God spoke all these words:
{2} "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
The party of the Second Part in this Covenant:
1st Commandment
{3} "You shall have no other gods before me.
2nd Commandment
{4} "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. {5} You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, {6} but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
3rd Commandment
{7} "You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
4th Commandment
{8} "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. {9} Six days you shall labor and do all your work, {10} but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. {11} For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
5th Commandment
{12} "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
6th Commandment
{13} "You shall not murder.
7th Commandment
{14} "You shall not commit adultery.
8th Commandment
{15} "You shall not steal.
9th Commandment
{16} "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
10th Commandment
{17} "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."
They have been called The Top Ten, The Ten Great Freedom, The Ten Great Principles . . . the end result is: Live by these and life will be better for you. The Ten Commands are fundamental for all human life on this earth. They were given to help us, and that is why these commands are a product of God's Grace. He did us a favor.