Ten commandments or twelve commandments? The Ten Commandments are found in Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21. But in Deuteronomy 27:9-26 Moses gives twelve commandments. The Lord commanded Moses to give these twelve commandments in the covenant with Israel in the land of Moab (Deut. 29:1). These biblical law codes, both the ten commandments and the twelve commandments, date from about 1450 BC. They are similar to other law codes of the ancient Near East. This is not surprising because these ancient communities were generally in contact with one another and developed similar cultures. Read more here.