What are the 613 commandments in the Law?

Thanks for your question. As to the number of the commandments, though other counts vary as to the exact number, 613 is the generally accepted and cited sum. The negative commandments are 365 in number and the positive commandments number 248. They are divided into three categories: (1) laws, (2) testimonies, and (3) decrees.

The Jewish prayer shawl (tallit) has knotted fringes called tzitzit. The word tzitzit has the numerical value of 600 in its Mishnaic spelling. Each tassel has eight threads and five sets of knots. Their sum is 613 (600+8+5). So, the prayer shawl is a reminder of the Law of God. See Numbers 15:38-40 and Deuteronomy 22:12.

Can you imagine having these 613 commandments memorized and mentally accessing and perfectly keeping them in every situation and conversation you have? This is what was expected!!! Did Israel do it? No! Could you? No! Clearly, no one can keep the entire law (Eccl. 7:20; Rom. 3:23; Jas. 2:10). We can't even keep the Ten Commandments much less the entire Law. (Please see "What commandment(s) did Adam violate in the Fall?" below.)

So then, the question naturally arises, why did God command something he knew we couldn't keep? Well, the purpose of the law was to point us to our need of a Savior who could and did keep the law. As the Apostle Paul states, "So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.”

Even in the Old Testament a Savior or Messiah was needed. Jesus was patterned in the flood / ark, the Passover, the Red Sea, and the scapegoat. He was prophesied in the O.T (Gen. 3:15; Psa. 22; Isa. 53; Luke 24:25-27; Acts 26:22-23; 1 Pet. 1:10-12). And he was present in the Old Testament: Christ (the entire Trinity) created the world (Col. 1:16); He preached through Noah (1 Pet. 3:19-20); Abraham rejoiced to see his day (John 8:56-58); Christ motivated Moses (Heb. 11:26); Jesus saved the Israelites from Egypt (Jude 1:5); Christ is the Rock in the wilderness (1 Cor. 10:4); Isaiah saw his glory (John 12:41).

Moreover, Jesus is symbolized in every book of the Old Testament. (Please see "Christ in the Old Testament" below.):

O.T. Book	Christ is
Genesis	the Creator and promised Redeemer
Exodus	the Passover Lamb
Leviticus	the High Priest
Numbers	the Water in the desert
Deuteronomy	the Curse for us
Joshua	the Commander of the army of the Lord
Judges	the Deliverer from injustice
Ruth	the Kinsman-Redeemer
1 Samuel	the Prophet, Priest, and King
2 Samuel	the King of grace and love
1 Kings	the Ruler greater than Solomon
2 Kings	the Powerful Prophet
1 Samuel	the Son of David that is coming to rule
2 Samuel	the King who reigns eternally
Ezra	the Priest proclaiming freedom
Nehemiah	the One who restores what is broken down
Esther	the Protector of his people
Job	the Mediator between God and man
Psalms	our Song morning and night
Proverbs	our Wisdom
Ecclesiastes	our Meaning for Life
Song	the Author of faithful love
Isaiah	the Suffering Servant
Jeremiah	the Weeping Messiah
Lamentations	the One assuming God’s wrath for us
Ezekiel	the Son of Man
Daniel	the Stranger in the fire with us
Hosea	the Faithful Husband
Joel	the Promise of his Spirit
Amos	the Deliverer of justice to the oppressed
Obadiah	the Judge of those who do evi
Jonah	the Greatest Missionary
Micah	the Caster of our sin into the sea of forgetfulness
Nahum	the Proclaimer of peace
Habakuk	the Crusher of injustice
Zephaniah	the Warrior who saves
Haggai	the Restorer our worship
Zechariah	the Messiah pierced for us
Malachi	the Sun of righteousness who brings healing

Whether it be the Old Testament or the New Testament, the law shines a bright spotlight on our sins making them even more evident (Rom. 7:7). This then provides substantial evidence that we all need a Savior who not only could keep the law, but who actually did keep it perfectly. Jesus fulfilled the entire law (Matt. 5:16-17). As Paul writes, "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believe" (Rom. 10:4; cf. John 5:39, 46; Heb. 9:12). "For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory" (2 Cor. 1:20).

Here is a list of the 613 commandments found in the Pentateuch. Please note that some verses contain more than one commandment so they are listed more than once:

#	Verse	#	Verse	#	Verse	#	Verse	#	Verse
1	Gen. 1:28	2	Gen. 32:32	3	Exod. 12:2	4	Exod. 12:6	5	Exod. 12:8
6	Exod. 12:9	7	Exod. 12:10	8	Exod. 12:15	9	Exod. 12:18	10	Exod. 12:19
11	Exod. 12:20	12	Exod. 12:43	13	Exod. 12:45	14	Exod. 12:46	15	Exod. 12:46
16	Exod. 12:48	17	Exod. 12:48	18	Exod. 13:3	19	Exod. 13:7	20	Exod. 13:8
21	Exod. 13:12	22	Exod. 13:13	23	Exod. 13:13	24	Exod. 16:29	25	Exod. 20:3
26	Exod. 20:4	27	Exod. 20:5	28	Exod. 20:5	29	Exod. 20:7	30	Exod. 20:8
31	Exod. 20:10	32	Exod. 20:12	33	Exod. 20:13	34	Exod. 20:14	35	Exod. 20:15
36	Exod. 20:16	37	Exod. 20:17	38	Exod. 20:24	39	Exod. 20:26	40	Exod. 20:23
41	Exod. 21:2	42	Exod. 21:8	43	Exod. 21:8	44	Exod. 21:8	45	Exod. 21:10
46	Exod. 21:15	47	Exod. 21:17	48	Exod. 21:18	49	Exod. 21:20	50	Exod. 21:28
51	Exod. 21:28	52	Exod. 21:34	53	Exod. 21:36	54	Exod. 22:4	55	Exod. 22:5
56	Exod. 22:6	57	Exod. 22:8	58	Exod. 22:9	59	Exod. 22:13	60	Exod. 22:16–17
61	Exod. 22:18	62	Exod. 22:21	63	Exod. 22:21	64	Exod. 22:22	65	Exod. 22:25
66	Exod. 22:25	67	Exod. 22:25	68	Exod. 22:28	69	Exod. 22:28	70	Exod. 22:29
71	Exod. 22:29	72	Exod. 22:30	73	Exod. 23:1	74	Exod. 23:1	75	Exod. 23:2
76	Exod. 23:2	77	Exod. 23:3	78	Exod. 23:5	79	Exod. 23:6	80	Exod. 23:7
81	Exod. 23:8	82	Exod. 23:11	83	Exod. 23:12	84	Exod. 23:13	85	Exod. 23:13
86	Exod. 23:14	87	Exod. 23:18	88	Exod. 23:18	89	Exod. 23:19	90	Exod. 23:19
91	Exod. 23:25	92	Exod. 23:33	93	Exod. 25:8	94	Exod. 25:15	95	Exod. 25:30
96	Exod. 27:21	97	Exod. 28:2	98	Exod. 28:28	99	Exod. 28:32	100	Exod. 29:33
101	Exod. 29:33	102	Exod. 30:7	103	Exod. 30:9	104	Exod. 30:13	105	Exod. 30:19
106	Exod. 30:31	107	Exod. 30:32	108	Exod. 30:32	109	Exod. 30:37	110	Exod. 34:21
111	Exod. 34:26	112	Exod. 35:3	113	Lev. 1:3	114	Lev. 2:1	115	Lev. 2:11
116	Lev. 2:13	117	Lev. 2:13	118	Lev. 3:17	119	Lev. 3:17	120	Lev. 4:13–14
121	Lev. 4:27–28	122	Lev. 5:1	123	Lev. 5:7-11	124	Lev. 5:8	125	Lev. 5:11
126	Lev. 5:11	127	Lev. 5:16	128	Lev. 5:17–18	129	Lev. 5:23	130	Lev. 5:25
131	Lev. 6:10	132	Lev. 6:13	133	Lev. 6:16	134	Lev. 6:18	135	Lev. 6:23
136	Lev. 6:3	137	Lev. 6:5	138	Lev. 6:5	139	Lev. 6:9	140	Lev. 7:1
141	Lev. 7:11	142	Lev. 7:17	143	Lev. 7:18	144	Lev. 7:19	145	Lev. 7:19
146	Lev. 7:20	147	Lev. 10:6	148	Lev. 10:6	149	Lev. 10:7	150	Lev. 10:9
151	Lev. 10:19	152	Lev. 11:2	153	Lev. 11:4	154	Lev. 11:9	155	Lev. 11:11
156	Lev. 11:13	157	Lev. 11:21	158	Lev. 11:29	159	Lev. 11:34	160	Lev. 11:39
161	Lev. 11:41	162	Lev. 11:42	163	Lev. 11:43	164	Lev. 11:44	165	Lev. 12:2
166	Lev. 12:3	167	Lev. 12:6	168	Lev. 13:12	169	Lev. 13:33	170	Lev. 13:45
171	Lev. 13:47	172	Lev. 14:2	173	Lev. 14:9	174	Lev. 14:10	175	Lev. 14:35
176	Lev. 15:3	177	Lev. 15:13–14	178	Lev. 15:16	179	Lev. 15:16	180	Lev. 15:19
181	Lev. 15:25	182	Lev. 15:28–29	183	Lev. 16:2	184	Lev. 16:3	185	Lev. 16:29
186	Lev. 17:4	187	Lev. 17:13	188	Lev. 18:6	189	Lev. 18:7	190	Lev. 18:7
191	Lev. 18:8	192	Lev. 18:9	193	Lev. 18:10	194	Lev. 18:10	195	Lev. 18:10
196	Lev. 18:11	197	Lev. 18:12	198	Lev. 18:13	199	Lev. 18:14	200	Lev. 18:14
201	Lev. 18:15	202	Lev. 18:16	203	Lev. 18:17	204	Lev. 18:17	205	Lev. 18:17
206	Lev. 18:18	207	Lev. 18:19	208	Lev. 18:20	209	Lev. 18:21	210	Lev. 18:22
211	Lev. 18:23	212	Lev. 18:23	213	Lev. 19:3	214	Lev. 19:4	215	Lev. 19:4
216	Lev. 19:8	217	Lev. 19:9	218	Lev. 19:9	219	Lev. 19:9	220	Lev. 19:10
221	Lev. 19:10	222	Lev. 19:10	223	Lev. 19:10	224	Lev. 19:10	225	Lev. 19:11
226	Lev. 19:11	227	Lev. 19:11	228	Lev. 19:12	229	Lev. 19:13	230	Lev. 19:13
231	Lev. 19:13	232	Lev. 19:14	233	Lev. 19:14	234	Lev. 19:15	235	Lev. 19:15
236	Lev. 19:15	237	Lev. 19:15	238	Lev. 19:16	239	Lev. 19:16	240	Lev. 19:17
241	Lev. 19:17	242	Lev. 19:17	243	Lev. 19:18	244	Lev. 19:18	245	Lev. 19:18
246	Lev. 19:19	247	Lev. 19:19	248	Lev. 19:23	249	Lev. 19:24	250	Lev. 19:26
251	Lev. 19:26	252	Lev. 19:27	253	Lev. 19:27	254	Lev. 19:28	255	Lev. 19:30
256	Lev. 19:31	257	Lev. 19:31	258	Lev. 19:32	259	Lev. 19:35	260	Lev. 19:36
261	Lev. 20:10	262	Lev. 20:14	263	Lev. 20:23	264	Lev. 21:1	265	Lev. 21:6
266	Lev. 21:7	267	Lev. 21:7	268	Lev. 21:7	269	Lev. 21:8	270	Lev. 21:11
271	Lev. 21:11	272	Lev. 21:13	273	Lev. 21:14	274	Lev. 21:14	275	Lev. 21:17
276	Lev. 21:18	277	Lev. 21:23	278	Lev. 22:2	279	Lev. 22:4	280	Lev. 22:10
281	Lev. 22:10	282	Lev. 22:12	283	Lev. 22:15	284	Lev. 22:20	285	Lev. 22:21
286	Lev. 22:21	287	Lev. 22:22	288	Lev. 22:22	289	Lev. 22:24	290	Lev. 22:24
291	Lev. 22:25	292	Lev. 22:27	293	Lev. 22:28	294	Lev. 22:30	295	Lev. 22:32
296	Lev. 22:32	297	Lev. 23:8	298	Lev. 23:8	299	Lev. 23:8	300	Lev. 23:8
301	Lev. 23:10	302	Lev. 23:14	303	Lev. 23:14	304	Lev. 23:14	305	Lev. 23:15
306	Lev. 23:18	307	Lev. 23:21	308	Lev. 23:21	309	Lev. 23:24	310	Lev. 23:25
311	Lev. 23:29	312	Lev. 23:31	313	Lev. 23:32	314	Lev. 23:35	315	Lev. 23:35
316	Lev. 23:36	317	Lev. 23:36	318	Lev. 23:40	319	Lev. 23:42	320	Lev. 25:4
321	Lev. 25:4	322	Lev. 25:5	323	Lev. 25:5	324	Lev. 25:8	325	Lev. 25:9
326	Lev. 25:10	327	Lev. 25:11	328	Lev. 25:11	329	Lev. 25:11	330	Lev. 25:14
331	Lev. 25:14	332	Lev. 25:17	333	Lev. 25:23	334	Lev. 25:24	335	Lev. 25:29
336	Lev. 25:34	337	Lev. 25:37	338	Lev. 25:39	339	Lev. 25:42	340	Lev. 25:43
341	Lev. 25:46	342	Lev. 25:53	343	Lev. 26:1	344	Lev. 27:2	345	Lev. 27:10
346	Lev. 27:10	347	Lev. 27:12–13	348	Lev. 27:14	349	Lev. 27:16	350	Lev. 27:26
351	Lev. 27:28	352	Lev. 27:28	353	Lev. 27:28	354	Lev. 27:32	355	Lev. 27:33
356	Num. 5:2	357	Num. 5:3	358	Num. 5:7	359	Num. 5:15	360	Num. 5:15
361	Num. 5:30	362	Num. 6:3	363	Num. 6:3	364	Num. 6:3	365	Num. 6:4
366	Num. 6:4	367	Num. 6:5	368	Num. 6:5	369	Num. 6:6	370	Num. 6:7
371	Num. 6:18	372	Num. 6:23	373	Num. 7:9	374	Num. 9:11	375	Num. 9:11
376	Num. 9:12	377	Num. 9:12	378	Num. 10:9	379	Num. 15:20	380	Num. 15:38
381	Num. 15:39	382	Num. 18:3	383	Num. 18:3	384	Num. 18:4	385	Num. 18:5
386	Num. 18:15	387	Num. 18:17	388	Num. 18:23	389	Num. 18:24	390	Num. 18:26
391	Num. 19:14	392	Num. 19:21	393	Num. 19:9	394	Num. 27:8	395	Num. 28:3
396	Num. 28:9–10	397	Num. 28:11–15	398	Num. 28:19	399	Num. 28:26	400	Num. 29:1
401	Num. 29:2	402	Num. 29:8	403	Num. 29:13	404	Num. 29:35	405	Num. 30:2
406	Num. 30:2	407	Num. 30:2	408	Num. 35:12	409	Num. 35:12	410	Num. 35:25
411	Num. 35:30	412	Num. 35:31	413	Num. 35:32	414	Deut. 1:17	415	Deut. 1:17
416	Deut. 5:18–22	417	Deut. 6:4	418	Deut. 6:5	419	Deut. 6:7	420	Deut. 6:7
421	Deut. 6:8	422	Deut. 6:8	423	Deut. 6:9	424	Deut. 6:16	425	Deut. 7:2
426	Deut. 7:2	427	Deut. 7:3	428	Deut. 7:25	429	Deut. 7:26	430	Deut. 8:10
431	Deut. 10:19	432	Deut. 10:20	433	Deut. 10:20	434	Deut. 10:20	435	Deut. 12:2
436	Deut. 12:4	437	Deut. 12:5–6	438	Deut. 12:11	439	Deut. 12:13	440	Deut. 12:15
441	Deut. 12:17	442	Deut. 12:17	443	Deut. 12:17	444	Deut. 12:17	445	Deut. 12:17
446	Deut. 12:17	447	Deut. 12:17	448	Deut. 12:17	449	Deut. 12:19	450	Deut. 12:21
451	Deut. 12:23	452	Deut. 12:26	453	Deut. 12:32	454	Deut. 12:32	455	Deut. 13:4
456	Deut. 13:8	457	Deut. 13:8	458	Deut. 13:8	459	Deut. 13:8	460	Deut. 13:8
461	Deut. 13:11	462	Deut. 13:15	463	Deut. 13:16	464	Deut. 13:16	465	Deut. 13:17
466	Deut. 14:1	467	Deut. 14:1	468	Deut. 14:3	469	Deut. 14:11	470	Deut. 14:19
471	Deut. 14:21	472	Deut. 14:22	473	Deut. 14:28	474	Deut. 15:2	475	Deut. 15:3
476	Deut. 15:3	477	Deut. 15:7	478	Deut. 15:9	479	Deut. 15:11	480	Deut. 15:13
481	Deut. 15:14	482	Deut. 15:19	483	Deut. 15:19	484	Deut. 16:3	485	Deut. 16:4
486	Deut. 16:14	487	Deut. 16:16	488	Deut. 16:16	489	Deut. 16:18	490	Deut. 16:21
491	Deut. 16:22	492	Deut. 17:1	493	Deut. 17:11	494	Deut. 17:11	495	Deut. 17:15
496	Deut. 17:15	497	Deut. 17:16	498	Deut. 17:16	499	Deut. 17:17	500	Deut. 17:17
501	Deut. 17:18	502	Deut. 18:1	503	Deut. 18:2	504	Deut. 18:3	505	Deut. 18:4
506	Deut. 18:4	507	Deut. 18:6–8	508	Deut. 18:10	509	Deut. 18:10	510	Deut. 18:11
511	Deut. 18:11	512	Deut. 18:11	513	Deut. 18:11	514	Deut. 18:15	515	Deut. 18:20
516	Deut. 18:20	517	Deut. 18:22	518	Deut. 19:3	519	Deut. 19:13	520	Deut. 19:14
521	Deut. 19:15	522	Deut. 19:19	523	Deut. 20:2	524	Deut. 20:3	525	Deut. 20:10
526	Deut. 20:16	527	Deut. 20:17	528	Deut. 20:19	529	Deut. 21:4	530	Deut. 21:4
531	Deut. 21:11	532	Deut. 21:14	533	Deut. 21:14	534	Deut. 21:20	535	Deut. 21:22
536	Deut. 21:23	537	Deut. 21:23	538	Deut. 22:1	539	Deut. 22:3	540	Deut. 22:4
541	Deut. 22:4	542	Deut. 22:5	543	Deut. 22:5	544	Deut. 22:6	545	Deut. 22:7
546	Deut. 22:8	547	Deut. 22:8	548	Deut. 22:9	549	Deut. 22:9	550	Deut. 22:10
551	Deut. 22:11	552	Deut. 22:19	553	Deut. 22:19	554	Deut. 22:24	555	Deut. 22:26
556	Deut. 22:29	557	Deut. 22:29	558	Deut. 23:1	559	Deut. 23:2	560	Deut. 23:3
561	Deut. 23:6	562	Deut. 23:7–8	563	Deut. 23:7–8	564	Deut. 23:10	565	Deut. 23:12
566	Deut. 23:13	567	Deut. 23:15	568	Deut. 23:16	569	Deut. 23:17	570	Deut. 23:18
571	Deut. 23:19	572	Deut. 23:20	573	Deut. 23:21	574	Deut. 23:23	575	Deut. 23:24
576	Deut. 23:24	577	Deut. 23:25	578	Deut. 24:1	579	Deut. 24:1	580	Deut. 24:4
581	Deut. 24:5	582	Deut. 24:5	583	Deut. 24:6	584	Deut. 24:8	585	Deut. 24:10
586	Deut. 24:12	587	Deut. 24:13	588	Deut. 24:15	589	Deut. 24:16	590	Deut. 24:17
591	Deut. 24:17	592	Deut. 24:19	593	Deut. 24:19	594	Deut. 25:2	595	Deut. 25:3
596	Deut. 25:4	597	Deut. 25:5	598	Deut. 25:5	599	Deut. 25:9	600	Deut. 25:12
601	Deut. 25:13	602	Deut. 25:17	603	Deut. 25:19	604	Deut. 25:19	605	Deut. 26:5
606	Deut. 26:13	607	Deut. 26:14	608	Deut. 26:14	609	Deut. 26:14	610	Deut. 28:9
611	Deut. 31:12	612	Deut. 31:19	613	Deut. 32:38	–	–	–	–

Related Topics

What commandment(s) did Adam violate in the Fall?
Can we stop sinning?
Christ in the Old Testament