r in the waters?
A. The first commandment means by a "graven thing" or "the likeness of
anything" in heaven, in the earth or in the waters, the statue, picture
or image of any creature in heaven or of any animal on land or in water
intended for an idol and to be worshipped as a god.

Q. 1132. {314} Who gave the Ten Commandments?
A. God Himself gave the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai, and
Christ our Lord confirmed them.

Q. 1133. How and when were the Commandments given to Moses?
A. The Commandments, written on two tables of stone, were given to Moses
in the midst of fire and smoke, thunder and lightning, from which God
spoke to him on the mountain, about fifty days after the Israelites were
delivered from the bondage of Egypt and while they were on their journey
through the desert to the Promised Land.

Q. 1134. What do we mean when we say Christ confirmed the Commandments?
A. When we say Christ confirmed the Commandments we mean that He
strongly approved them, and gave us by His teaching a fuller and clearer
knowledge of their meaning and importance.

Q. 1135. Was anyone obliged to keep the Commandments before they were
given to Moses?
A. All persons, from the beginning of the world, were obliged to keep
the Commandments, for it was always sinful to blaspheme God, murder,
steal or violate any of the Commandments, though they were not written
till the time of Moses.

Q. 1136. How many kinds of laws had the Jews before the coming of Our
Lord?
A. Before the coming of Our Lord the Jews had three kinds of laws: (1)
Civil laws, regulating the affairs of their nation; (2) ceremonial laws,
governing their worship in the temple; (3) moral laws, guiding their
religious belief and actions.

Q. 1137. To which of these laws did the Ten Commandments belong?
A. The Ten Commandments belong to the moral law, because they are a
compendium or short account of what we must do in order to save our
souls; just as the Apostles' Creed is a compendium of what we must
believe.

Q. 1138. When did the civil and ceremonial laws of the Jews cease to
exist?
A. The civil laws of the Jews ceased to exist when the Jewish people,
shortly before the coming of Christ, ceased to be an independent nation.
The ceremonial laws ceased to exist when the Jewish religion ceased to
be the true religion; that is, when Christ established the Christian
religion, of which the Jewish religion was only a figure or promise.

Q. 1139. Why were not a