The Old Testament contains traditionally 613 laws or commandments, known as the 613 mitzvot in Jewish tradition. This number is derived from a traditional Jewish enumeration of the laws given by God through Moses, although no specific verse in the Bible explicitly states this number. The count includes various types of laws covering religious, moral, and civil aspects
. However, there is no universal agreement on the exact number of laws, as some commandments are repeated or clarified in different parts of the Torah, and interpretations vary among Jewish and Christian scholars
. In summary:
- The traditional Jewish count is 613 commandments in the Old Testament.
- This number is a traditional enumeration rather than a direct biblical statement.
- The laws cover a wide range of topics including worship, ethical behavior, dietary rules, and civil justice
Some sources also note that the New Testament introduces additional teachings, sometimes considered as augmenting the Old Testament laws, but the core traditional count for the Old Testament alone remains 613
