Aseres HaDibros - Ten Commandments or Statements?
(יב) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יקוק אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה עֲלֵ֥ה אֵלַ֛י הָהָ֖רָה וֶהְיֵה־שָׁ֑ם וְאֶתְּנָ֨ה לְךָ֜ אֶת־לֻחֹ֣ת הָאֶ֗בֶן וְהַתּוֹרָה֙ וְהַמִּצְוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר כָּתַ֖בְתִּי לְהוֹרֹתָֽם׃

(12) The LORD said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and wait there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the teachings and commandments which I have inscribed to instruct them.”

We’ve all heard of the words Aseres HaDibros. Yet, those words are not found together anywhere throughout the Written Torah. Rashi does use those words eight times when explaining certain pesukim in the Torah.

(א) היו נכנים לשלשת ימים. לְסוֹף ג' יָמִים, הוּא יוֹם רְבִיעִי, שֶׁהוֹסִיף מֹשֶׁה יוֹם אֶחָד מִדַּעְתּוֹ כְּדִבְרֵי רַבִּי יוֹסֵי, וּלְדִבְרֵי הָאוֹמֵר בְּשִׁשָּׁה בַחֹדֶשׁ נִתְּנוּ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת, לֹא הוֹסִיף מֹשֶׁה כְלוּם, וְלִשְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים כְּמוֹ לַיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי:

(1) היו נכנים לשלשת ימים means be ready by the end of three days, that is, by the fourth day — for Moses added a day of his own accord to the time appointed by God. This is the opinion of Rabbi José. But according to the opinion of him who says that the Ten Commandments were given on the sixth of the month Moses did not add anything, and the words לשלשת ימים do not signify after three days but mean the same as ליום השלישי (v. 11), i. e. by three days (cf. Shabbat 86b-87a).

(א) וידבר אלקים. אֵין אֱלֹקִים אֶלָּא דַּיָּן; לְפִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ פָּרָשִׁיּוֹת בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁאִם עֲשָׂאָן אָדָם מְקַבֵּל שָׂכָר, וְאִם לָאו אֵינוֹ מְקַבֵּל עֲלֵיהֶם פֻּרְעָנוּת, יָכוֹל אַף עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת כֵּן, תַּ"לֹ וַיְדַבֵּר אֱלֹקִים – דַּיָּן לִפָּרַע (מכילתא):

(1) וידבר אלקים AND GOD SPAKE — The word אלקים is a term for a judge. Since there are chapters in the Torah of such a character that if a person observes the commands contained therein he will receive a reward and if he never observes them at all) he will not receive punishment on their account, one might think that the Ten Commandments are also of such a character (that no punishment will follow upon the infringement of them); therefore Scripture expressly states, “God spake” — God Who is Judge, exacting punishment (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 20:1:1).

(ב) את כל הדברים האלה. מְלַמֵּד שֶׁאָמַר הַקָּבָּ"ה עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת בְּדִבּוּר אֶחָד, מַה שֶּׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לְאָדָם לוֹמַר כֵּן, אִם כֵּן מַה תַּ"לֹ עוֹד אָנֹכִי וְלֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ? שֶׁחָזַר וּפֵרֵשׁ עַל כָּל דִּבּוּר וְדִבּוּר בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ (שם):

(2) את כל הדברים האלה ALL THESE WORDS — This statement (that God spake all these words) tells us that the Holy One, blessed be He, said all these words in one utterance, something that is impossible to a human being to do — to speak in this manner. Now if this be so, why does Scripture again say the first two Commandments, אנכי and לא יהיה לך? But the explanation is that He repeated and expressly uttered each of these two commandments by itself (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 20:1:1).

(א) ואל משה אמר. פָּרָשָׁה זוֹ נֶאֶמְרָה קֹדֶם עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת, בְּד' בְּסִיוָן נֶאֱמְרָה לוֹ עֲלֵה (שבת פ"ח):

(1) ואל משה אמר AND UNTO MOSES HE SAID — This section was spoken before the Ten Commandments were given (i. e. אמר is the pluperfect); it was the fourth of Sivan when “Come up” was said to him (Shabbat 88a).

(ג) את לחת האבן והתורה והמצוה אשר כתבתי להורתם. כָּל שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת וּשְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה מִצְווֹת בִּכְלַל עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת הֵן, וְרַבֵּנוּ סְעַדְיָה פֵּרֵשׁ בָּאַזְהָרוֹת שֶׁיָּסַד לְכָל דִּבּוּר וְדִבּוּר מִצְווֹת הַתְּלוּיוֹת בּוֹ:

(3) את לחת האבן והתורה והמצוה אשר כתבתי להורתם [AND I WILL GIVE THEE] THE TABLETS OF STONE, AND THE LAW, AND THE COMMANDMENT WHICH I HAVE WRITTEN TO TEACH THEM — All the six hundred and thirteen commandments are implicitly contained in the Ten Commandments and may therefore be regarded as having been written on the tablets. Rabbi Saadia specified in the אזהרות which he has composed those commandments which may be associated with each of the Ten Commandments.

(ג) ויקרא אל משה ביום השביעי לוֹמַר עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת, וּמֹשֶׁה וְכָל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עוֹמְדִים, אֶלָּא שֶׁחָלַק הַכָּתוּב כָּבוֹד לְמֹשֶׁה

(3) ויקרא אל משה ביום השביעי AND HE CALLED UNTO MOSES ON THE SEVENTH DAY of Sivan to utter the Ten Commandments. It is true that Moses and all Israel were standing there but the text states, “He called unto Moses” merely to give special honour to Moses calling him by name. Others, however, say that the passage means: AND THE CLOUD COVERED HIM — Moses, FOR SIX DAYS after the Ten Commandments had been given. These were at the beginning of the forty days which Moses spent on Mount Sinai when he went up to receive the Tablets, and Scripture teaches you that whosoever enters the camp of the Divine Majesty (here the mountain and later on the Holy of Holies) requires separation from others (must live in seclusion) for six days (Yoma 4a).

(א) זכר לאברהם. אִם עָבְרוּ עַל עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת, אַבְרָהָם אֲבִיהֶם נִתְנַסָּה בַעֲשָׂרָה נִסְיוֹנוֹת וַעֲדַיִן לֹא קִבֵּל שְׂכָרוֹ, תְּנֵהוּ לוֹ וְיֵצְאוּ עֲשָׂרָה בַעֲשָׂרָה (תנחומא):

(1) זכור לאברהם (lit., remember for Abraham) — If they have transgressed the Ten Commandments, their father Abraham was tried by ten trials and has not yet received his reward for them. Give it to him now — remember for him this merit — and let the ten trials he successfully withstood countervail the infringement of the Ten Commandments (Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 24; Shemot Rabbah 44:4).

(ב) עשרה זהב. כְּנֶגֶד עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת:

(2) עשרה זהב — TEN SHEKELS, GOLD — corresponding to the Ten Commandments (Numbers Rabbah 13:16).

(א) על פני. בְּכָל מָקוֹם אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי שָׁם, וְזֶהוּ כָּל הָעוֹלָם. דָּ"אַ — כָּל זְמַן שֶׁאֲנִי קַיָּם. עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת כְּבָר פֵּרַשְׁתִּים:

(1) על פני BEFORE ME — i.e. in any place where I am, and that is the entire world. Another explanation: so long as I exist (i.e. always) (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 20:3:2). — The Ten Commandments — I have already explained them (Exodus 20:1-14).

The closest words to Aseres HaDibros are עֲשֶׂ֖רֶת הַדְּבָרִֽים, the Ten Declarations

(כח) וַֽיְהִי־שָׁ֣ם עִם־יקוק אַרְבָּעִ֥ים יוֹם֙ וְאַרְבָּעִ֣ים לַ֔יְלָה לֶ֚חֶם לֹ֣א אָכַ֔ל וּמַ֖יִם לֹ֣א שָׁתָ֑ה וַיִּכְתֹּ֣ב עַל־הַלֻּחֹ֗ת אֵ֚ת דִּבְרֵ֣י הַבְּרִ֔ית עֲשֶׂ֖רֶת הַדְּבָרִֽים׃

(28) And he was there with יקוק forty days and forty nights; he ate no bread and drank no water; and he wrote down on the tablets the terms of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.

וְרַבָּנִין אָֽמְרִין. עֲשָׂרָה עַל לוּחַ זֶה וַעֲשָׂרָה עַל לוּחַ זֶה. דִּכְתִיב וַיַּגֵּד לָכֶם אֶת בְּרִיתוֹ אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה אֶתְכֶם לַעֲשׂוֹת עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדְּבָרִים. עֲשָׂרָה עַל לוּחַ זֶה וַעֲשָׂרָה עַל לוּחַ זֶה.

The rabbis say, ten on each tablet, as it is written: “He informed you of His covenant which He had commanded you to do, the ten words”, ten on each tablet.

וְרַבָּנִן אָֽמְרִין. עֲשָׂרָה עַל לוּחַ זֶה וַעֲשָׂרָה עַל לוּחַ זֶה. הָדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב וַיַּגֵּ֨ד לָכֶ֜ם אֶת־בְּרִית֗וֹ אֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֤ה אֶתְכֶם֙ לַעֲשׂ֔וֹת עֲשֶׂרֶ֭ת הַדְּבָרִ֑ים. עֲשָׂרָה עַל לוּחַ זֶה וַעֲשָׂרָה עַל לוּחַ זֶה.

The rabbis say, ten on each tablet, as it is written: He informed you of His covenant which He had commanded you to do, the ten words, ten on each tablet.

Where are the words Aseres HaDibros found in the Oral Torah - excluding commentaries on the Talmud?

וְאָמַר רַבִּי לֵוִי בַּר חָמָא, אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ, מַאי דִּכְתִיב ״וְאֶתְּנָה לְךָ אֶת לֻחֹת הָאֶבֶן וְהַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוָה אֲשֶׁר כָּתַבְתִּי לְהוֹרֹתָם״. ״לֻחֹת״ — אֵלּוּ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת...

And Rabbi Levi bar Ḥama said that Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: God said to Moses, “Ascend to me on the mountain and be there, and I will give you the stone tablets and the Torah and the mitzva that I have written that you may teach them” (Exodus 24:12), meaning that God revealed to Moses not only the Written Torah, but all of Torah, as it would be transmitted through the generations.
The “tablets” are the ten commandments that were written on the tablets of the Covenant,

תְּנַן הָתָם: אָמַר לָהֶם הַמְמוּנֶּה: ״בָּרְכוּ בְּרָכָה אַחַת!״. וְהֵם בֵּרְכוּ. וְקָרְאוּ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת...

The Gemara returns to dealing with the blessings that accompany Shema, and describes the practice in the Temple. We learned there, in a mishna in tractate Tamid: In the morning the deputy High Priest appointed to oversee activity in the Temple, said to the priests who were members of the priestly watch [mishmar] on duty that week: Recite a single blessing. The members of the priestly watch recited a blessing, and read the Ten Commandments...

וְקוֹרִין עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת ״שְׁמַע״, ״וְהָיָה אִם שָׁמוֹעַ״, ״וַיֹּאמֶר״, ״אֱמֶת וְיַצִּיב״, וַעֲבוֹדָה, וּבִרְכַּת כֹּהֲנִים.
The Gemara related above that the priests in the Temple read the Ten Commandments, along with the sections of Shema, VeHaya im Shamoa, VaYomer, True and Firm, Avoda, and the priestly benediction.

רִבִּי לֵוִי אָמַר מִפְּנֵי שֶׁעֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת כְּלוּלִין בָּהֶן. אָנֹכִי י֙י אֱלֹקֶיךָ. שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל י֙י אֱלֹקֵינוּ. לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ אֱלֹקִים אַחֵרִים עַל פָּנָי. י֙י אֶחָד. לֹא תִשָּׂא אֶת שֵׁם י֙י אֱלֹקֶיךָ לַשָּׁוְא. וְאָהַבְתָּ אֶת י֙י אֱלֹקֶיךָ. מַאן דְּרָחִים מַלְכָּא לֹא לִישְׁתַּבַּע בִּשְׁמֵיהּ וּמְשַׁקֵּר. זָכוֹר אֶת יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת לְקַדְּשׁוֹ. לְמַעַן תִּזְכְּרוּ...

Rebbi Simon says because they mention lying down and getting up. Rebbi Levi said, because the Ten Statements are contained in them. “I am the Eternal, your God.” - “Hear, o Israel, The Eternal, our God.” “You should not have any other gods before me.” - “The Eternal is One.” “Do not take the name of the Eternal, your God, in vain.” - “You must love the Eternal, your God.” He who loves the king will not swear in his name and lie. “Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it.” - “So that you shall remember”...

תנו רבנן בששי בחדש ניתנו עשרת הדברות לישראל רבי יוסי אומר בשבעה בו אמר רבא דכולי עלמא בראש חדש אתו למדבר סיני כתיב הכא ביום הזה באו מדבר סיני וכתיב התם החדש הזה לכם ראש חדשים מה להלן ראש חדש אף כאן ראש חדש ודכולי עלמא בשבת ניתנה תורה לישראל כתיב הכא זכור את יום השבת לקדשו וכתיב התם ויאמר משה אל העם זכור את היום הזה מה להלן בעצומו של יום אף כאן בעצומו של יום כי פליגי בקביעא דירחא רבי יוסי סבר בחד בשבא איקבע ירחא ובחד בשבא לא אמר להו ולא מידי משום חולשא דאורחא בתרי בשבא אמר להו ואתם תהיו לי ממלכת כהנים

The Sages taught: On the sixth day of the month of Sivan, the Ten Commandments were given to the Jewish people. Rabbi Yosei says: On the seventh day of the month.

רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֵּירִבִּי נְחֶמְיָה בְשֵׁם רַבָּן יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּיי. לְפִי שֶׁעִיבְּרוּ עַל עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּיבְּרוֹת יְהֵא נוֹתֵן כָּל־אֶחָד וְאֶחָד עֲשָׂרָה גֵּרָה.

Rebbi Joshua the son of Rebbi Neḥemiah in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan ben Zakkai: Because they transgressed the Ten Commandments, each of them shall give ten gerah.

תַּנְיָא כְּווֹתֵיהּ דְּרֵישׁ לָקִישׁ: מֹשֶׁה עָלָה בֶּעָנָן, וְנִתְכַּסָּה בֶּעָנָן, וְנִתְקַדֵּשׁ בֶּעָנָן, כְּדֵי לְקַבֵּל תּוֹרָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בִּקְדוּשָּׁה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיִּשְׁכּוֹן כְּבוֹד ה׳ עַל הַר סִינַי״ — זֶה הָיָה מַעֲשֶׂה אַחַר עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת, שֶׁהָיוּ תְּחִלָּה לְאַרְבָּעִים יוֹם, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַגְּלִילִי.

§ And a baraita was taught in accordance with the opinion of Reish Lakish that sequestering is derived from Sinai: Moses ascended in the cloud, and was covered in the cloud, and was sanctified in the cloud, in order to receive the Torah for the Jewish people in sanctity, as it is stated: “And the glory of the Lord abode upon Mount Sinai and the cloud covered him six days, and He called to Moses on the seventh day from the midst of the cloud” (Exodus 24:16). This was an incident that occurred after the revelation of the Ten Commandments to the Jewish people, and these six days were the beginning of the forty days that Moses was on the mountain (see Exodus 24:18); this is the statement of Rabbi Yosei HaGelili.

רַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַגְּלִילִי סָבַר לַהּ כְּתַנָּא קַמָּא, דְּאָמַר בְּשִׁשָּׁה בַּחוֹדֶשׁ נִיתְּנָה תּוֹרָה, הִלְכָּךְ זֶה הָיָה מַעֲשֶׂה אַחַר עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת.

The Gemara proceeds to link the two disputes. Rabbi Yosei HaGelili holds in accordance with the opinion of the first tanna in the baraita, who said that it was on the sixth of the month that the Torah was given; therefore, this incident occurred after the revelation of the Ten Commandments.

רַב יוֹסֵף אָמַר: כְּנֶגֶד עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת שֶׁנֶּאֶמְרוּ לוֹ לְמֹשֶׁה בְּסִינַי.

Rav Yosef said: The ten verses correspond to the Ten Commandments, which were said to Moses at Sinai.

חֲמִשָּׁה דְּבָרִים אֵירְעוּ אֶת אֲבוֹתֵינוּ בְּשִׁבְעָה עָשָׂר בְּתַמּוּז וְכוּ׳. נִשְׁתַּבְּרוּ הַלּוּחוֹת, מְנָלַן? דְּתַנְיָא: בְּשִׁשָּׁה לַחֹדֶשׁ נִיתְּנוּ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל...

§ The mishna taught: Five calamitous matters occurred to our forefathers on the seventeenth of Tammuz, one of which was that the tablets were broken. The Gemara asks: From where do we derive that the tablets were broken on this day? As it is taught in a baraita: On the sixth of the month of Sivan the Ten Commandments were given to the Jewish people...

אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי: כְּנֶגֶד עֲשָׂרָה בַּטְלָנִין שֶׁבְּבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת. רַב יוֹסֵף: אָמַר כְּנֶגֶד עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת שֶׁנֶּאֶמְרוּ לְמֹשֶׁה בְּסִינַי.

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: They correspond to the ten idlers that are in the synagogue, i.e., ten men who have the leisure not to work, and instead sit in the synagogue and are available to attend to communal needs. Rav Yosef said: They correspond to the Ten Commandments that were spoken to Moses at Sinai.

הלכה: רַב חוּנָה אָמַר. שְׁלֹשָׁה קְרוּיוֹת שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה לֹא יִפְחֲתוּ מֵעֲשָׂרָה פְסוּקִים. חִזְקִיָּה אָמַר. כְּנֶגֶד עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּיבְּרוֹת.

HALAKHAH: Rav Ḥuna said, three people reading in the Torah shall not do less than ten verses. Ḥizqiah said, corresponding to the Ten Commandments...

א אמר להם הממונה ברכו ברכה אחת והם ברכו קראו עשרת הדברות...

MISHNA: 5:1 After the priests completed laying the parts of the daily offering on the ramp, they went to the Chamber of Hewn Stone to recite Shema. The appointed priest who oversaw the lotteries in the Temple said to the priests: Recite a single blessing of the blessings that accompany Shema. And the members of the priestly watch recited a blessing, and then they recited the Ten Commandments...

Now, the question you were wondering:

What does Aseres HaDibros mean? Most people translate it as the "Ten Commandments" because that’s the translation in all ArtScroll Chumashim and in others as well. Still, everyone agrees that aseres, which comes from the word eseir, means ten. Then, what does HaDibros mean?

Rashi provides the answer:

(א) ויקרא אל משה. לְכָל דִּבְּרוֹת וּלְכָל אֲמִירוֹת וּלְכָל צִוּוּיִים קָדְמָה קְרִיאָה,

(1) ויקרא אל משה AND [THE LORD] CALLED UNTO MOSES — All oral communications of the Lord to Moses whether they are introduced by דבר or by אמר or by צו were preceded by a call (to prepare him for the forthcoming address) (cf Sifra, Vayikra Dibbura d'Nedavah, Chapter 1 1-2).

The Sapirstein Edition Rashi (page 2) cites as follows:

לְכָל דִּבְּרוֹת וּלְכָל אֲמִירוֹת וּלְכָל צִוּוּיִים קָדְמָה קְרִיאָה - “Calling" preceded every statement, and every saying, and every tzivuyim, commandment.

Since Rashi translates dibros to mean statement, Aseres HaDibros would translate as the ‘Ten Statements’. Had it been Aseres HaTzivuyim, that would translate to mean the ‘Ten Commandments’.