"The greatest event in motion picture history!"
The Ten Commandments - Movie Quotes
Memorable Quotes
So let it be written, so let it be done.
— Rameses II
Context:
Rameses says this repeatedly when issuing decrees, most chillingly when ordering the death of the Hebrew firstborns.
Meaning:
The ultimate assertion of absolute, dictatorial power. It signifies that the Pharaoh's word is law, requiring no debate or justification, contrasting sharply with God's law.
God made men. Men made slaves.
— Joshua
Context:
Spoken by Joshua the stonecutter when defending his dignity against Egyptian overseers.
Meaning:
A concise summary of the film's humanistic and theological message: freedom is the natural state of humanity, while bondage is an artificial human construct.
Let my people go!
— Moses
Context:
Moses delivers this message to Rameses in the royal court, initiating the cycle of plagues.
Meaning:
The central demand of the Exodus. It is not a request but a divine command, establishing the conflict between God's will and Pharaoh's will.
His god... IS God.
— Rameses II
Context:
Spoken by a broken Rameses sitting on his throne after his army is drowned in the Red Sea.
Meaning:
The final admission of defeat. The man who claimed to be a living god is forced to acknowledge the supremacy of the Hebrew God after losing everything.
Oh, Moses, Moses! You stubborn, splendid, adorable fool!
— Nefretiri
Context:
Nefretiri says this while trying to seduce Moses back to her side before he leaves the palace.
Meaning:
Highlights the romantic tragedy and Nefretiri's inability to understand Moses' spiritual transformation. She sees his mission as foolishness compared to the earthly power she offers.