As with most things in the Bible, context is everything. In this case the 10 foremost commandments, of which there are 613 were the first attempts by the Hebrews to write a form of constitution (with God at the core) on which to build their new country of Israel.

Given the average lifespan of 20-30 years at this period in history they had spent literal generations living in Egypt, first as welcome migrant workers and later as slaves. They had no idea how to form a government or operate as a nation-state.

The top 10 commandments have informed western laws and society for millennia but they must be viewed in the historical context on which they were created. At this part in history yes, men were in control of everything. This was the Bronze Age, where half the world still lived as hunter-gatherers! We live in more enlightened times but we should not judge the past on the rules of the present.

As Christians we are not beholden to them beyond their influence in our laws but rather the foundations of faith that Jesus laid down. It could be argued these actually go much further, telling us how to treat others and ourselves on a personal level. Societal rules change with what each generation finds acceptable; the ideas of love, forgiveness and charity are timeless.