Pointing out.
The term Aseres HaDibros translate roughly to ten statements or ten sayings.
The term ten commandments would be HuEser Mitzvohs. But where do Chazal refer to them that way?
Where does this title come from?
Obviously from Christianity. Perhaps the early jewish members or from later on.
Why would we use a term coined by Apikursos?
Is there a real difference if we use their title? Yes.
They were emphasizing that these mitzvahs were different from the rest of the Torah and they did away with most of Torah which is Nevuas Moshe. And they are saying that only these ten that came directly from Hash-m are what counts. That these are THE Ten Commandments. The other commandments they disregard.
So should we feel comfortable using a term invented by Apikorsim and Kofrim that was made to be Mak-chish Nevuas Moshe Rabbeinu?
When we talk to someone marginally frum we may have to use it otherwise they might think we are not normal.
But for us it should be foul tasting to iluu
Moshe Reinitz
It indeed is a misnomer to translate "Dibros" as "commandments." Besides the linguistic innaccuracy, there is the reasoning that you present.
We might add that had they been termed "Mitzvos," people might have been tempted to say that only these Mitzvos apply and not others, but because they are called "Dibros" we see that they are the ones which were uniquely said ("Dibur") but that does not contradict the fact that there are hundreds of written commandments which were not "said" at the point when the Torah was given. In fact, this is an explicit verse in Devarim (9:10), stating that the Luchos have on them all the "Devarim Asher Diber Hash-m (words spoken by G-d) from the fire on the day of assembly." Thus, the term "Diber" is intuitive in this case and captures the unique aspect of these commandments which were spoken at the assembly, but this does not preclude other written commands.
Yoel Domb