Is the Third Commandment Really Only About “Taking God’s Name in Vain”?
Is the Third Commandment Really Only About “Taking God’s Name in Vain”? From Bearing God’s Name to Entering the Name—Rethinking the Third Commandment and the Calling of God’s People A Familiar Commandment—and Perhaps a Deeply Misunderstood One Nearly every Christian is familiar with the third of the Ten Commandments: “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.” Most readers naturally understand this to mean: Do not use “God” carelessly. Do not swear falsely by God. Do not turn God’s name into a casual expression. Do not blaspheme God. All these concerns may legitimately fall within the commandment’s range of meaning. False oaths and irreverent speech certainly misuse the divine name. Yet when we return to the Hebrew text, a broader and more demanding possibility emerges. The commandment may concern not only how we speak God’s name, but also how we bear God’s name. What Does the Hebrew Text Actually Say? Exodus 20:7 reads: לֹא תִשָּׂא אֶת־שֵׁם יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לַש...