Exodus 20:7

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold guiltless anyone who takes his name in vain.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

לֹ֥א תִשָּׂ֛א אֶת־שֵֽׁם־יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ לַשָּׁ֑וְא כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יְנַקֶּה֙ יְהוָ֔ה אֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר־יִשָּׂ֥א אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ לַשָּֽׁוְא׃

Transliteration

lōʾ ṯiśśāʾ ʾeṯ-shēm-YHWH ʾĕlōheḵā lash-shāwəʾ kî lōʾ yənaqeh YHWH ʾēṯ ʾăsher-yiśśāʾ ʾeṯ-shəmô lash-shāwəʾ

Grammar Details

• *lōʾ ṯiśśāʾ*: negative particle + qal imperfect, 2nd masculine singular - you shall not lift/carry
• *ʾeṯ-shēm*: direct object marker + masculine singular construct - the name of
• *YHWH*: proper name - LORD/YHWH
• *ʾĕlōheḵā*: masculine plural noun construct with 2nd masculine singular suffix - your God
• *lash-shāwəʾ*: preposition + definite article + masculine singular noun - for falsehood/vanity
• *kî*: conjunction - for/because
• *lōʾ yənaqeh*: negative particle + piel imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - will not hold guiltless
• *ʾēṯ*: direct object marker
• *ʾăsher-yiśśāʾ*: relative pronoun + qal imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - who lifts/carries
• *ʾeṯ-shəmô*: direct object marker + masculine singular noun with 3rd masculine singular suffix - his name

Word Meanings

• *ṯiśśāʾ*: lift up/carry/bear/take/utter
• *shēm*: name/reputation/character
• *lash-shāwəʾ*: in vain/falsely/for emptiness/for no purpose
• *yənaqeh*: hold guiltless/leave unpunished/acquit

Referenced Verses

• Lev 19:12 : 12 You must not swear falsely in my name, so that you do not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.
• Jas 5:12 : 12 And above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath. But let your“Yes” be yes and your“No” be no, so that you may not fall into judgment.
• Heb 6:16-17 : 16 For people swear by something greater than themselves, and the oath serves as a confirmation to end all dispute. 17 In the same way God wanted to demonstrate more clearly to the heirs of the promise that his purpose was unchangeable, and so he intervened with an oath,
• Ps 50:14-16 : 14 Present to God a thank-offering! Repay your vows to the Most High! 15 Pray to me when you are in trouble! I will deliver you, and you will honor me!” 16 God says this to the evildoer:“How can you declare my commands, and talk about my covenant?
• Prov 30:9 : 9 lest I become satisfied and act deceptively and say,“Who is the LORD?” Or lest I become poor and steal and demean the name of my God.
• Lev 24:11-16 : 11 The Israelite woman’s son misused the Name and cursed, so they brought him to Moses.(Now his mother’s name was Shelomith daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.) 12 So they placed him in custody until they were able to make a clear legal decision for themselves based on words from the mouth of the LORD. 13 Then the LORD spoke to Moses: 14 “Bring the one who cursed outside the camp, and all who heard him are to lay their hands on his head, and the whole congregation is to stone him to death. 15 Moreover, you are to tell the Israelites,‘If any man curses his God he will bear responsibility for his sin, 16 and one who misuses the name of the LORD must surely be put to death. The whole congregation must surely stone him, whether he is a resident foreigner or a native citizen; when he misuses the Name he must be put to death.
• Deut 5:11 : 11 You must not make use of the name of the LORD your God for worthless purposes, for the LORD will not exonerate anyone who abuses his name that way.
• Matt 23:16-22 : 16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say,‘Whoever swears by the temple is bound by nothing. But whoever swears by the gold of the temple is bound by the oath.’ 17 Blind fools! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 And,‘Whoever swears by the altar is bound by nothing. But if anyone swears by the gift on it he is bound by the oath.’ 19 You are blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and the one who dwells in it. 22 And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and the one who sits on it.
• Jer 4:2 : 2 You must be truthful, honest and upright when you take an oath saying,‘As surely as the LORD lives!’ If you do, the nations will pray to be as blessed by him as you are and will make him the object of their boasting.”
• Matt 5:33-37 : 33 Oaths“Again, you have heard that it was said to an older generation,‘Do not break an oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ 34 But I say to you, do not take oaths at all– not by heaven, because it is the throne of God, 35 not by earth, because it is his footstool, and not by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King. 36 Do not take an oath by your head, because you are not able to make one hair white or black. 37 Let your word be‘Yes, yes’ or‘No, no.’ More than this is from the evil one.
• Deut 10:20 : 20 Revere the LORD your God, serve him, be loyal to him and take oaths only in his name.
• Josh 2:12 : 12 So now, promise me this with an oath sworn in the LORD’s name. Because I have shown allegiance to you, show allegiance to my family. Give me a solemn pledge
• Josh 2:17 : 17 The men said to her,“We are not bound by this oath you made us swear unless the following conditions are met:
• Josh 9:20 : 20 We must let them live so we can escape the curse attached to the oath we swore to them.”
• 2 Sam 21:1-2 : 1 The Gibeonites Demand Revenge During David’s reign there was a famine for three consecutive years. So David inquired of the LORD. The LORD said,“It is because of Saul and his bloodstained family, because he murdered the Gibeonites.” 2 So the king summoned the Gibeonites and spoke with them.(Now the Gibeonites were not descendants of Israel; they were a remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had made a promise to them, but Saul tried to kill them because of his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah.)
• 1 Kgs 2:9 : 9 But now don’t treat him as if he were innocent. You are a wise man and you know how to handle him; make sure he has a bloody death.”