Exodus 20:7

Webster's Bible (1833)

"You shall not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain, for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless 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 shall not swear by my name falsely, and profane the name of your God. I am Yahweh.
• Jas 5:12 : 12 But above all things, my brothers, don't swear, neither by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath; but let your "yes" be "yes," and your "no," "no;" so that you don't fall into hypocrisy.{TR reads "under judgment" instead of "into hypocrisy"}
• Heb 6:16-17 : 16 For men indeed swear by a greater one, and in every dispute of theirs the oath is final for confirmation. 17 In this way God, being determined to show more abundantly to the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, interposed with an oath;
• Ps 50:14-16 : 14 Offer to God the sacrifice of thanksgiving. Pay your vows to the Most High. 15 Call on me in the day of trouble. I will deliver you, and you will honor me." 16 But to the wicked God says, "What right do you have to declare my statutes, That you have taken my covenant on your lips,
• Prov 30:9 : 9 Lest I be full, deny you, and say, 'Who is Yahweh?' Or lest I be poor, and steal, And so dishonor the name of my God.
• Lev 24:11-16 : 11 The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name, and cursed; and they brought him to Moses. His mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan. 12 They put him in custody, until the will of Yahweh should be declared to them. 13 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 14 "Bring out of the camp him who cursed; and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him. 15 You shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, 'Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin. 16 He who blasphemes the name of Yahweh, he shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall certainly stone him: the foreigner as well as the native-born, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.
• Deut 5:11 : 11 "You shall not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain: for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
• Matt 23:16-22 : 16 "Woe to you, you blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obligated.' 17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold? 18 'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obligated.' 19 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift? 20 He therefore who swears by the altar, swears by it, and by everything on it. 21 He who swears by the temple, swears by it, and by him who was living in it. 22 He who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him who sits on it.
• Jer 4:2 : 2 and you shall swear, As Yahweh lives, in truth, in justice, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.
• Matt 5:33-37 : 33 "Again you have heard that it was said to them of old time, 'You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord your vows,' 34 but I tell you, don't swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God; 35 nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Neither shall you swear by your head, for you can't make one hair white or black. 37 But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No' be 'no.' Whatever is more than these is of the evil one.
• Deut 10:20 : 20 You shall fear Yahweh your God; him shall you serve; and to him shall you cleave, and by his name shall you swear.
• Josh 2:12 : 12 Now therefore, please swear to me by Yahweh, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father's house, and give me a true token;
• Josh 2:17 : 17 The men said to her, We will be guiltless of this your oath which you have made us to swear.
• Josh 9:20 : 20 This we will do to them, and let them live; lest wrath be on us, because of the oath which we swore to them.
• 2 Sam 21:1-2 : 1 There was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David sought the face of Yahweh. Yahweh said, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he put to death the Gibeonites. 2 The king called the Gibeonites, and said to them (now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; and the children of Israel had sworn to them: and Saul sought to kill them in his zeal for the children of Israel and Judah);
• 1 Kgs 2:9 : 9 Now therefore don't hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man; and you will know what you ought to do to him, and you shall bring his gray head down to Sheol with blood.