You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who takes His name in vain. You shall not takeThe phrase "You shall not take" is a direct command, emphasizing the seriousness and authority of the instruction. In Hebrew, the word for "take" is "nasa," which can mean to lift, carry, or bear. This implies a sense of responsibility and reverence in how one uses or invokes the name of God. The command is not merely about speech but about the attitude and intention behind using God's name. the name of the LORD
The "name of the LORD" refers to God's revealed identity and character. In Hebrew, "LORD" is "YHWH" (Yahweh), the sacred and personal name of God given to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:14). This name signifies God's eternal existence and covenantal faithfulness. To invoke God's name is to acknowledge His presence, power, and authority. your God
The phrase "your God" personalizes the command, reminding the Israelites of their unique covenant relationship with Yahweh. It underscores the idea that God is not a distant deity but one who is intimately involved with His people. This relationship demands respect and reverence, especially in how His name is used. in vain
The term "in vain" translates from the Hebrew word "shav," which means emptiness, falsehood, or worthlessness. To take God's name "in vain" is to use it in a way that is disrespectful, insincere, or trivial. This includes false oaths, blasphemy, or any use that diminishes the holiness and reverence due to God. for the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished
This phrase serves as a solemn warning. The Hebrew word for "unpunished" is "naqah," meaning to be held guiltless or to go unpunished. It emphasizes God's justice and the seriousness of the offense. The use of God's name is not a trivial matter, and there are divine consequences for misuse. who takes His name in vain
Reiterating the command, this phrase highlights the personal responsibility of each individual in their use of God's name. It serves as a reminder that the misuse of God's name is not just a violation of a commandment but an affront to God's holiness and character. The repetition underscores the importance of reverence and the need for a heart aligned with God's will. Persons / Places / Events 1. MosesThe prophet and leader of the Israelites who delivered God's commandments to the people. 2. IsraelitesThe chosen people of God, receiving the Law as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. 3. Mount SinaiThe place where God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses, including the commandment in Deuteronomy 5:11. 4. The LORD (Yahweh)The covenant name of God, emphasizing His eternal and self-existent nature. 5. The Promised LandThe land promised by God to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Teaching Points Reverence for God's NameGod's name is holy and should be treated with the utmost respect. This commandment calls us to honor God in our speech and actions. Integrity in SpeechAvoid using God's name carelessly or in false oaths. Our words should reflect our commitment to truth and integrity. Awareness of God's PresenceRecognizing that God is always present should influence how we speak and act, ensuring that we do not misuse His name. Reflecting God's CharacterAs bearers of God's name, Christians are called to live in a way that reflects His holiness and love. Consequences of DisobedienceThe warning of punishment for taking God's name in vain serves as a reminder of the seriousness of this commandment. Bible Study Questions 1. How does understanding the original Hebrew word for "vain" (shav) deepen our understanding of this commandment? 2. In what ways can we ensure that we are honoring God's name in our daily conversations and actions? 3. How does the teaching of Jesus in the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9) relate to the commandment in Deuteronomy 5:11? 4. What are some modern examples of taking God's name in vain, and how can we avoid them? 5. How can reflecting on the consequences mentioned in Deuteronomy 5:11 motivate us to live with greater reverence for God? Connections to Other Scriptures Exodus 20:7This verse is a parallel to Deuteronomy 5:11, as it is part of the original giving of the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. Leviticus 19:12This verse warns against swearing falsely by God's name, which is another form of taking His name in vain. Matthew 6:9In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus teaches His disciples to hallow God's name, emphasizing the reverence due to it. James 5:12James advises believers to avoid swearing oaths, which can relate to the misuse of God's name. Philippians 2:9-11This passage highlights the exaltation of Jesus' name, underscoring the importance of honoring God's name. People MosesPlaces Beth-baal-peor, Egypt, HorebTopics Acquit, Anyone, Evil, Guiltless, Hold, Idly, Judged, Leave, Lips, Lord's, Misuses, Purpose, Sinner, Takes, Taketh, Unpunished, Utter, Uttereth, VainDictionary of Bible Themes Deuteronomy 5:11 1235 God, the LORD
5042 name of God, significance
5430 oaths, human
5550 speech, negative
5800 blasphemy
8470 respect, for God
8807 profanity Deuteronomy 5:6-21 1443 revelation, OT
7263 theocracy
8412 decisions Deuteronomy 5:11-12 8242 ethics, personal Library Prayer and Obedience
"An obedience discovered itself in Fletcher of Madeley, which I wish I could describe or imitate. It produced in him a ready mind to embrace every cross with alacrity and pleasure. He had a singular love for the lambs of the flock, and applied himself with the greatest diligence to their instruction, for which he had a peculiar gift. . . . All his intercourse with me was so mingled with prayer and praise, that every employment, and every meal was, as it were, perfumed therewith." -- JOHN WESLEY. …
Edward M. Bounds—The Necessity of PrayerThe Old Testament Canon from Its Beginning to Its Close.
The first important part of the Old Testament put together as a whole was the Pentateuch, or rather, the five books of Moses and Joshua. This was preceded by smaller documents, which one or more redactors embodied in it. The earliest things committed to writing were probably the ten words proceeding from Moses himself, afterwards enlarged into the ten commandments which exist at present in two recensions (Exod. xx., Deut. v.) It is true that we have the oldest form of the decalogue from the Jehovist …
Samuel Davidson—The Canon of the Bible Questions About the Nature and Perpetuity of the Seventh-Day Sabbath.
AND PROOF, THAT THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK IS THE TRUE CHRISTIAN SABBATH. BY JOHN BUNYAN. 'The Son of man is lord also of the Sabbath day.' London: Printed for Nath, Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, 1685. EDITOR'S ADVERTISEMENT. All our inquiries into divine commands are required to be made personally, solemnly, prayerful. To 'prove all things,' and 'hold fast' and obey 'that which is good,' is a precept, equally binding upon the clown, as it is upon the philosopher. Satisfied from our observations …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 "They have Corrupted Themselves; their Spot is not the Spot of his Children; they are a Perverse and Crooked Generation. "
Deut. xxxii. 5.--"They have corrupted themselves; their spot is not the spot of his children; they are a perverse and crooked generation." We doubt this people would take well with such a description of themselves as Moses gives. It might seem strange to us, that God should have chosen such a people out of all the nations of the earth, and they to be so rebellious and perverse, if our own experience did not teach us how free his choice is, and how long-suffering he is, and constant in his choice. …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning The True Manner of Keeping Holy the Lord's Day.
Now the sanctifying of the Sabbath consists in two things--First, In resting from all servile and common business pertaining to our natural life; Secondly, In consecrating that rest wholly to the service of God, and the use of those holy means which belong to our spiritual life. For the First. 1. The servile and common works from which we are to cease are, generally, all civil works, from the least to the greatest (Exod. xxxi. 12, 13, 15, &c.) More particularly-- First, From all the works of our …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety The Everlasting Covenant of the Spirit
"They shall be My people, and l will be their God. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from Me."--JER. xxxii. 38, 40. "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye …
Andrew Murray—The Two Covenants Jesus Fails to Attend the Third Passover.
Scribes Reproach Him for Disregarding Tradition. (Galilee, Probably Capernaum, Spring a.d. 29.) ^A Matt. XV. 1-20; ^B Mark VII. 1-23; ^D John VII. 1. ^d 1 And after these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Judæa, because the Jews sought to kill him. [John told us in his last chapter that the passover was near at hand. He here makes a general statement which shows that Jesus did not attend this passover. The reason for his absence is given at John v. 18.] ^a 1 Then there …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel The Angel of the Lord in the Pentateuch, and the Book of Joshua.
The New Testament distinguishes between the hidden God and the revealed God--the Son or Logos--who is connected with the former by oneness of nature, and who from everlasting, and even at the creation itself, filled up the immeasurable distance between the Creator and the creation;--who has been the Mediator in all God's relations to the world;--who at all times, and even before He became man in Christ, has been the light of [Pg 116] the world,--and to whom, specially, was committed the direction …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Mount Zion.
"For ye are not come unto a mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, and unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that no word more should be spoken unto them: for they could not endure that which was enjoined, If even a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned; and so fearful was the appearance, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake: but ye are come unto Mount Zion, and unto …
Thomas Charles Edwards—The Expositor's Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews The Foundations of Good Citizenship.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.--Ex. 20:1-17. Parallel Readings. Hist. Bible I, 194-198. Prin. of Politics, Chap. II. Lowell, Essay on "Democracy." Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image. Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy God in vain. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Honor thy father and thy mother. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. Thou …
Charles Foster Kent—The Making of a Nation Deuteronomy
Owing to the comparatively loose nature of the connection between consecutive passages in the legislative section, it is difficult to present an adequate summary of the book of Deuteronomy. In the first section, i.-iv. 40, Moses, after reviewing the recent history of the people, and showing how it reveals Jehovah's love for Israel, earnestly urges upon them the duty of keeping His laws, reminding them of His spirituality and absoluteness. Then follows the appointment, iv. 41-43--here irrelevant (cf. …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Deuteronomy 5:11 NIVDeuteronomy 5:11 NLTDeuteronomy 5:11 ESVDeuteronomy 5:11 NASBDeuteronomy 5:11 KJV
Deuteronomy 5:11 Commentaries
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