One of the Ten Commandments reads, “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD in vain” (Exodus 20:16). We were taught that this meant to not curse out someone using the phrase “G—d— you.” That is a sound teaching for all of us to follow. However, upon further investigation, this commandment really does not mean this.
First of all, we now know that the King James translators substituted the title “the LORD” for the Hebrew name of God, YHWH, or Yahweh. So it should read, “Thou shalt not take the name of Yahweh in vain.” “God” is a title and not His name.
But to “take” the name Yahweh—what does that mean? Looking up the word “take” in Strong’s Concordance, we see that it is translated from the Hebrew word nasaw, #5375, meaning “to lift up, to extol.” In too many references to mention, it is translated “to lift up,” as in, to lift up voices to heaven, to lift up hands, eyes, hearts, etc. In one place it is translated “extol.”
So, with this in mind, we can now read the commandment, “Thou shalt not lift up the name of Yahweh in vain.” Looking up the phrase “in vain” in Strong’s, we see that it means, “false, falsely.” The same Hebrew word is translated “falsely” in many passages.
The More Correct Meaning of This Commandment
Putting this knowledge into the commandment, we now can read it with true meaning: “Thou shalt not lift up and extol the name of Yahweh falsely.” His name is holy—“hallowed be thy name.” So, using His name in a false way, for false purposes, is breaking that commandment and is a sin against Him. His name is to be praised, for our very lives and salvation are coded into His name. Consequently, knowing how precious and powerful His name is, for us to invoke His name for selfish reasons would be breaking this commandment.
A blatant scriptural example of this comes to mind. Someone once said that no man’s life is absolutely worthless; it can always serve as a horrible example. Such is the case of Simon the sorcerer. Simon, who had bewitched the people into thinking that he was a “the great power of God” was witnessing the true ministry of Philip. Philip preached “the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Yahshua, the Messiah” (Acts 8:12). Simon’s followers believed Philip’s message, along with Simon himself, who was baptized, and followed Philip, “beholding the miracles and signs which were done.” The apostles in Jerusalem “heard that Samaria had received the word of God,” and they sent Peter and John, who prayed for the new believers, that they might receive the Holy Ghost. When Simon saw that the people received the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands, he offered the apostles money to buy this power. Of course, they rejected and rebuked him for his sin and folly. The point here is that he was lifting up Yah’s name in a false manner, for false pretenses and purposes, and it was sin.
I have to ask this question: Seeing that the phrase “taking the Lord’s name in vain” does not mean what we were taught growing up, how many other things about God have been erroneous? Kenneth Wayne Hancock
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