Seeking explanation for the 3rd commandment.

Hello,
Can someone explain the 3rd commandment "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain " please? In as simple words as you can.

Thank you

Hello and welcome to CC…

Rather than providing an explanation, I will suggest you check BibleGateway online. There you can compare dozens of translations to get a broader sense of the command.

I am looking for explanations. It basically says "misuse" in translations. I am hoping to find out what counts as misuse, and how can I avoid that. And also how the invoke it correctly.

to use the Lord, the Bible for your own self gain from the people
Matthew 5:15-16
Don’t hide your light! Let it shine for all; let your good deeds glow for all to see, so that they will praise your heavenly Father.
Yet, watch out
Matthew 6:1
“Take care! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired, for then you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.

Exod 20: 7
Amplified Bible
“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain [that is, irreverently, in false affirmations or in ways that impugn the character of God]; for the LORD will not hold guiltless nor leave unpunished the one who takes His name in vain [disregarding its reverence and its power].

New International Version
“You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.


Hebrew word for Vain in this scripture

Strong's Lexicon
shav: Vanity, emptiness, falsehood, worthlessness
Definition: Vanity, emptiness, falsehood, worthlessness
Meaning: evil, idolatry, uselessness

Word Origin: From the root שָׁאָה (sha'ah), meaning to rush over or to devastate.

The Hebrew word "shav" primarily conveys the idea of vanity or emptiness. It is often used to describe actions, words, or objects that are futile, deceptive, or lacking in substance. In the context of the Ten Commandments, it is used to prohibit taking the Lord's name in vain, emphasizing the seriousness of using God's name with reverence and truthfulness.

Cultural and Historical Background: In ancient Israelite culture, the concept of "shav" was significant in religious and ethical contexts. The Israelites were called to worship God in truth and sincerity, avoiding idolatry and falsehood. The use of "shav" in legal and religious texts underscores the importance of integrity and authenticity in one's relationship with God and others. The ancient Near Eastern context, with its plethora of deities and religious practices, made the call to avoid "shav" particularly relevant as a means of distinguishing the worship of Yahweh from surrounding pagan practices

י; ׳נשׂא לַשּׁ (לֹא) Exodus 20:7 (twice in verse) take up name of God in vain (to no good purpose)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
falsely, lie, lying, vain, vanity

Or shav {shav}; from the same as show' in the sense of desolating; evil (as destructive),
literally (ruin) or morally (especially guile);
figuratively idolatry (as false, subjective), uselessness (as deceptive, objective; also adverbially, in vain) -- false(-ly), lie, lying, vain, vanity

What is your purpose for quoting me and posting these verses. A plain-English response, please.

to use the Lords name in vain would be ussing words like God and then the word damn or using og my God in a bad way. Really any way you use his name to mean something bad would fit the bill

never say, "God damn", never use the Lord's name in a way that is ungodly, never curse using God's name, do not speak evil against the Lord. ALWAYS use God names as God intended.

It's words like O_G sometimes the way people say Jesus christ is consider in vain also and anything with holy anything is also invain because it's using the holy spirits name in vain.

Robin is not going to be happy about this.

When a man and woman get married, then she takes or carries his last name, but if she were to act in a way that was unfaithful to him or that diminished his reputation, then she would be taking his last name in vain. Similarly, the Mosaic Covenant is often described in terms of being a marriage between God and Israel, and in Numbers 6:25-28, God put His name on His people, so we are taking or carrying His name and what we do is in His name as His representatives, so we should seek to glorify His name by doing good works in it (Matthew 5:16).

Is exclaimations good? I mean when we say OMG! in that sense?

well that could could mean oh my goodness but it usually means oh my God and as for if it would work out I would say no it is still using his name in vain

it

Well, as an army chaplain I once felt led to share a sermon on cussing, which I analyzed into three main categories: the S-words, F-words and GD-words, which would be condemned by that commandment reaffirmed by Paul in:

TOP #164: Christians should not speak coarsely or unlovingly, but rather helpfully. [EPH 4:29 & 5:4] James states this teaching in terms of moral filth and controlling one’s tongue (JM 1:21 & 3:8-10).

I confess to not obeying this command sometimes, (usually when alone and an infernal inanimate object attacks me :^)

proper question. it seems most people who say, "oh my God", say it just because, over the decades, they conditioned it in their brain because everyone else was saying it & it was so prevalent. just like, "hi". everyone says, "hi". now, because it's a powerful habit in speech, along with that comes no meaning to it most of the time, just exactly that, a habit. by course, there are people who say, "oh my God" & mean to curse God because they are atheists. Christians may even say it out of habit but they really don't mean it in a negative, bad, wrong sinful way, again, just a habit. most assuredly, we all picked it up from our parents. i have said, "oh my God" when a bunch of things were going wrong, you know, like a bad day, & it was habit, not cursing God at all, although it sounded like it fortunately for me, in my life, bad days were quite minimal. saying, "oh my God" for reasons of being blessed, receiving a gift, a new car from mom & dad, receiving a promotion, etc., is proper. you are praising God in gratitude. Christians always aught to be careful when expressing, "oh my God" in that it is Godly.

Yes, and a related question is whether euphemisms are okay, such as gosh, darn and shoot (or sheewawa :^).

yes, if not God related.

Well gosh and goll are related to God but not explicitly.
(I guess "gad merd" is different enough not to imply being God-related :^)