Thou Shalt Not Take The Name..........

[Rico]

Of The Lord Thy God In Vain.


I have seen so many people apply this scripture to mean we shouldn't cuss. In another thread, StMark was given some negative feedback over using OMG, short for O My God. I used to think this scripture meant what the generally accepted application is, but my thinking on it changed a few years while sitting at a Mc Donald's restaurant, reading my Bible.

Anyway, I was sitting at this McDonald's eating whatever it was I had ordered and reading this scripture. As I read it I asked myself what "taking" meant. I realized that when I became a Christian I had taken on the name of Christ. My identity had been changed. This revelation completely changed my viewpoint on this scripture. Where once it had meant to not cut loose with cuss words usually associated with this scripture, it now meant not to waste the change in identity God had given me. I decided to look this scripture up and see what "take" means. I was surprised to find that "use" was not one of the definitions. What say ye?

Hebrew Strong's Number: 5375
Hebrew Word: ‏נָשָׂא‎
Transliteration: nāśāʾ
Phonetic Pronunciation:naw-saw'
Root: a primitive root
Cross Reference: TWOT - 1421
Part of Speech: v
Vine's Words: Prince, Remove (To), Depart


Usage Notes:

English Words used in KJV:
(bare / lift etc...) up 219
bear 115
take 58
bare 34
carry 30
(take / carry)..away 22
borne 22
armourbearer 18
forgive 16
accept 12
exalt 8
regard 5
obtained 4
respect 3
miscellaneous translations 74
[Total Count: 654]

or nacah, naw-saw'; (Psa. 4:6 [7]), a primitive root; to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolutely and relatively (as follows) :- accept, advance, arise, (able to, [armour], suffer to) bear (-er, up), bring (forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease, exact, exalt (self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further, give, go on, help, high, hold up, honourable (+ man), lade, lay, lift (self) up, lofty, marry, magnify, × needs, obtain, pardon, raise (up), receive, regard, respect, set (up), spare, stir up, + swear, take (away, up), × utterly, wear, yield.

—Strong's Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary

[MissBrattified]

Rico, I certainly think that it does encompass the idea that we should respectfully refer to God. Evidence of this interpretation would be the careful way God's name or titles are even written.

Certainly, though, there is a deeper meaning that can be drawn out, which is, we should be careful how we represent God['s name]. In my opinion, that would include respectfully speaking about God, and refraining from using His name or titles casually or frivolously.

[MrsMcD]

OMG means Oh my goodness to me.

[Rico]

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

Rico, I certainly think that it does encompass the idea that we should respectfully refer to God. Evidence of this interpretation would be the careful way God's name or titles are even written.

Certainly, though, there is a deeper meaning that can be drawn out, which is, we should be careful how we represent God['s name]. In my opinion, that would include respectfully speaking about God, and refraining from using His name or titles casually or frivolously.

I don't think it has anything to do with cussing. For starters, God is not a name.

[MissBrattified]

Originally Posted by Rico

I don't think it has anything to do with cussing. For starters, God is not a name.

Then don't capitalize it.

[MissBrattified]

And, I didn't say it had anything to do with cussing. Cursing would fall under a number of other applicable scriptures.

I certainly wouldn't put cursing and using God's name or title[s] AS a curse, expletive or byword on the same level.

[Rico]

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

Then don't capitalize it.

He isn't a name either, but I capitalize when referring to Him. What does that prove?

[Rico]

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

And, I didn't say it had anything to do with cussing. Cursing would fall under a number of other applicable scriptures.

I certainly wouldn't put cursing and using God's name or title[s] AS a curse, expletive or byword on the same level.

Give me examples of what you are talking about then, if not the all too familiar cuss word you know I am talking about.

[Praxeas]

it has to do with speaking

Psa 139:19 Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God! O men of blood, depart from me!
Psa 139:20 They speak against you with malicious intent; your enemies take your name in vain!

lift from hebrew "take up"

See how this is used

Num 23:7 And Balaam took up his discourse and said, "From Aram Balak has brought me, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains: 'Come, curse Jacob for me, and come, denounce Israel!'

Isa 14:4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon: "How the oppressor has ceased, the insolent fury ceased!

Job 27:1 And Job again took up his discourse, and said:
Job 27:2 "As God lives, who has taken away my right, and the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter,

Psa 81:1 To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. Of Asaph. Sing aloud to God our strength; shout for joy to the God of Jacob!
Psa 81:2 Raise a song; sound the tambourine, the sweet lyre with the harp.

Keil and Delitzsch
The word prohibits all employment of the name of God for vain and unworthy objects, and includes not only false swearing, which is condemned in Lev_19:12 as a profanation of the name of Jehovah, but trivial swearing in the ordinary intercourse of life, and every use of the name of God in the service of untruth and lying, for imprecation, witchcraft, or conjuring; whereas the true employment of the name of God is confined to “invocation, prayer, praise, and thanksgiving,” which proceeds from a pure, believing heart. The natural heart is very liable to transgress this command, and therefore it is solemnly enforced by the threat, “for Jehovah will not hold him guiltless” (leave him unpunished), etc

Lev 19:12 You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the LORD.Lev 24:15 And speak to the people of Israel, saying, Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin.
Lev 24:16 Whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.

blasphemy
A primitive root; to puncture, literally (to perforate, with more or less violence) or figuratively (to specify, designate, libel): - appoint, blaspheme, bore, curse, express, with holes, name, pierce, strike through.

Swear
1) to swear, adjure
1a) (Qal) sworn (participle)
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to swear, take an oath
1b2) to swear (of Jehovah by Himself)
1b3) to curse
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to cause to take an oath
1c2) to adjure

when this is really bad is when we swear or call God as witness and are lying or being trivial (joking)

ISBE
David's sin is an occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme
2Sa 12:13 And David said to Nathan, I have sinned against Jehovah. And Nathan said to David, Jehovah also has put away your sin; you shall not die.
2Sa 12:14 Only, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of Jehovah to blaspheme, this child born to you shall surely die.

Blasphemy in other places
A primitive root; to scorn; or (Ecc_12:5) by interchange for H5132, to bloom: - abhor, (give occasion to) blaspheme, contemn, despise, flourish, X great, provoke.
Psa 74:18 Remember how the enemy hurls insults, O Lord, and how a foolish nation blasphemes your name!

The NET has
Lev 24:16 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 foreigner or a native citizen; when he misuses the Name he must be put to death.

Remember we are commanded to "Hallow" his name.

We are to call on His name and Bless it.

[A.W. Bowman]

Originally Posted by Rico

Of The Lord Thy God In Vain.

I have seen so many people apply this scripture to mean we shouldn't cuss. ... I decided to look this scripture up and see what "take" means. I was surprised to find that "use" was not one of the definitions. What say ye?

Excellent approach. Here is a site that might assist you in other such investigations:

http://cf.blueletterbible.org/lang/l...gs=H0001&t=KJV

Here you have two of the best lexicons for doing word studies, Gesenius (Hebrew) and Thayer (Greek). While they may not be quite as complete as the printed versions, they are still excellent.

The advantage of using lexicons is that you can also derive the parts of speech, and how a particular word in Hebrew or Greek is used in a particular passage. You can also research their roots and how the Greek and Hebrew words are related and applied in both the Old and New Testaments. Sometimes you will discover that the English translation selected the "wrong word" in the book. As an exercise, use a good Greek lexicon and do a word study on the English term, Godhead.

Dictionary's are nice and handy for quick and dirty word definitions, but they can also lead you astray.

May your studies be fruitful.