By Roy B. Blizzard
Translation:
do not lift up the name of yhwh, your elohim, in an empty or light manner for yhwh will not hold him guiltless who lifts up his name in a light or empty manner.
Comments:
This passage is often used to discourage cursing, swearing or the use of profanity. However, the passage has much greater ramifications than just the use of profanity. This passage does not say you cannot curse or use profanity. Profanity is nothing more than the feeble attempt on the part of the uneducated mind to express itself forcefully. In Hebrew, there are no curse words as we think of profanity.
The injunction here is against speaking of the Lord God in a light or empty manner. The emphasis is upon the greatness, the majesty of God. As the first and second commandments relate to the uniqueness of God, the third commandment relates to His majesty, His glory. He is so lofty, so high, and so holy that it ill behooves man to speak of Him or to use His name in a light manner. When one speaks of God, even His very name should be spoken with a sense of reverence and awe. It would do man well to remember that in his daily speech. The point is that it is entirely possible to violate the third commandment without resorting to cursing or profanity. Simply speaking of God in a light or empty manner would be a violation of this commandment.
