3rd Commandment: Do Not Carry the Name in Vain
Shakespeare wrote in Romeo and Juliet, “What’s in a name?” In the Bible, it turns out a lot, actually. The creator God Yahweh is the source of all life and good, so his name is the greatest name. But surprisingly, he attaches his name to Israel, a lowly nation of former slaves, and enters into a covenant with them. The covenant starts with a list of 10 commandments, or 10 words, and following these commandments will lead Israel to life and flourishing. In this episode, Tim and Jon discuss the 3rd Commandment, which is all about how Israel will carry Yahweh’s name, or represent him to one another and the surrounding nations.
Episode Chapters
Show Notes
Reflection Questions
In the Bible, what does a name represent? What does Yahweh’s name represent?
What can we learn about Yahweh’s character from the fact that he attaches his own name to Israel?
What does the image of Aaron the high priest carrying the 12 tribes’ names into the tabernacle communicate about Israel bearing Yahweh’s name?
What are some of the different ways you can carry a name “in vain”?
What would it have looked like for ancient Israel to represent Yahweh well to the surrounding nations? What does it look like for us today?
Chapter 1: What’s in a Name?
There are many ways to translate the 3rd Commandment (Exod. 20:7), depending on our understanding of the divine name, along with the words “carry” and “in vain.” The God of Israel’s name is Yahweh, which means “the one who is,” and “carry” is the word nasa’ in Hebrew. “Name” in Hebrew is shem, and across cultures it refers to reputation (Prov. 22:1; Isa. 65:15).
Since Yahweh is the creator and sustainer of all things, his name is the greatest name (Mal. 1:11). In the Hebrew Bible, God’s own presence, essence, and reputation are closely connected to his name. Sometimes, Yahweh will even place his name on another, such as an angel, or a place like the tabernacle to show his presence is there (Exod. 23:20-21; Deut. 12:5).
Chapter 2: Carrying, Bearing, and Representing
In Hebrew, nasa’ means to lift or pick up something and carry it. In the Bible, people can “carry” someone’s name (i.e. their character and reputation) either properly or improperly with their words and actions. We see this happen in Exodus when Aaron, the high priest, carries the names of Israel’s tribes into the tabernacle on precious stones adorned on his clothing (Exod. 28:12, 29). Just as Aaron carries the tribes’ names before Yahweh, Israel is called to carry Yahweh’s name among the nations, representing his reputation and character (Exod. 19:5-6; Lev. 19:11-12). But tragically, the story of the Hebrew Bible reveals that Israel fails to carry Yahweh’s name well (Ezek. 36:17-21).
Chapter 3: What Does “in Vain” Mean?
To carry the name “in vain” (or shav’ in Hebrew) means to do so in a useless, futile, empty, or ineffective way (Psalm 41:6; 108:12; 127:1). For Israel to carry Yahweh’s name in a shav’ way would be to fail to live according to their God-given, priestly purpose, representing Yahweh before the nations and representing the nations before Yahweh. So to “flip over” the 3rd Commandment is to carry the name (or reputation) of Yahweh with truthfulness, faithfulness, and purpose.
Scripture References
Referenced Resources
- Find the related animated video for this episode here.
- Bearing YHWH’s Name at Sinai: A Reexamination of the Name Command of the Decalogue by Carmen Joy Imes. Tim references Imes’ work as where he learned the depth of what carrying or bearing the name of Yahweh meant for ancient Israel. Imes argues that bearing Yahweh’s name not only includes speech about him, but also actions.
- Listen to our podcast conversation with Dr. Carmen Imes on this same topic: “Taking God’s Name in Vain?”
Interested in learning more? Check out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here.
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Show Music
- “Planted By The River” by Lofi Sunday feat. Jk Beatbook
- “New Mercies” by Lofi Sunday feat. PAINT WITH SOUND
Show Credits
Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who also edited today’s episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty writes the show notes. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.