“You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God,
For the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.”
Exodus 20.7
Many of us are more familiar with the King James Version of this Commandment.
“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain,
For the Lord will not hold him guiltless who taketh his name in vain.”
Wrongful use or taking the name in vain are the same thing. In the old days this was referred to as “oaths”. This means saying something like, “By God, I will do this…” or “In the name of God, how could you even think of such a thing?” In other words, invoking God’s name to back up one’s statements.
People tend not to do this much anymore.
Although some people today routinely use language that would have been deemed improper in a low-down saloon just a few years ago. This is wrong on several counts. First, it debases social discourse and offends many. Second, just because the speaker finds such language acceptable does not give them the right to inflict it on others. Third, it indicates the speaker does not possess sufficient vocabulary to express their thoughts clearly.