Second Commandment or Second Word

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You will not take the Lord’s name in vain (*shav’).

I cannot recall hearing that vain in this commandment could be understood as falsely.

Could it be understood in the context of the third commandment, do not swear or take the oath on the Sabbath falsely? Don’t swear by God falsely.

On the Sabbath we swear to uphold the covenant of love between us and God.
Then the Second Word is an introduction to the Third Word, Keep the Oath of the Sabbath sacred.

Does this make some sense?

Thanks!!!
*
 
You will not take the Lord’s name in vain (*shav’).

I cannot recall hearing that vain in this commandment could be understood as falsely.

Could it be understood in the context of the third commandment, do not swear or take the oath on the Sabbath falsely? Don’t swear by God falsely.

On the Sabbath we swear to uphold the covenant of love between us and God.
Then the Second Word is an introduction to the Third Word, Keep the Oath of the Sabbath sacred.

Does this make some sense?

Thanks!!!
*
TAKING THE NAME OF THE LORD IN VAIN

CCC 2150 The second commandment forbids false oaths. Taking an oath or swearing is to take God as witness to what one affirms. It is to invoke the divine truthfulness as a pledge of one’s own truthfulness. An oath engages the Lord’s name. “You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve him, and swear by his name.”

CCC 2151 Rejection of false oaths is a duty toward God. As Creator and Lord, God is the norm of all truth. Human speech is either in accord with or in opposition to God who is Truth itself. When it is truthful and legitimate, an oath highlights the relationship of human speech with God’s truth. A false oath calls on God to be witness to a lie.

CCC 2152 A person commits perjury when he makes a promise under oath with no intention of keeping it, or when after promising on oath he does not keep it. Perjury is a grave lack of respect for the Lord of all speech. Pledging oneself by oath to commit an evil deed is contrary to the holiness of the divine name.

CCC 2153 In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus explained the second commandment: “You have heard that it was said to the men of old,** ‘You shall not swear falsely**, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not swear at all. . . . Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.” Jesus teaches that every oath involves a reference to God and that God’s presence and his truth must be honored in all speech. Discretion in calling upon God is allied with a respectful awareness of his presence, which all our assertions either witness to or mock.

CCC 2154 Following St. Paul, the tradition of the Church has understood Jesus’ words as not excluding oaths made for grave and right reasons (for example, in court). “An oath, that is the invocation of the divine name as a witness to truth, cannot be taken unless in truth, in judgment, and in justice.”

CCC 2155 The holiness of the divine name demands that we neither use it for trivial matters, nor take an oath which on the basis of the circumstances could be interpreted as approval of an authority unjustly requiring it. When an oath is required by illegitimate civil authorities, it may be refused. It must be refused when it is required for purposes contrary to the dignity of persons or to ecclesial communion.
 
Hi Jim,

I don’t know. But I was thinking, I sort of hear the words Jesus said to Herod;
“Today and Tomorrow I cast out Demons, and on the third day I am consumed.”

Does that make any sense to you?
 
Huiou Theou

Thanks!

I was really happy to see your post.

I do not have the best of ears.

I would love to hear your explanation.

Thanks!
 
Huiou Theou

Thanks!

I was really happy to see your post.

I do not have the best of ears.

I would love to hear your explanation.

Thanks!
You have said it, Jim, yourself; However If you but hear, hear, you will not listen.
Let the deaf lead the blind; (but tell them they must hold hands and play nicely.)

Is this silly sounding? Amen: You are already your own witness. Don’t argue with a fool like me.

Let me try to explain, twice:​

Explanation #1:
  1. The first commandment is the first; it is the word of “Origin”.
    You can not test it for “true” or “false” or you will chop yourself up; automatic axe-iom. Just let the command be discovered by other means.
  2. The second commandment/word MUST still have “LIFE” in it; even if severely wounded and confusing. It is nowt aIm pure command; It is the one to study closely, Jim, for it could contradict (but doesn’t have to) the first and define it true or false. Look for what this command means to answer your question about the first.
  3. The third commandment is the End of the argument. When the three commands are together, THEN and only then do we have an answer that makes sense.
    The answer had to come from both the first and second commands, or it never could have come at all. If the second command did not have a relationship with the first; they would destroy each other. But as it is, the are TWO relationships and thus two answers to what command #3 will provide us in the end.
In one kind of Rest – the world is dead-locked. The forces contradict themselves and will go on forever, or leave the universe all together. But that which is left can go nowhere… it is forever “average” and can no longer accelerate… all energy has become mass and inertia. ??Nirvana?? or the fires of Hell; it makes no difference.
Nirvana is a baby’s “Limbo”; Hell is a demon’s.

Whatever they are they are a deadlocked kernel. The hard part of the seed that just won’t get on with life. A LiE-Eunix with no more child processes…
( 😦 Ctrl-Alt, Ctrl-Alt – why won’t you reboot! )

In the other kind of Rest – There is a Voice and advocate possible; this is the rest of Peace and tranquility and the Gospels – but not of silence and anesthesia.

These idea are something to meditate on, Jim; They aren’t things to just read and have a “quick” answer. In one command, we are blind – in the next we are deaf – in the third we see and hear and speak – (or are reduced to silence, and imprisoned)

(cont’d later).
 

Explanation #2​

The first two commands match with the activities God did on the first two days of creation.
The number 7 given to Cain, preserves his life after a death, and the 3rd command is to keep holy the Sabbath or else (RKV)“I will not acquit you of sin”

Therefore, the third commandment is aligned with the creation of new life, and with the sign of Cain – (eg: tied to the 7th day.)

IDay 1, God creates Light – a Created annointed who is like God; (Eg: Egypt/Moses/Israel and ultimately Jesus)
Day 2, God CUTS the waters apart (Eg: the sea) and does not call it “Good” yet.
Day 3, God brings forth Life and seed. (Life out of a dying, is what a seed is.).

Now, lets review the commandments once again in their earthly meaning.

Command 1: Love the annointed King/Prophet/Judge God has given you (Moses).
Command 2: Do not attempt to cut your own God, as God did using Moses.
Command 3: Swear to me on the life (seed) of your children to do Commands 1,2.

--------------- Now a simpler answer ------------

“Vain” means empty, producing no result. So, Don’t take the name of the Lord your God in vain, is a double negation; It means, Do the work of God fruitfully, not emptily.

If false is empty, then you might make some sense.

The sabbath laws are also related to agricultural practices and when to allow the ground to go fallow in order to preserve its fertility. One should not plow the field every single year, but allow it to grow wild one year in 7 so it may recover…

On a weekly basis, God told the Israelites NOT to collect the manna in the desert one day out of 7. (Stop it or the food will ROT, and did). The ritual observance of the sabbath was a reminder of what God told Cain.

In a political sense, it would mean cease from fighting and dividing as did Moses with Pharaoh; It kills one nation to start another – To be blunt, this would be equivalent to Caeser-ian section. To save the child, cut the dying womb open – or both the mother and child will die; but it generally ends the life or fertility of the mother. (This practice was known in Jesus’ time and before.)

Sabbath really means, limit the damage you do and produce worthy fruit.

For this same reason, Jesus says man may DO GOOD on the sabbath as it was made for man, not man for the sabbath;

In an agricultural setting, land which was not being cultivated could be used by the poor who did not own land for other purposes; eg: pasturing animals which would fertilize the ground with dung. It also left some wild food for those who did not own land, or who could glean leftover grain from. The sabbath then, is really about love of all creation and keeping the promise/faith to be fruitful.

I hope this helped… I really couldn’t understand your question too well.
 
To both of you, thanks!

The question was: Is falsely a better translation than vain?

thisle’s answer was just what I hoped to hear.

Huiou Theou’s answers are most helpful, too.

Again, thanks to both of you.
 
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