Exodus 20:7

BSB · Public Domain (CC0)

“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who takes His name in vain.”

What this verse means

A short, plain-language explanation of Exodus 20:7 goes here — the kind of answer a reader (or an AI assistant) can quote in one breath. Original meaning coming soon.

Compare translations
BSBPD

“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who takes His name in vain.”

Berean Standard Bible · Public Domain (CC0)
KJVPD

“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”

King James Version · Public Domain
ASVPD

“Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy God in vain; for Jehovah will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”

American Standard Version · Public Domain
YLTPD

“`Thou dost not take up the name of Jehovah thy God for a vain thing, for Jehovah acquitteth not him who taketh up His name for a vain thing.”

Young's Literal Translation · Public Domain
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Cross references

Other passages that echo Exodus 20:7 — 21 related verses from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  1. Genesis 27:20But Isaac asked his son, “How did you ever find it so quickly, my son?” “Because the LORD your God brought it to me,” he replied.
  2. Leviticus 19:12You must not swear falsely by My name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.
  3. Leviticus 24:11The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name with a curse. So they brought him to Moses. (His mother’s name was Shelomith daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.)
  4. Leviticus 24:15And you are to tell the Israelites, ‘If anyone curses his God, he shall bear the consequences of his sin.
  5. Deuteronomy 5:11You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who takes His name in vain.
  6. Deuteronomy 10:20You are to fear the LORD your God and serve Him. Hold fast to Him and take your oaths in His name.
  7. Joshua 2:12Now therefore, please swear to me by the LORD that you will indeed show kindness to my family, because I showed kindness to you. Give me a sure sign
  8. Joshua 2:17The men said to her, “We will not be bound by this oath you made us swear
  9. Joshua 9:20This is how we will treat them: We will let them live, so that no wrath will fall on us because of the oath we swore to them.”
  10. 2 Samuel 21:1During the reign of David there was a famine for three successive years, and David sought the face of the LORD. And the LORD said, “It is because of the blood shed by Saul and his family, because he killed the Gibeonites.”
  11. 1 Kings 2:9Now therefore, do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man. You know what you ought to do to him to bring his gray head down to Sheol in blood.”
  12. Psalms 50:14Sacrifice a thank offering to God, and fulfill your vows to the Most High.
  13. Proverbs 30:9Otherwise, I may have too much and deny You, saying, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, profaning the name of my God.
  14. Jeremiah 4:2and if you can swear, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then the nations will be blessed by Him, and in Him they will glory.”
  15. Malachi 3:5“Then I will draw near to you for judgment. And I will be a swift witness against sorcerers and adulterers and perjurers, against oppressors of the widowed and fatherless, and against those who defraud laborers of their wages and deny justice to the foreigner but do not fear Me,” says the LORD of Hosts.
  16. Matthew 5:33Again, you have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.’
  17. Matthew 23:16Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’
  18. Matthew 26:63But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to Him, “I charge You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God.”
  19. 2 Corinthians 1:23I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth.
  20. Hebrews 6:16Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and their oath serves as a confirmation to end all argument.
  21. James 5:12Above all, my brothers, do not swear, not by heaven or earth or by any other oath. Simply let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, so that you will not fall under judgment.

Cross-reference data: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain) via OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0).

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