Meanwhile, earlier, when people were closer to God’s books, the word “in vain” was on everyone’s lips. Although it had a religious connotation, it was also uttered in quite ordinary everyday situations. In vain means “in vain”, “in vain”.
For example, “Be very (very) diligent and diligent in your labors, so as not to exhaust your life in vain.”
“Zelo” was also loved by the classics of Russian literature, giving it an ironic meaning. Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol wrote in his “Tales”:
“They say that quite recently a request was received from one police captain, I don’t remember any city, in which he clearly states that state regulations are being destroyed, and that his sacred name is being pronounced in vain.”
The roots of the word “in vain” go back to the distant past, to the Old Church Slavonic language. And it is found not only in Russian, but also in other related languages. Comes from “in” and “vsoyu”. The etymology of the word “sui” is “empty”, “vain”, from here came other words with the same root: vain, vanity, superstition and others.
Meaning of the concept
Ozhegov’s explanatory dictionary interprets its meaning as follows: “VSUE, adv. (book). In vain, in vain (to remember, to name; in relation to someone respected, high)"
This interpretation is closer to the strictly religious or Orthodox understanding of the ancient word, according to which the very mention of God in vain is considered sinful. And where this concept was first used: at a city fair or within the walls of a temple, it is difficult to say now. The Church Slavonic language, which today serves as the language of Orthodox worship, was created by Cyril and Methodius on the basis of South Slavic dialects, mainly Serbian.
Don't take the Lord's name in vain
As the Bible says, on Mount Sinai the Lord himself gave the prophet Moses 10 commandments on the fiftieth day of the exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt. The Bible spares no color in describing this significant event: thunder roared, lightning flashed, the earth trembled... But the noise of the raging elements covered the voice of the Lord, who proclaimed these Commandments. God then inscribed them on the “Tablets of Testimony” and gave them to Moses.
History of the phrase
In addition to the well-known provisions: I am your God, do not make an idol, remember the Sabbath day, do not kill, honor your father and your mother, do not kill, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not covet your neighbor’s house and wife, there is also such - do not bother your Lord in vain. It's the third one.
Do not take the name of the Lord in vain - the meaning of this phrase is not always correctly understood. Below we will analyze its interpretation, but for the first presentation the formula “thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain” is sufficient. This is a very important statement; its understanding contains the key to understanding the sacred meaning of all Abrahamic beliefs, dating back to the patriarch of the Semitic tribes Abraham (among Muslims Ibrahim).
In some holy books, addressing the Almighty is not used at all. The high priest called him only once a year during the Easter service.
The canonical image of Abraham (Ibrahim) and the requirement to reverently honor the Creator are reflected both in the New and Old Testaments, and in the Holy Koran. This position is enshrined in many Muslim hadiths and Orthodox parables.
A pious man, remembering the name of God, says:
“Two things I ask of You, do not refuse me, before I die: remove vanity and lies from me, do not give me poverty and wealth, feed me with my daily bread, so that when I am full, I do not deny [You] and say: “Who is the Lord?” and lest, being poor, I should steal and take the name of my God in vain” (Prov. 30:7-9).
Interpretation of the commandment
The Lord God cannot only be scolded, but also remembered in empty conversations and jokes. The holy scriptures demand that we treat Him with reverence and reverence. This name has the greatest power; the New Testament contains numerous examples when, with its help, Jesus Christ performed real miracles.
It is also not permitted to take oaths or vows in the name of God, except in exceptional cases. This behavior of people devalues the meaning of God in their lives and makes it down to earth. One should not turn to the Lord casually, without having a serious mood for intimate communication with the Almighty.
However, a more accurate translation of the third commandment, “thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain,” according to experts, will be slightly different; it reads as follows: “thou shalt not bear the name of the Lord falsely.” And they put a deeper meaning into it than just a ban on casual pronunciation.
Orthodox Rabbi Joseph Telushkin points out:
“A more literal translation of “lo tissa” would be “You shall not bear,” rather than “You shall not take,” and that thinking about this helps everyone understand why the commandment is equated with others such as “Thou shalt not kill” and “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” .
What is a violation of the 3rd commandment?
This is a violation of the prohibition not to take the name of the Lord God in vain. In short, it means:
- Using the name of God in an inappropriate context, without spiritual meaning, without devoting yourself to God.
- To pronounce it as a curse or abuse, wishing harm to someone.
- To swear a false oath in the name of God, with the aim of deception, to mislead.
This is seen as speculation in the name of God.
Why you need to remember God less often
Frankly speaking, it is not only wrong to mention God’s name in vain, but it is also wrong to mention anyone else’s name. But people are sinners, they love to wash the bones of their neighbors. Let us at least remember the notorious old ladies - “God’s dandelions” - on the benches near the entrances. They already managed to discuss everyone: the government, the deputies, and Zoya the merchant from the third floor. And to listen to them, they are all very pious, words like: “For Christ’s sake”, “God forbid”, “God will punish”, “God will forgive” come out of their mouths every now and then...
This is what mentioning the Almighty means in vain!
Due to frequent and inept use, words, like things, tend to wear out and deteriorate. If we are talking about clothes, shoes, a car, then there is nothing to worry about. A broken, beat-up Audi can be replaced with a shiny new Mercedes. And what can replace the name of the Lord? Nothing. He is one and eternal.
Every believer should have God imprinted on his heart, and if he should be remembered, it should be only in fervent and sincere prayers. For, as our Lord Christ said: “It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth defiles a person.” Matt. 15:11
Jacob's story
A very good example of breaking the third commandment is the story of Jacob. He impersonated his brother Esau, deceiving his father Isaac. Interestingly, he involves God in this deception.
(Genesis 27:20) And Isaac said to his son, “What have you found so quickly, my son?” He said: Because the Lord your God has sent to meet me.
In the modern world, people don't use an oath as often, but they still break this commandment, just in a different way.
About the third commandment of the Law of God
3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain
Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
If you don’t accept it, don’t use it, don’t say it; in vain - in vain.
The third commandment is forbidden to pronounce the name of God in vain, without due reverence. The name of God is taken in vain when it is pronounced in empty conversations, jokes and games.
Prohibiting in general a frivolous and irreverent attitude towards the name of God, this commandment prohibits sins that arise from a frivolous and irreverent attitude towards God. Such sins are:
oath, that is, the frivolous use of an oath in ordinary conversations; blasphemy - impudent words against God;
blasphemy when sacred objects are spoken of jokingly or mockingly; violation of vows given to God, perjury and false oath in the name of God.
The name of God must be pronounced with fear and reverence, in prayer, in the teaching about God and in a legal oath or oath.
This commandment does not prohibit a reverent, legal oath. God Himself used an oath, as the Apostle Paul recalls in his letter to the Hebrews, saying: “People swear by the highest, and an oath as evidence ends all their disputes. Therefore, God, wanting to show the heirs of the promise the immutability of His will, used an oath as a means” (Heb. 6:16-17).
Gift of speech - Logos
“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; for the Lord will not leave without punishment the one who takes His name in vain.”
The Almighty warned Moses that a person should properly manage the opportunity to turn to God. The word has an amazing ability to form an image in our minds, focus us on it and direct internal energy to it, evoke a certain state and create a mood.
In Greek, “word” sounds like “logos,” and in this term it is revealed in all its ambiguity. Logos was called not only the designation of an object, action or property made up of letters or sounds, but also the pattern of the world, the depth of being. Hence the word “logic”.
In the Holy Scriptures, already in the first lines of the Gospel of John, Jesus Christ is called the Logos or the Word. The Divine-Human Essence can be understood as the fundamental pattern of the existence of the world, the answer to questions, the Meaning for people. And this meaning is expressed in the Word - God incarnate in the earthly world, who, using human language, communicates truly important truths.
This means that the true meaning, and all words that have a real meaning for humanity, are contained in everything that concerns God. Everything temporary that people cannot take with them into eternity is of secondary, vain importance. Including spoken words. In vain - this is a missed target, a sin, a mistake, a delusion. Because meaning lies only in God.
The word is generated in the human mind, and the reason for the statement, even uttered to oneself, is the message of the soul. We can give the same word a positive, negative or neutral connotation. The energy released into space is endowed by the person himself. It also happens the other way around. A word spoken or heard penetrates our mind and shapes our inner mood. The word has a mystical property, since behind it stands the secret of creativity created by God.
Modern sculpture depicting a man consisting of letters, words
If there is no meaning behind a word (that is, God), then a person makes a mistake, and his words end up in the zone of idle talk. That is, he says vain things that are of no use. There is no benefit to your soul, your neighbor, or other people. The gift of the word, which should give life and sow goodness, is squandered by man. The gift of speech itself is profaned not just as a sound production, but as a way of collaboration in Divine creativity.
Names of God
God has many names. The name is not God, but in the understanding of people it reflects the Divine Essences, Hypostases and actions. Father, Son, Holy Spirit, Almighty, Savior, Jesus Christ, Alpha and Omega... God has many names, they are captured on the pages of the Old and New Testaments, drawn by Dionysius the Areopagite and the greatest minds of mankind.
Names of Meaning for all people in the understanding of their content (as far as it is accessible to the human mind) form, with just one utterance, both an internal state and a call to God. If a Christian says the words of prayer to himself, says to himself, for example,
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner,”
he understands that the Almighty heard the appeal and immediately responded. Calling on God erases the boundaries of our God-forsakenness in this world, we feel Him. The sacred name, left to us as an opportunity to address the Creator of the world, is endowed with a sacred meaning by default. Every person living on earth ontologically understands the meaning of the word “God”.
What does the Lord warn against in His commandment? From emotional “Oh my God!” housewives or “Thank God!” said by atheists? Not only. Taking the name of God in vain means doing it wrong. Saint Philaret (Drozdov) gives a fairly detailed analysis of “mentioning in vain”:
“Blasphemy, or insolent words against God; murmuring against God, or complaints against His providence; blasphemy, when sacred objects are turned into a joke or a reproach; inattention to prayer; a false oath, when one swears something that does not exist; perjury, when a just and lawful oath is not fulfilled; breaking vows to God; Oath, or the frivolous use of oaths in ordinary conversations.”
Ignatius (Brianchaninov) wrote that prayer without attention is also a violation of the third commandment.
Indeed, the name of God is called and invoked, but at the moment of scattering of attention or distraction, it is pronounced in vain by the praying person. After all, turning to the Lord is turning to the endless Silence of eternity. How can you address the eternal, while being tuned in to the vain, be it idle talk or outright blasphemy?
The meaning of the word "in vain"
The books used by the Orthodox Church are written in Church Slavonic. Translation of liturgical texts is unacceptable, because the Church Slavonic language, unlike Russian, is one of the few liturgical languages. Orthodox Christians should not demand translation for the sake of their laziness. Efforts should be made to understand the meaning of ancient words, because they have the maximum capacity.
Origin
The word “in vain” several centuries ago was used as widely as, for example, “paki” or “zelo”. This word has its roots in the Old Church Slavonic language, created by Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius, from which Russian originated. It turned out that this word can be found not only in Russian, but also in other related languages. It originates from “in” and “in”. According to the etymology, “sui” means “empty”, “vain”. This is where the rest of the same root words come from: vain, vanity, etc.
Common meanings of the word "in vain"
Meaning of the concept
In Ozhegov’s explanatory dictionary, the concept “in vain” is deciphered as “in vain, in vain (to remember, to name; in relation to someone respected, high).” In Orthodoxy, taking the name of the Lord in vain is a sin. Ozhegov’s interpretation is closest to the Orthodox understanding of the word “in vain.” It is impossible to know when and under what conditions this word was first uttered.
Clarifications in the Old and New Testaments
The Bible has many interpretations and instructions for the correct fulfillment of the commandments. Thus, in the book of the Old Testament: Deuteronomy it is said to fear the Lord, serve only Him and swear by His name. Failure to fulfill an oath, giving a false oath in the name of God was a violation of the law, a sin. In the New Testament (in the Gospel of Matthew) we have a complete explanation of the commandment from the lips of the Lord Jesus Christ himself. He explained to the people in detail so that they should not swear by anything, because heaven is the throne of God, and the earth is His footstool.
The name of God is strong and holy. It must not be mixed with empty chatter. Every person should treat him with reverence.
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