THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Taken from the “Catechism Of The Catholic Church”
Latin text copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Citta del Vaticano 1993
Edited, abridged, and rewritten in places by DSB


THE SECOND COMMANDMENT

You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain (Ex. 20:7; Deut. 5:11)

You have heard that it was said to the men of old, "You shall not swear falsely. . But I say to you, do not swear at all (Matt 5:33).


I. The Name of the Lord is Holy
Among all the words in human language, there is none as unique as the revealed names of God. He is the “I AM,” Elohim, Jehovah, Adonai, and the Lord of Hosts. He has been called El Shaddai (God Almighty), Jehovah-Jireh (the LORD provides), Jehovah-Rophe (the LORD heals), Jehovah-Nissi  (the LORD my banner), Jehovah-M'Kaddesh (the LORD who sanctifies), Jehovah-Shalom (the LORD is peace), Jehovah-Tsidkenu (the LORD our righteousness), Jehovah-Rohi (the LORD my shepherd), and Jehovah-Shammah (the LORD is there). On a more personal level, Jesus called God, Father, and in the Lord’s Prayer, He taught us to do the same.

God has revealed His name to His people. This revelation is not only an answer to Moses’ request (Ex 3:13-14), it is a gracious gift that shows God’s desire for mutual trust and intimacy with His children. Indeed, to know each other by name in this way is to know each other personally.

God’s name is holy and awesome, and we are to bless His name and ascribe to Him the glory that is due His name (Ps 96:2; 29:2). Therefore, we must not abuse it in any way, but rather, we are to bless, praise, and glorify both the name and the one whose name it is. Indeed, irreverence does not become God’s people, for irreverence toward God and His name is a show of pride and disrespect.

The first commandment elevates the stature of God above all else. It teaches us to allow nothing to compete with Him as God. The second commandment requires proper respect for the name of God by forbidding the abuse of His name (i.e., every improper use of the names of God and Jesus Christ). The second commandment teaches us to guard our speech when making any reference to God, or when speaking about sacred matters. It affirms that His name is holy just as He is holy.

Therefore, appropriate feelings of fear and awe – fear of offending God and awe because of the greatness of His majesty – are true Christian feelings. They grow within us in this way: the more we purify our hearts by God’s gracious assistance (Matt 5:8), the more we recognize His presence with us. The more we pray (I Thess 5:17), the more we feel His presence with us. The more we recognize and feel His presence, the more fear and awe we feel toward Him, and the more His name stirs those feelings. To lack these feelings is to lack a sense of His presence, or to think that He is not present.

Distrust of God or a base and disrespectful view of God opens the door to misusing, abusing, and dishonoring His name. Promises made to others in God’s name verify His divine honor, fidelity, truthfulness, and authority when kept. Yet when such promises are broken or treated dishonestly, it verifies the poor character of the one who made the promise and dishonors God’s name and character upon which the reliableness of the promise was based.

Blasphemy is directly opposed to the second commandment. It consists in uttering against God – inwardly or outwardly – words of hatred, reproach, or defiance. It consists in speaking ill of God, in failing to show respect toward Him in one's speech, and in misusing God's name.

It is also blasphemous to make use of God's name to cover up criminal practices, to reduce peoples to servitude, to torture persons or put them to death. The misuse of God's name to commit a crime can provoke others to repudiate religion and blaspheme God.

Oaths which misuse God's name, though without the intention of blasphemy, show lack of respect for the Lord.

II. Taking the Name of the Lord in Vain
The second commandment does not forbid all oaths, just 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. Because an oath engages the Lord’s name, Deuteronomy 6:13 says: “You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name.”

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.

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 and a careless disregard for the honor of His name.

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” (Matt 5:33-34, 37; Jam 5:13).

This teaching from Jesus implies that every oath made by one of God’s children involves a reference to God, and that God's presence and his truth must be honored in all speech. Discretion in calling upon God as witness to a promise or oath is driven by a respectful awareness of His presence and the honor of His name, which all our assertions either witness to or mock.

Following Paul’s example (2 Cor 1:23; Gal 1:20), the Church has understood Jesus' words as not excluding oaths made for grave and right reasons (for example, in court). 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, the honor of the church, respect for God’s name, or the protection of truth.

III. The Christian’s Life
The act of Baptism is conferred "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matt 28:19). To rise from the waters of baptism and fail to purposefully and zealously pursue living a godly life, from that day forward, is to misuse and dishonor the divine names by which you were baptized.

The Christian begins his day with Bible reading and prayer, which are both done in the name of Jesus for the purpose of living a God honoring and spiritually maturing life that day. To rise from study and prayer and fail to purposefully and zealously pursue godliness throughout the day is to misuse and dishonor the divine name used to approach God.

Therefore, do not swear by any name of God or invoke any name of God except truthfully, of necessity, with reverence, and with the determination to honor the name used.