לֹ֥א תִשָּׂ֛א אֶת־שֵֽׁם־יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ לַשָּׁ֑וְא כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יְנַקֶּה֙ יְהוָ֔ה אֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר־יִשָּׂ֥א אֶת־שְׁמֹ֖ו לַשָּֽׁוְא׃ פ
You shall not take the name of YHWH your God in vain, for YHWH will not hold guiltless anyone who takes His name in vain.
Morphology
- לֹ֥א (lo) – Root: N/A; Form: Negative particle; Translation: “You shall not”; Notes: Indicates prohibition.
- תִשָּׂ֛א (tissa) – Root: נשא (n-s-ʾ); Form: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 2ms; Translation: “Take”; Notes: Refers to lifting or bearing, often used figuratively for using a name.
- אֶת־שֵֽׁם־יְהוָ֥ה (et-shem-YHWH) – Root: שם (sh-m); Form: Direct object marker + Noun, masculine singular construct + Proper noun; Translation: “The name of YHWH”; Notes: Refers to God’s sacred name.
- אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ (Elohekha) – Root: אלה (ʾ-l-h); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct + 2ms suffix; Translation: “Your God”; Notes: Indicates the personal covenant relationship.
- לַשָּׁ֑וְא (la-shav) – Root: שׁוא (sh-v-ʾ); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “In vain”; Notes: Refers to false, empty, or deceitful usage.
- כִּ֣י (ki) – Root: N/A; Form: Conjunction; Translation: “For”; Notes: Introduces a reason or explanation.
- לֹ֤א יְנַקֶּה֙ (lo yenakke) – Root: נקי (n-q-h); Form: Negative particle + Verb, Piel, Imperfect, 3ms; Translation: “Will not hold guiltless”; Notes: Indicates judgment or accountability.
- יְהוָ֔ה (YHWH) – Root: N/A; Form: Proper noun; Translation: “YHWH”; Notes: Refers to the personal name of God.
- אֵ֛ת (et) – Root: N/A; Form: Direct object marker; Translation: [Untranslatable]; Notes: Marks the following phrase as the object of the verb.
- אֲשֶׁר־יִשָּׂ֥א (asher-yissa) – Root: נשא (n-s-ʾ); Form: Relative pronoun + Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3ms; Translation: “Who takes”; Notes: Refers back to the one taking God’s name in vain.
- אֶת־שְׁמֹ֖ו (et-shemo) – Root: שם (sh-m); Form: Direct object marker + Noun, masculine singular construct + 3ms suffix; Translation: “His name”; Notes: Refers to God’s sacred name.
- לַשָּֽׁוְא (la-shav) – Root: שׁוא (sh-v-ʾ); Form: Preposition + Noun, masculine singular absolute; Translation: “In vain”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis.