You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
This commandment (as well as all others) flows from the first commandment. For if the first one is kept, this one is also kept easily.
Yes, it is already held. For it is for this reason that our blindness was made manifest to our foolishness, since this would not have been necessary if Adam had stood firm; for then we would have known all this.
*) This commandment is introduced by the Exordium, which is found Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. XII, 1728 sf., whose conclusion [Col. 1733, tz 61 shows that Huther proceeded to the interpretation of the second commandment on the day of the Assumption of Mary, August 15, 1516.
But now we do not even know what must necessarily be done in external things, let alone that we should know what is internal. Therefore, in the first commandment the heart and the inner man are instructed how to behave toward God, but in this commandment the mouth is instructed. For we sin against God with three things, with the heart, with the mouth, with works; therefore for each one there is a special commandment, and these commandments are all three such that they contain a negation (negativa) or a prohibition in themselves (prohibitiva). And among all ten commandments there is only one which commands (affirmativum), namely: "You shall honor father and mother" 2c. For the third, "Thou shalt hallow the holiday," theHErr Himself interprets by a prohibition (negative), saying [Ex. 20:10.], "Thou shalt do no work there." This is also indicated by the name "Sabbath," which means rest, that is, abstaining from works. For in the same no work is commanded, therefore on that day they occupied themselves only in reading the law. So in all the commandments he forbids evil, therefore no other commandment has a promise except the one, that is, the one which enjoins honor against parents (affirmativum). The others threaten punishment because they forbid evil.
Therefore
/ Just as he who does not sin with his heart does not sin with his mouth and work,
Thus, he who sins with the heart cannot act rightly with the mouth or with any work:
He who does not keep the first commandment does not keep the second and third,
But he who holds the first also holds the second and third.
For it is not to be feared that he who has placed his trust in God, loves God above all things, hopes in Him, seeks Him, thirsts for Him, should use His name uselessly and dishonorably, just as it is not to be feared that a subject who loves his prince should not also want that his prince's name should be made glorious and held as a sanctuary everywhere through him. 1) Therefore, in the first commandment, we have already mentioned those who
1) As Löscher notes, the manuscript: imkert nt sanotuin, which we have recorded instead of Kaders.
sin against the same thing, namely people of two kinds, quite gross and quite foolish. Here all things must be spoken of in the same way. For in this commandment no other swearing is forbidden than when it is done in the name of God, but also no blasphemy against a man, let it be done in the name of God, but afterwards [where it is said], "Thou shalt not kill."
It should be noted above all that this commandment in an affirmative way also indicates that one should speak the name of God in the right way, or where it is necessary for salvation, and that here alone it is forbidden that one should not use it uselessly. Therefore, it is often commanded in Scripture that one should call upon the name of God, praising, thanking and glorifying. Thus it is written in Romans 10:13: "Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Therefore, let us first look at the gross [transgressors], among whom we first encounter the superstitious, the soothsayers and those who invent superstitious things about the tetragrammaton from Jewish fables. 2) That these use the name of the Lord uselessly is obvious, for they use the name of God neither for the salvation of the soul nor for the glory of God, but for their own vanity, for alliance with the devils, in signs, words and gestures, as was said above [in the first commandment, Col. 1139]. For it lies
2) Instead of the previous sentence, as Löscher reports, the following is written in the manuscript: First, the superstitious, the soothsayers and others, of whom it is said above, desecrate the name of God. Secondly, some superstitious people from the Jews, who make useless talk about the rain tetragrammaton; but this belongs to the first commandment. Third, those who live unworthily of the Christian name, who actually desecrate its glory. Fourth, perjurers, liars, plotters (dolosi), deceivers, and all who abandon the truth when they call God as a witness and curse His name, 3) even by God; likewise the bishops who [wrongfully] 4) banish and absolve. Fifth, those who joke [with the name of God]. Sixth, those who blaspheme against God. These are the worst. Seventhly, heretics and hypocrites and people who have a hopeful mind, quarrelsome people who argue about the truth; indeed, those who call upon their righteousness under the name of God. These we will now take one by one. First: That these 2c.
3) Instead of nomlvj (Nvino is to be read: nomen 6M8 immo. This and the following correction results from the parallel passage Col. 1195.
4) inZnKle is missing in Löscher and in Weimar's,
They are not interested in attaining the blessedness of the soul, much less in honoring God, but only in atoning for their lust. Therefore, just as they rejected God from their hearts and made Him useless in themselves, contrary to the first commandment, so they also now profane His name with their mouths and use it uselessly.
"But that which is done without need or just cause is called "vain" and "useless. But it is a twofold necessity or benefit, for which one should lead God's name, namely our blessedness and God's honor; yes, only God's honor, because we should also not seek our blessedness through His name, unless it is for His honor. But "to lead" (assumere = to take into one's mouth) is understood in this way, for example, when someone takes something before him or intends to do or say something, and uses the name of God for this purpose; just as he accepts (assumit) in his heart the grace of God through faith for his blessedness, so he takes (assumit) into his mouth with reverence the name of God for his and other people's blessedness. Now enough has been said about this in the first commandment, that one refrain [from the useless use of the divine name]. Nor can they excuse themselves by using holy words and prayers, since by doing so they sin more shamefully than in other such things.
Would you not consider him a madman who, wearing the sacred garments meant for worship, would go to the dance, to the theater, or to war, and make such a joke out of such a serious matter? If then you would punish him with all seriousness, why do you not punish yourself much more than the one who misuses that which is more holy than all garments, yes, that by which garments and everything are sanctified, not for dancing, but for fornication, for the works of the devil, or at least for bodily help, and does not respect the soul? Such is the excuse of those, as of him who in such a way abuses the holy garments, and when he is punished, says: Well, it is a holy and good thing. For what else should one say to such a one than this: [You speak,) as if I did not know that it was good and holy. This you teach me now, while I ask you for
For the sake of God, punish you for abusing the Holy One in such a way. But we are now such Christians, who buy wooden shoes, so that we do not defile our new shoes, and certainly do not drag good clothes into the muck, nor do we do to our golden vessels the dishonor of putting urine in them, nor even unclean water, but we drag the holy name of God to some unworthy things, without all shame. Since no one does this with what is his (just imagine that someone would be so furious if he did this with what is his), how will it be with what belongs to others, even what is his, who wants his own to be kept pure? How popular would he make himself, who would drag a prince's title, name, and coat of arms into the mire and turn back in it, namely, if he himself saw it and forbade, or rather commanded, it to be set up high, as it belongs? 1) But when we hear that the Turk desecrates the churches, defiles the altars and all the sanctuaries, we become quite beside ourselves, burn with anger, and think of avenging this disgrace by war, and complain that the princes do not wage war against the Turk. But just reach into your bosom, and you will have seized a Turk. In the meantime, God gives the princes to the greater punishment in wars among themselves, so that he punishes us more than the Turks, because we defile the sanctuaries worse than they do.
Secondly, we are confronted with perjurers, liars, schemers, deceivers and all those who abandon the truth by calling God as a witness and by cursing His name, even by cursing God, those who banish unjustly, even those who joke (with the name of God) and blaspheme against God, of whom something has already been said above and more will be said later. But here we will see who are the ones who sin by swearing against the name of the LORD.
It is therefore to be noted, 2) that there is a twofold
1) We have adopted the reading of the Weimar edition: in snkiiios ioco stntui instead of sukliini in the other editions.
2) Instead of the section from the beginning of the previous paragraph to here, the manuscript here brings only: "Secondly, those who sin by swearing against the name of God. Here is to be noted" 2c. This omission here has its reason in the fact that the same had already been said before in the manuscript. Cf. Col. 1193, note 2.
Swearing gives [a good and an evil]. Of the good it says Deut. 6, 13. and 10, 20.: "Thou shalt fear the LORD thy GOD, and serve him only, and swear by his name." For thus God Himself often swears in the prophets, saying [Ezek. 33, 11.], "As I live, saith the LORD," and Ps. 110, 4. "The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent," and Ps. 132, 11. "The LORD hath sworn unto David a true oath." Thus Christ swears in the Gospel [Matth. 26, 63. f.]; the patriarchs, the prophets, the apostles, and all the saints swear and have sworn. And this is a meritorious work, because it is done in things pertaining to blessedness. Therefore, whenever anyone speaks or does anything that pertains to salvation, he should swear so that it will be believed, if it is feared that it will not be believed. Thus the apostle swears in the letter to the Romans [Cap. 1, 9. f.] that he often intended to come to them. What other reason did he have for his swearing than that it would benefit their salvation, that they would believe it? so that they would know that he was a faithful shepherd and not a greedy man, and that they would have confidence that true love was in him. Thus it is said in the 63rd Psalm, v. 12: "He who swears by him will be praised." The reason why God is pleased with this swearing is that by it his truth is invoked, and faith is believed in him, and for his sake peace and unity are established among those who swear. Therefore he is sacredly honored in this work, because the work of the devil is destroyed, namely strife and contention. For he that believeth not thee, and is not satisfied, believeth thee for the name of GOD, whom thou callest upon, and is satisfied; therefore we owe this honor to GOD alone. Therefore the apostle Heb. 6, 16. says: "The oath makes an end of all strife."
The other swearing is evil, and this is twofold. One is that which is done out of habit, because in this way, through the constant use of the name of God, reverence for Him is diminished. As when one says in German: "By God, truly, forsooth, as true as God is in heaven, by God and all the saints," in which
living GOD, by the holy GOD, "on my holy cross, on my holy blood, on the cross of GOD, it is torture great, torture beautiful" 1), that is, on the suffering of Christ it is so. Likewise, when one curses thus, "The devil take me, break my neck, God help me no more than God help me, on my soul," on my conscience, "by my faithfulness and honor, by my priesthood." This and many similar things are, unfortunately, so often in the mouths of many that almost the second word is such an oath. Here, house fathers and mothers should watch over children and servants and servants, for it is an exceedingly wicked habit and contrary to this commandment.
But for the sake of the simple-minded, one might ask: Does this have anything to do with the name of God, when one swears like this: "Truly, I speak the truth? I answer: Yes, because the name of God is the truth, because He is the truth. For the apostle Rom. 9, 1. swears by the truth and his conscience. And even though it might seem that this is forbidden because the conscience is not the name of God, since it is sinful to swear uselessly, just as it is sinful not to swear by the name of God or by something other than God, even if one speaks the truth, Christ still refers to Matth. 5, 34-36. refers all this to God, since He says: "You shall not swear by heaven, for it is God's throne, nor by the earth, for it is His footstool, nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of a great king. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, for thou canst not make one hair white or black." From this it is evident that he who swears by what is GOD's, or what is appropriated to him, swears also by GOD, by Him in whom and to whom are all things [Rom. 11:36.].
The other is false swearing, when someone intentionally and knowingly swears falsely with the above-mentioned oath formulas; this is a very grave sin, and rarely does this sin go unpunished even in this life. If you doubt this, only ask the perjurers about it. But this sin is above the
1) In the original: "Martyr already".
It is very difficult when this is done in a solemn way with prescribed ceremonies (forma) in view of the church, as those do who secretly betroth themselves to each other, and as punishment for their sin afterwards hate each other and divorce by perjury: a terrible guilt, but also a terrible punishment. Therefore, among all the commandments, this one alone has a threat of punishment added to it, in that it says [Ex. 20:7], "For the LORD will not let him go unpunished who takes the name of the LORD his God in vain." But the first commandment also has a threat, that the LORD will punish the iniquity of them that hate him unto the fourth generation [Ex. 20:5]. But because the apostle [Eph. 6, 2.] does not enumerate the promise contained in this [first] commandment, but only that in the fourth, which he says is the first, it would seem that this threat of the first commandment should not be counted either.
And truly, perjury is a great sin, which is evident from the testimony against it in Scripture, for the Lord commands in the Law [Deut. 19:12, Matt. 5:33]: "You shall not take a false oath," and the prophets punish perjury severely. Therefore Hosea says, Cap. 4, 1. 2. [Vulg.]: "There is no truth, there is no mercy, there is no knowledge of God on earth. Cursing and lying and murder and theft and adultery have abounded, and one bloodguilt follows another." Yes, God wanted the oath to be kept so inviolable (sanctum) that He also avenged the fact that Zedekiah had not kept his oath to the king of Babylon [2 Kings 24:17 to 25:7]. In the same way they were not allowed to harm the Gibeonites [Jos. 9, 19.], even though they had been betrayed by them when they swore an oath to them. Nor did they dare give their daughters to the children of Benjamin for the sake of their oath [Judges 21:1 ff], and they would rather let pagan blood be mixed with the blood of their brothers than break their oath.
Secondly, how great a sin perjury is,] is clear from the matter itself. For to swear is to call upon God as a witness and to use him as a means by which those who are in conflict unite. But so he who
swears falsely, exposes GOtt to ridicule; yes, what is frightening, when he says: As true as GOtt is, is alive, is true, he says in his heart that this is not true. And thereby he denies GOD with the mouth, yes, also with the heart, with which he assents to the denial of the mouth. And this is the most grievous denial, because he knows that God is, and believes this with his heart, and yet at the same time he agrees with it also with his heart that he denies Him; for he would not deny Him outwardly if he did not want to deny Him, and yet he denies Him against his heart and conscience. Therefore, this is the most serious lie, and it is against God, because he wanted there to be no God, so that his lie would stand.
Thirdly, this is clear from a similitude. If you persuaded a prince to give you his letter and seal so that people would believe you in your cause, so that they would believe you for the sake of his name, and then you shamefully denied it and put the prince to shame, what do you think he would think of you? Do you think that you would have a guarantor in him? Or [that he would be at your service] if you asked him to be present at the treaty you made with another, and if he came, you would deny before his face that he was a prince and strangle him? But how great a majesty is God! He alone is the Lord.
To understand this more clearly, it is to be noted that against this commandment in twofold way one acts with the oath. First, by swearing; second, by breaking the oath. By swearing, for example, if someone knowingly commits perjury in a matter by fraudulently saying that he wants to do something that he does not want to do, in order to become free, or if someone falsely denies what he knows, as happens in trade, with entrusted property, in court cases. These sin more grievously than the superstitious, for the latter take the name of God in vain, while the latter lie, which is much more grievous; and this is done chiefly by negationibus, as it is said in the 24th Psalm, v. 4: "He that hath not sworn to his neighbor falsely." By breaking the oath, for example: if someone.
has sworn without deceit, but later changes his mind and does not keep the oath, which happens with affirmations, as the 15th Psalm, v. 4, says: "He who swears to his neighbor does not deceive him. But if he cannot keep it, he has not therefore sworn perjury. But you say, How is it then? If I do not swear, I must suffer harm or danger or death; surely it is seen that I am to be absolved [from the sin of perjury]; this is as if a robber or an enemy compels you to confess what you have. To this is the answer: one must not commit sin for the sake of anything, not even for the sake of the eternal, much less for the sake of the temporal. But you say: Who will restore it to me? Answer: God, for whom you have spoken the truth. But I cannot enumerate all the cases of this dreadful abomination, because nowadays, in truth, it has come down like a flood and is not considered anything. Oh, if we thought about how so few people are saved and feared, how soon this security of our blessedness would end!
Therefore the Lord says Matth. 5, 33. f.: "You have heard that it was said to the ancients, you shall not make a false oath, and you shall keep your oath to God. But I say unto you, that ye swear not at all." Many have struggled with this saying as to whether it is permissible to swear. Some say that it is "half of the evil of the punishment" if one swears, others that it is half of the evil of the swearer. But if one looks at the meaning of Christ, he definitely does not want one to swear, because he says: "You shall not swear on any account. So the meaning is: "The Jews are commanded not to take false oaths, but swearing is permitted to them at their discretion; but to you I command that you shall not swear in any way, either by heaven or by any other place. By this he means that no one should ever swear of his own will. Namely, the desire and own will to swear he has forbidden, and as much as is in him, no one may swear. Therefore, if he says more than, "Yes, yes, no, no," he sins, and it is evil. However, by this he does not forbid that any believer should swear.
I say that a man should not swear if he is forced to do so, whether he is forced by the violence of another or by the need of his brother. Yes, both friend and foe can urge me to swear, 1) and do whatever he wants, if it is only something permitted, as he says below [Matth. 5, 40. f.), that one who takes the coat should also leave the skirt, and even walk two miles with him. For then he does not swear himself, because it is not in his will, but in humility he serves another's will, or through love takes care of another's need. Where this is not the case, one may not swear in any way without it being sin and evil, because then one swears out of mere arbitrariness, without need. For in this passage Christ instructs the inward man, who is to avoid not only perjury but also oaths. The Jews are forbidden to take false oaths, but Christians are also forbidden to swear to the truth, because the honor of the divine name will be more perfect and inviolate under the new law than under the old. Secondly, because a Christian should not love temporal things, neither should he swear for their sake. For since he must not seek what is his, how should he be permitted to swear for the sake of them? Therefore, he must esteem the name of God more highly than the Jews did at that time (dissimulatum est). But where one can render service to another, a brother is bound without hesitation, but in the fear of God, to do what the other's need requires. And the cause of this prohibition is that he knows that we always use the name of God not otherwise than uselessly [, and it is not rightly used], except where it is used in love and humility for others or also for our own blessedness, which is the basis for this prohibition, 1 Cor. 12, 3.: "No one can call Jesus a Lord without through the Holy Spirit" 2c. Or to put it even better: "You shall not swear on all things" is said against those who make an excuse.
1) The Weimar has here according to the prineeps: ut vrsm, but we have preferred the reading which is found in all other editions: nt sure-in.
seeking to swear, not by the name of God, but by heaven, by earth, by Jerusalem, by their head, by their soul, as if for this reason they were not guilty of swearing falsely, because they do not swear by the name of God.
In this way they regard such a swearing as if they had not sworn. That this is the opinion of Christ can be seen from what he explains immediately afterwards, how he does not want people to swear at all, namely, neither at Jerusalem 2c.