Deut 5:11-15
From Feast upon the Word (http://feastupontheword.org). Copyright, Feast upon the Word.
The Old Testament > Deuteronomy > Chapter 5
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Contents
Questions
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Lexical notes
- In vain. The Hebrew word shav', translated "in vain," can mean both "groundless/unreal" (cf. Jer 2:30; 4:30; 6:29; 46:11; Mal 3:14; Ps 127:1) and "false" (cf. Isa 59:4; Prov 30:8; Ps 12:3; 41:6; 144:8, 11; Job 31:5; Hosea 10:4). See also 5:17 and Ex 20:16.
Exegesis
Verse 11: False oaths or impiety?
According to the Anchor Bible (see Notes for 5:11), there are two main ways this commandment has been interpreted. The first is to swear by God's name something that is known to be false (cf. 7:9; Lev 19:12; Hosea 4:2; and Zech 5:4). The second is to swear by God's name about something that is commonplace (emphasis on the word vain). See the different connotations of the word vain in the lexical notes above.
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