In reading the Third Commandment as it’s translated in the English Version of the scriptures, a person understands that the name of the Lord is not to be taken in a vain and debasing way such as swearing. While this is very true, the underlying Hebrew which is much broader in its full meaning is not conveyed as it was thought and understood in biblical days. A better translation of the Hebrew would read: You shall not carry God’s name in vain, for the Lord God will not forgive one who carries His name in vain.

The depth of Gods calling upon Israel was and is unique. One of the first things that the Lord said pertaining to Israel was: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel (EXODUS 19:6). That is to say, that Israel as a people was to be a light for all the world to see and admire that God would be glorified (Isa 49:6). In Matt 5:14-16 Yeshua said, "You are the light of the world......Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven."At that point in time Yeshua was talking to his disciples who of course were Jews. The first words of what is known as the "Disciples Prayer" starts with sanctifying ha-Shem (yitkadesh shimcha).The above passages show that the Name of God is sanctified by the actions of men. Today in our society we have a few expressions that reflect the importance of our actions when we’re out among people as a reflection upon our parents; A parent might say to their son or daughter, "don’t make us look bad, or don’t give us a bad name."When one does a terrible thing the expression is heard, "what kind of parents do you have, or didn’t your parents teach you anything?" How much more then should we as the children of our Father in Heaven reflect his character in the eyes of non- believers! Within Judaism, following their captivity in Babylon, Sanctifying the Name became associated with martyrs who would rather lay down their lives then bring dishonor to the Lord through idolatry.

There is quite a bit said in the scriptures and in later Jewish writings pertaining to the profanation of the Name (hillul ha-Shem). It includes every act or word that disgraces and so reflects dishonor upon God. Yeshua said, " But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment" (Matt 12:36). Yeshua isn’t talking about general conversations that take place everyday, but he is talking about those that are of a profane nature including lashon haRa, the evil tongue. During Israel’s years in captivity the Lord brought their past actions to their attention through the prophets words and writings of how they had profaned His Holy Name:

Ezek 36:22-23  Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I do not (this) for your sake, O house of Israel, but for my holy name, which ye have profaned among the nations, whither ye went.  And I will sanctify my great name, which hath been profaned among the nations, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the nations shall know that I am Jehovah, saith the Lord Jehovah, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.(ASV)
Paul addresses this issue to the Jews in the diaspora in his letter to the Romans:

Rom 2:17-24  Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law;   And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness,   An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.  Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?  Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?  Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?  For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.(KJV) See also Isa 52:5.

It was even taught that the name of God could be profaned through erroneous teaching: " Scholars beware and be cautious in your words, lest you incur the penalty of exile to a place where the waters are bad, and your disciples that follow you drink of them and die, and it come to pass that the name of Heaven be profaned."(Abtalion-Abot1,11)

During what has become known as "The Crusades" many a soldier commissioned by the church murdered thousands in the name of the Lord. Unable to weed out the good from the wicked (heretics) some of the Crusaders asked their papal commander, "What shall we do?" Pope Innocent III’s representative responded: "Kill them all. God will recognize His own." The church had assured these men that all their sins would be forgiven.. (see Otto Friedrich, The End of the World, pages 75-78).

The Third Commandment is the only one in which the Lord says that He will not allow a person to be guiltless, that is to say, left unpunished. When we consider a person that commits an evil act, he discredits him or her-self in the eyes of others. However, when one who names the Name of The Lord as theirs commits an evil act or speaks in a vain and debasing manner, then they bring dishonor to The Lord and alienate people who might have other wise come to know him, "and you shall love the Lord your God; (Deut 6:5) this means that you should cause the name of God to be loved through your acts: i.e., that the Name of Heaven be beloved because of you. If someone studies Scripture and Mishnah, and attends on the disciples of the wise, is honest in business, and speaks pleasantly to persons, what do people then say concerning him? ‘Happy the father who taught him Torah, happy the teacher who taught him Torah; woe unto people who have not studied the Torah; for this man has studied the Torah look how fine his ways are, how righteous his deeds! . Of him does Scripture say: And He said unto me: Thou art My servant, Israel, in, whom I will be glorified. But if someone studies Scripture and Mishnah, attends on the disciples of the wise, but is dishonest in business, and discourteous in his relations with people, what do people say about him? ‘ Woe unto him who studied the Torah, woe unto his father who taught him Torah; woe unto his teacher who taught him Torah!’ This man studied the Torah: Look, how corrupt are his deeds, how ugly his ways; of him Scripture says: In that men said of them,: These are the people of the Lord, and are gone forth out of His land. (Yoma 86a)

Col 3:17  And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Rav Sha’ul reiterates the importance of this to believers as they are disciples of Yeshua. The phrase, "In the name of, or in his name" means in the manner, the character, and the desires of that person.

This is the chief end of all, this is Kiddush ha-Shem, to hallow The Name, as the supreme principle and motive of all our actions and speech.