| 7. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the negative particle lo {לֹא | lōʾ} ‘not’ negating the verb tissa {תִשָּׂא | tiś-śāʾ} ‘you shall lift,’ forming a prohibitive clause. The direct object marker et {אֶת־ | ʾeṯ} introduces the construct chain shem Yahweh elohecha {שֵׁם־ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ | šēm Yahweh ʾĕ-lō-he-kā} ‘the name of the LORD your God,’ linking divine name to covenant relationship. The prepositional phrase lashav {לַשָּׁוְא | laš-šāwʾ} ‘to vanity’ indicates manner and purpose, covering false oaths or empty invocation. The conjunction ki {כִּי | kî} ‘for’ introduces a causal clause lo yenakkeh Yahweh {לֹא יְנַקֶּה יְהוָה | lōʾ yə-naq-qeh Yahweh} ‘for the LORD will not leave unpunished,’ with negated Piel imperfect preceding its subject for emphasis. The relative clause asher yissa et shmo lashav {אֲשֶׁר־ יִשָּׂא אֶת־ שְׁמוֹ לַשָּׁוְא | ʾă-šer yiś-śāʾ ʾeṯ-šəmô laš-šāwʾ} ‘who lifts His name to vanity’ specifies the object of divine judgment. The recurrence of the root naṣaʾ {נ־שׂ־א | n-s-ʾ} ‘lift or bear,’ the noun šēm {שׁ־מ | š-m} ‘name,’ and lashav {שׁ־ו־א | š-w-ʾ} ‘vanity’ forms a chiastic emphasis on the seriousness of misusing God’s name and the certainty of divine retribution. |