The Ten Commandments · piece 2 of 26
The Second Commandment
From Luther’s Small Catechism, 1529
Practice mode shows the first letter of each word. Say the line, then tap it to check.
You must not misuse your God's name. (Exodus 20:7)
What does this mean?
We must fear and love God, so that we will not use His name to curse, swear, cast a spell, lie or deceive, but will use it to call upon Him, pray to Him, praise Him and thank Him in all times of trouble.
In plain words
God’s name is not for cursing, for spells, or for making lies sound true. God gives you the name so you can use it well. Use it to call on God, pray, praise God, and say thank you. This is true most of all when you are in trouble.
Our summary of Luther’s explanation, for reading after his words, not instead of them.
Where Jesus says it
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Luke 17:15–18 A healed man comes back to praise God and thank Jesus, and Jesus notices that he returned.
Read Luke 17:15–18
15 One of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice. 16 He fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks; and he was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus answered, “Weren’t the ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18 Were there none found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?”
World English Bible, public domain. The whole chapter on Free Scripture → · Read in the NRSVue, the ELCA’s standard translation →
Translated by Robert E. Smith for Project Wittenberg (revised 2004) and placed in the public domain by the translator. How we checked it, and the whole Catechism on one page