“I am YHWH your God who brought you out of Egypt, out of the house of slaves.” (Exodus 20:2)

These opening words are essential to a proper understanding of what follows, but they almost never appear in artistic representations of the Ten Commandments. Most paintings and stone monuments begin with the command not to worship other gods. Why is this a problem? Divorced from their narrative context, the Ten Commandments portray Israel’s God as demanding and Israel’s faith as legalistic. This is a distortion of the biblical witness. Obedience to the law was never a prerequisite for a relationship with YHWH. God rescued Israel from slavery before giving them the instructions at Sinai. The dramatic deliverance of the Exodus is the necessary backdrop to the Ten Commandments. YHWH’s first words to Israel at Sinai are a reminder of their special covenant status (see Exodus 19:4–6). Furthermore, the stipulations that follow outline a life of freedom. Slaves no more, they enter freely into a reciprocal relationship with YHWH, marked by loyal devotion.

This special status as YHWH’s treasured possession is showcased in the command not to “take” YHWH’s name in vain (Exodus 20:7). English readers typically understand this as a prohibition against using God’s name as a swear word. In fact, the meaning is much broader than that. The word usually translated “take” or “misuse” is the Hebrew word nasa’, which most often means “to bear or carry.” At Sinai, Israel was invited to enter into a covenant relationship with God. YHWH claimed Israel as belonging to him. By means of the priestly blessing, YHWH’s name was placed on Israel as a verbal brand (Numbers 6:24–27). It is as though they wore God’s personal name on their foreheads (see Deuteronomy 28:9–10). We get a concrete picture of this concept in the Israelite high priest, who literally wore YHWH’s name on a gold plate across his forehead (Exodus 28:36), and “bore the names” of Israel’s tribes engraved on gemstones worn on his shoulders and across his chest (Exodus 28:29).

As the covenant people, represented by the high priest, Israel also bore YHWH’s name. This command warned the Israelites not to bear that name in vain. That is, they must not claim to belong to YHWH while engaging in behavior that betrayed other loyalties. Surrounding nations would be watching Israel to find out what YHWH was like. God’s reputation was bound up with Israel’s.

This single example illustrates why the Ten Commandments cannot be considered a universal, moral ethic. They were addressed to YHWH’s covenant people and therefore do not pertain to those who have not yet been rescued by God’s grace. Posting the Ten Commandments in the public square—especially without the narrative context of redemption and covenant—runs the risk of missing the point entirely.

See Jan Milič Lochman, Signposts to Freedom: The Ten Commandments and Christian Ethics (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 1982); Carmen Joy Imes, Bearing YHWH’s Name at Sinai: A Re-Examination of the Name Command of the Decalogue, BBRSup 19 (Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, forthcoming).

Dr. Carmen Joy Imes, Biola University