Profanity

Behaviour which dishonours God's name or brings it into disrepute. It is often the result of idolatry, injustice or irreverence. Scripture strongly admonishes God's people to avoid it.

General warnings against profanity

Leviticus 22:31–33 See also Leviticus 21:5–6

You are to keep My commandments and practice them. I am the LORD. You must not profane My holy name. I must be acknowledged as holy among the Israelites. I am the LORD who sanctifies you, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD.”

God's name profaned through idolatry

Through child sacrifice

Leviticus 18:21 See also Leviticus 20:3; Deuteronomy 12:29–31, Deuteronomy 18:9–13; 2 Kings 16:1–4 parallel 2 Chronicles 28:1–4; 2 Kings 17:16–17, 2 Kings 21:1–6 parallel 2 Chronicles 33:1–6; Psalm 106:36–39; Isaiah 57:3–5; Jeremiah 32:32–35; Ezekiel 16:20–22

You must not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.

Through the worship of idols

Ezekiel 20:39 See also Jeremiah 44:25–28; Ezekiel 20:31, Ezekiel 43:6–9

And as for you, O house of Israel, this is what the Lord GOD says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you. But afterward, you will surely listen to Me, and you will no longer defile My holy name with your gifts and idols.

God's name profaned through injustice and evil

Malachi 2:10 See also Jeremiah 34:12–16; Amos 2:6–8, Amos 5:7–15; Micah 6:6–8

Do we not all have one Father? Did not one God create us? Why then do we break faith with one another so as to profane the covenant of our fathers?

God's name profaned through false swearing

Leviticus 19:12 See also Jeremiah 5:1–2; Matthew 5:33–37; James 5:12

You must not swear falsely by My name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.

God's name profaned through blasphemy

Isaiah 52:5–6 See also Exodus 20:7 parallel Deuteronomy 5:11; Leviticus 24:10–16; Isaiah 37:23; 2 Peter 2:12

And now what have I here? declares the LORD. For My people have been taken without cause; those who rule them taunt, declares the LORD, and My name is blasphemed continually all day long. Therefore My people will know My name; therefore they will know on that day that I am He who speaks. Here I am!”

God's name profaned through irreverence

Leviticus 22:2 See also Ezekiel 22:26; Zephaniah 3:1–4; Malachi 1:6–14

“Tell Aaron and his sons to treat with respect the sacred offerings that the Israelites have consecrated to Me, so that they do not profane My holy name. I am the LORD.

God's name profaned in the sight of foreign nations

Ezekiel 39:7 See also Ezekiel 20:13–44, Ezekiel 36:16–23; Romans 2:17–24; Isaiah 52:5

So I will make My holy name known among My people Israel and will no longer allow it to be profaned. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.

Penalties for profanity

Leviticus 20:1–5 See also Jeremiah 44:25–30; Ezekiel 13:17–23, Ezekiel 21:24–27, Ezekiel 39:1–8; Amos 4:2–13, Amos 8:4–14; Malachi 2:7–9

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘Any Israelite or foreigner living in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech must be put to death. The people of the land are to stone him. And I will set My face against that man and cut him off from his people, because by giving his offspring to Molech, he has defiled My sanctuary and profaned My holy name. And if the people of the land ever hide their eyes and fail to put to death the man who gives one of his children to Molech, then I will set My face against that man and his family and cut off from among their people both him and all who follow him in prostituting themselves with Molech.