Q. 53 Which is the third commandment? A. The third commandment is, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain. What does it mean to take His name in vain? Something is done in vain when it means nothing—when it is empty, worthless, useless (Ps 60:11, Hos 10:4). The key ingredient required to reverence God's name is faith (Heb 11:6). The 3rd commandment tells you to have a high regard for His name.