Psalms 139:20

For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.

For they speak against thee wickedly - literally, 'for wickedness.' "They speak against thee." So the Syriac. Compare Psalms 10:4; Psalms 5:4. The parallelism of the next clause favours, 'they speak of thee (making thy name a pretext) for wickedness.' Compare ; ; Philippians 3:18. So the Chaldaic, 'they swear in thy name falsely.' The argument of the Psalmist accords with this: 'I have no sympathy with such as make my name a cloak for wickedness. If I had, I should forfeit thy promised loving-kindness.'

(And) thine enemies take (thy name) in vain - i:e., use it for the confirmation of a lie, in violation of the Third Commandment (; ).