◄ Deuteronomy 5:20 ►
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Study Bible
You shall not
This phrase is a direct command, reflecting the authoritative nature of the Decalogue, or Ten Commandments. In Hebrew, the phrase is "לֹא תַעֲנֶה" (lo ta'aneh), which is a strong prohibition. The use of "shall not" indicates a clear boundary set by God, emphasizing the importance of obedience to His laws. This command is not merely a suggestion but a divine mandate, underscoring the seriousness of the moral and ethical standards God expects from His people.

bear false witness
The Hebrew word for "bear" is "עָנָה" (anah), which means to answer or respond. "False witness" is "שָׁוְא" (shav), meaning deceit or falsehood. This phrase warns against giving false testimony, particularly in a legal context. In ancient Israel, the integrity of the judicial system was paramount, and bearing false witness could lead to unjust outcomes, undermining societal trust and justice. The commandment highlights the value God places on truth and honesty, reflecting His own nature as a God of truth.

against your neighbor
The term "neighbor" in Hebrew is "רֵעֶךָ" (re'acha), which refers to a fellow member of the community. This phrase extends the commandment beyond the courtroom to everyday interactions, emphasizing the importance of truthfulness in all relationships. In the broader biblical context, "neighbor" is not limited to those in close proximity but includes anyone with whom one interacts. This commandment calls for a community built on trust and integrity, reflecting the love and respect God desires among His people.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Moses
- The leader of the Israelites who received the Ten Commandments from God on Mount Sinai and delivered them to the people.

2. Israelites
- The chosen people of God, who were given the Law as a guide for living in covenant relationship with Him.

3. Mount Sinai
- The place where God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, including the commandment against bearing false witness.

4. Neighbor
- In the context of this commandment, a fellow member of the community or society, emphasizing the importance of truthfulness in relationships.

5. God
- The ultimate lawgiver who desires truth and justice among His people.
Teaching Points
The Importance of Truthfulness
Truth is foundational to trust and community. Bearing false witness undermines relationships and societal stability.

Reflecting God's Character
As God is a God of truth, His people are called to reflect His character by being truthful in all their dealings.

The Consequences of False Witness
Bearing false witness can lead to injustice and harm to others, which is contrary to God's desire for justice and righteousness.

Guarding Our Speech
Believers are called to be mindful of their words, ensuring they align with truth and build up rather than tear down.

Living in Community
Upholding truth is essential for healthy community life, as it fosters trust and mutual respect among individuals.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the commandment against bearing false witness relate to the overall theme of justice in the Bible?

2. In what ways can bearing false witness manifest in modern society, and how can Christians actively combat this?

3. How does understanding the original Hebrew word for "false witness" deepen our comprehension of this commandment?

4. What practical steps can we take to ensure our speech aligns with the truth, especially in challenging situations?

5. How can the teachings of Jesus and the apostles in the New Testament help us apply this commandment in our daily lives?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 20:16
- This verse is a parallel to Deuteronomy 5:20, as it is part of the original giving of the Ten Commandments.

Proverbs 6:16-19
- Lists things the Lord hates, including a false witness who pours out lies, highlighting the seriousness of this sin.

Ephesians 4:25
- Encourages believers to put away falsehood and speak truthfully to their neighbors, reinforcing the commandment in a New Testament context.

Matthew 19:18
- Jesus reiterates the commandment against bearing false witness when discussing the commandments with the rich young ruler.

James 3:5-6
- Discusses the power of the tongue and the potential for harm through falsehood, emphasizing the need for control over our speech.
Sermons
Neither Shalt Thou Bear False Witness Against Thy NeighbourK. H. Caspari.Deuteronomy 5:20
On Calumny and DetractionG. Haggitt, M. A.Deuteronomy 5:20
Pulse WitnessS. Johnson, LL. D.Deuteronomy 5:20
Rights of FameJ. P. Newman, D. D.Deuteronomy 5:20
The False WitnessJames Owen.Deuteronomy 5:20
The Ninth CommandmentEdwards, JonathanDeuteronomy 5:20
The Ninth CommandmentS. Walker, B. A.Deuteronomy 5:20
The Ninth CommandmentThomas Ridglet, D. D.Deuteronomy 5:20
The Ninth CommandmentG. Campbell Morgan.Deuteronomy 5:20
The Remedy Against Evil SpeakingG. S. Barrett, D. D.Deuteronomy 5:20
The DecalogueR.M. Edgar Deuteronomy 5:1-21
Reminiscences of HorebJ. Orr Deuteronomy 5:1-33
The Divine Plan for the Conduct of Our Life on EarthD. Davies Deuteronomy 5:6-21
People
Moses
Places
Beth-baal-peor, Egypt, Horeb
Topics
FALSE, Neighbor, Neighbour, Testimony, Witness
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Deuteronomy 5:20

     1175   God, will of
     1461   truth, nature of
     5383   lawsuits
     5440   perjury
     5549   speech, positive
     5625   witnesses, false
     6147   deceit, practice
     8751   false witness
     8776   lies

Deuteronomy 5:6-21

     1443   revelation, OT
     7263   theocracy
     8412   decisions

Deuteronomy 5:16-20

     2333   Christ, attitude to OT

Deuteronomy 5:16-21

     8841   unfaithfulness, to people

Deuteronomy 5:17-21

     8242   ethics, personal

Deuteronomy 5:19-20

     8716   dishonesty, examples

Deuteronomy 5:20-21

     8452   neighbours, duty to

Library
Prayer and Obedience
"An obedience discovered itself in Fletcher of Madeley, which I wish I could describe or imitate. It produced in him a ready mind to embrace every cross with alacrity and pleasure. He had a singular love for the lambs of the flock, and applied himself with the greatest diligence to their instruction, for which he had a peculiar gift. . . . All his intercourse with me was so mingled with prayer and praise, that every employment, and every meal was, as it were, perfumed therewith." -- JOHN WESLEY. …
Edward M. Bounds—The Necessity of Prayer

The Old Testament Canon from Its Beginning to Its Close.
The first important part of the Old Testament put together as a whole was the Pentateuch, or rather, the five books of Moses and Joshua. This was preceded by smaller documents, which one or more redactors embodied in it. The earliest things committed to writing were probably the ten words proceeding from Moses himself, afterwards enlarged into the ten commandments which exist at present in two recensions (Exod. xx., Deut. v.) It is true that we have the oldest form of the decalogue from the Jehovist …
Samuel Davidson—The Canon of the Bible

Questions About the Nature and Perpetuity of the Seventh-Day Sabbath.
AND PROOF, THAT THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK IS THE TRUE CHRISTIAN SABBATH. BY JOHN BUNYAN. 'The Son of man is lord also of the Sabbath day.' London: Printed for Nath, Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, 1685. EDITOR'S ADVERTISEMENT. All our inquiries into divine commands are required to be made personally, solemnly, prayerful. To 'prove all things,' and 'hold fast' and obey 'that which is good,' is a precept, equally binding upon the clown, as it is upon the philosopher. Satisfied from our observations …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

"They have Corrupted Themselves; their Spot is not the Spot of his Children; they are a Perverse and Crooked Generation. "
Deut. xxxii. 5.--"They have corrupted themselves; their spot is not the spot of his children; they are a perverse and crooked generation." We doubt this people would take well with such a description of themselves as Moses gives. It might seem strange to us, that God should have chosen such a people out of all the nations of the earth, and they to be so rebellious and perverse, if our own experience did not teach us how free his choice is, and how long-suffering he is, and constant in his choice. …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The True Manner of Keeping Holy the Lord's Day.
Now the sanctifying of the Sabbath consists in two things--First, In resting from all servile and common business pertaining to our natural life; Secondly, In consecrating that rest wholly to the service of God, and the use of those holy means which belong to our spiritual life. For the First. 1. The servile and common works from which we are to cease are, generally, all civil works, from the least to the greatest (Exod. xxxi. 12, 13, 15, &c.) More particularly-- First, From all the works of our …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

The Everlasting Covenant of the Spirit
"They shall be My people, and l will be their God. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from Me."--JER. xxxii. 38, 40. "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye …
Andrew Murray—The Two Covenants

Jesus Fails to Attend the Third Passover.
Scribes Reproach Him for Disregarding Tradition. (Galilee, Probably Capernaum, Spring a.d. 29.) ^A Matt. XV. 1-20; ^B Mark VII. 1-23; ^D John VII. 1. ^d 1 And after these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Judæa, because the Jews sought to kill him. [John told us in his last chapter that the passover was near at hand. He here makes a general statement which shows that Jesus did not attend this passover. The reason for his absence is given at John v. 18.] ^a 1 Then there …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Angel of the Lord in the Pentateuch, and the Book of Joshua.
The New Testament distinguishes between the hidden God and the revealed God--the Son or Logos--who is connected with the former by oneness of nature, and who from everlasting, and even at the creation itself, filled up the immeasurable distance between the Creator and the creation;--who has been the Mediator in all God's relations to the world;--who at all times, and even before He became man in Christ, has been the light of [Pg 116] the world,--and to whom, specially, was committed the direction …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Mount Zion.
"For ye are not come unto a mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, and unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that no word more should be spoken unto them: for they could not endure that which was enjoined, If even a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned; and so fearful was the appearance, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake: but ye are come unto Mount Zion, and unto …
Thomas Charles Edwards—The Expositor's Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

The Foundations of Good Citizenship.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.--Ex. 20:1-17. Parallel Readings. Hist. Bible I, 194-198. Prin. of Politics, Chap. II. Lowell, Essay on "Democracy." Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image. Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy God in vain. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Honor thy father and thy mother. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. Thou …
Charles Foster Kent—The Making of a Nation

Deuteronomy
Owing to the comparatively loose nature of the connection between consecutive passages in the legislative section, it is difficult to present an adequate summary of the book of Deuteronomy. In the first section, i.-iv. 40, Moses, after reviewing the recent history of the people, and showing how it reveals Jehovah's love for Israel, earnestly urges upon them the duty of keeping His laws, reminding them of His spirituality and absoluteness. Then follows the appointment, iv. 41-43--here irrelevant (cf. …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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