Exodus 20:16
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor
You shall not
This phrase is a direct command from God, emphasizing the imperative nature of the instruction. In Hebrew, the word "lo" (לֹא) is used for "not," which is a strong negation. The use of "shall" indicates a future-oriented command, suggesting that this is an ongoing expectation for the people of God. It is not merely a suggestion but a divine mandate that reflects God's desire for His people to live in truth and integrity.

bear false witness
The Hebrew word for "bear" is "anah" (עָנָה), which can mean to answer, respond, or testify. "False witness" is derived from "sheqer" (שֶׁקֶר), meaning deception or lie. This phrase specifically addresses the act of giving false testimony, particularly in a legal context. In ancient Israel, the legal system relied heavily on the testimony of witnesses, and bearing false witness could lead to grave injustices. This command underscores the importance of truthfulness and integrity in maintaining justice and righteousness within the community.

against your neighbor
The term "neighbor" in Hebrew is "rea" (רֵעַ), which can refer to a friend, companion, or fellow member of the community. This phrase highlights the relational aspect of the command. It is not just about legal proceedings but about maintaining trust and harmony within the community. In a broader sense, it calls believers to love and respect one another, as falsehood can damage relationships and community cohesion. The commandment reflects the heart of God for His people to live in truth and love, fostering a community where justice and righteousness prevail.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Moses
The prophet and leader of the Israelites who received the Ten Commandments from God on Mount Sinai.

2. Israelites
The chosen people of God, who were delivered from slavery in Egypt and were given the Law to guide their covenant relationship with God.

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

4. God
The divine lawgiver who established the moral and ethical standards for His people through the commandments.

5. Neighbor
In the context of this commandment, a fellow member of the community or society, emphasizing the importance of truthfulness in relationships.
Teaching Points
The Importance of Truthfulness
Truthfulness is foundational to trust and integrity in relationships. Bearing false witness undermines community and personal integrity.

The Impact of False Witness
False testimony can lead to injustice, harm reputations, and destroy relationships. It is a sin against both God and neighbor.

Guarding Our Speech
Believers are called to be mindful of their words, ensuring they reflect truth and love, as our speech is a reflection of our heart.

Accountability to God
As followers of Christ, we are accountable to God for our words. We must strive to uphold His standards of truth in all our interactions.

Building a Culture of Honesty
In our communities, we should promote a culture of honesty and integrity, encouraging others to speak truthfully and uphold justice.
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. Reflect on a time when you were tempted to bear false witness. What steps can you take to ensure truthfulness in similar situations in the future?

4. How does the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 5:33-37 expand upon the commandment in Exodus 20:16?

5. What practical steps can you take to promote a culture of honesty and integrity within your community or workplace?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Proverbs 6:16-19
This passage lists things the Lord hates, including a lying tongue and a false witness who pours out lies, highlighting the seriousness of bearing false witness.

Matthew 5:33-37
Jesus teaches about the importance of truthfulness, urging His followers to let their 'yes' be 'yes' and their 'no' be 'no,' reinforcing the commandment's principle.

Ephesians 4:25
Paul instructs believers to put away falsehood and speak truthfully to their neighbors, as members of one body, echoing the commandment's call for honesty.

James 3:5-12
James discusses the power of the tongue, warning against its potential to cause harm, which relates to the destructive nature of bearing false witness.
A Cure for BackbitingExodus 20:16
Breaches of the Ninth CommandmentJames Durham.Exodus 20:16
Commonest Form of the OffenceG.A. Goodhart Exodus 20:16
False WitnessJ. Vaughan.Exodus 20:16
On the Sin of Bearing False WitnessBp. J. Taylor, D. D.Exodus 20:16
ScandalExodus 20:16
SlanderJ. H. Norton, D. D.Exodus 20:16
SlanderR. W. Dale, D. D.Exodus 20:16
The Law of TruthW. J. Woods, B. A.Exodus 20:16
The Ninth CommandmentR. W. Dale, D. D.Exodus 20:16
The Ninth CommandmentWatson, ThomasExodus 20:16
The Ninth CommandmentBp. E. Hopkins.Exodus 20:16
The Ninth CommandmentR. Newton, D. D.Exodus 20:16
The Scope of the Ninth CommandmentF. S. Schenck.Exodus 20:16
Violations of the Law of TruthE. A. Washburn, D. D.Exodus 20:16
The Moral Law - General SurveyJ. Orr Exodus 20:1-18
Our Threefold Duty to Our NeighbourJ. Urquhart Exodus 20:13-17
The Individual Israelite Considered in His Duties Towards His NeighbourD. Young Exodus 20:13-17
The Ten WordsH.T. Robjohns Exodus 20:16-21
People
Moses
Places
Mount Sinai
Topics
FALSE, Neighbor, Neighbour, Testimony, Witness
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Exodus 20:16

     1175   God, will of
     1461   truth, nature of
     5350   injustice, hated by God
     5383   lawsuits
     5440   perjury
     5549   speech, positive
     5625   witnesses, false
     6147   deceit, practice
     8751   false witness
     8776   lies

Exodus 20:1-17

     1443   revelation, OT
     5036   mind, of God
     8412   decisions

Exodus 20:2-17

     5377   law, Ten Commandments
     6677   justification, necessity

Exodus 20:12-16

     2333   Christ, attitude to OT

Exodus 20:12-17

     8242   ethics, personal
     8841   unfaithfulness, to people

Exodus 20:13-16

     5276   crime

Exodus 20:15-16

     8716   dishonesty, examples

Exodus 20:16-17

     8452   neighbours, duty to

Library
The Decalogue: I --Man and God
'And God spake all these words, saying, 2. I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in the heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Decalogue: ii. --Man and Man
'Honour thy father and thy mother; that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. 13. Thou shalt not kill. 14. Thou shalt not commit adultery. 15. Thou shalt not steal. 16. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. 17. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's. 18. And all the people saw the thunderings and
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

May the Third Other Gods!
"Thou shalt have no other gods before Me." --EXODUS xx. 1-11. If we kept that commandment all the other commandments would be obeyed. If we secure this queen-bee we are given the swarm. To put nothing "before" God! What is left in the circle of obedience? God first, always and everywhere. Nothing allowed to usurp His throne for an hour! I was once allowed to sit on an earthly throne for a few seconds, but even that is not to be allowed with the throne of God. Nothing is to share His sovereignty,
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

The Mediator --The Interpreter
To us, that day at Horeb is a type of the action of the law in our nature: thus doth the law deal with our consciences and hearts. If you have ever felt the law spoken home to you by the Spirit of God, you have heard great thunderings within. You have been forced to cry with Habakkuk, "When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones." And God intended it to be so, that you might look to the flames which Moses saw, and abandon forever all hope of acceptance
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 35: 1889

Weighed in the Balances
In the fifth chapter of Daniel we read the history of King Belshazzar. One chapter tells us all we know about him. One short sight of his career is all we have. He bursts in upon the scene and then disappears. THE EASTERN FEAST. We are told that he made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before them. In those days a feast would sometimes last for six months in Eastern countries. How long this feast had been going on we are not told, but in the midst of it, he "commanded to bring
Dwight L. Moody—Weighed and Wanting

Traditionalism, Its Origin, Character, and Literature - the Mishnah and Talmud - the Gospel of Christ - the Dawn of a New Day.
In trying to picture to ourselves New Testament scenes, the figure most prominent, next to those of the chief actors, is that of the Scribe ({hebrew}, grammates, literatus). He seems ubiquitous; we meet him in Jerusalem, in Judæa, and even in Galilee. [437] Indeed, he is indispensable, not only in Babylon, which may have been the birthplace of his order, but among the dispersion' also. [438] Everywhere he appears as the mouthpiece and representative of the people; he pushes to the front, the
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Covenanting Sanctioned by the Divine Example.
God's procedure when imitable forms a peculiar argument for duty. That is made known for many reasons; among which must stand this,--that it may be observed and followed as an example. That, being perfect, is a safe and necessary pattern to follow. The law of God proclaims what he wills men as well as angels to do. The purposes of God show what he has resolved to have accomplished. The constitutions of his moral subjects intimate that he has provided that his will shall be voluntarily accomplished
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Beam on us Brightly, Blessed Day,
"The Lord blessed the Seventh day and hallowed it." -- Exodus 20:11. Beam on us brightly, blessed day, Dawn softly for our Savior's sake; And waft thy sweetness o'er our way, To draw us heavenward when we wake. O holy life that shall not end, Light that will never cease to be -- May every Sabbath-day we spend, Add to our happiness in Thee.
Miss A. L. Waring—Hymns and Meditations

For, Concerning False Witness, which is Set Down in the Ten Commands of The...
36. For, concerning false witness, which is set down in the ten commands of the Law, it can indeed in no wise be contended that love of truth may at heart be preserved, and false witness brought forth to him unto whom the witness is borne. For, when it is said to God only, then it is only in the heart that the truth is to be embraced: but when it is said to man, then must we with the mouth also of the body bring forth truth, because man is not an inspector of the heart. But then, touching the witness
St. Augustine—On Lying

On the Other Hand, those who Say that we must Never Lie...
6. On the other hand, those who say that we must never lie, plead much more strongly, using first the Divine authority, because in the very Decalogue it is written "Thou shall not bear false witness;" [2306] under which general term it comprises all lying: for whoso utters any thing bears witness to his own mind. But lest any should contend that not every lie is to be called false witness, what will he say to that which is written, "The mouth that lieth slayeth the soul:" [2307] and lest any should
St. Augustine—On Lying

What Then, if a Homicide Seek Refuge with a Christian...
22. What then, if a homicide seek refuge with a Christian, or if he see where the homicide have taken refuge, and be questioned of this matter by him who seeks, in order to bring to punishment a man, the slayer of man? Is he to tell a lie? For how does he not hide a sin by lying, when he for whom he lies has been guilty of a heinous sin? Or is it because he is not questioned concerning his sin, but about the place where he is concealed? So then to lie in order to hide a person's sin is evil; but
St. Augustine—On Lying

Thus Has the Question Been on Both Sides Considered and Treated...
12. Thus has the question been on both sides considered and treated; and still it is not easy to pass sentence: but we must further lend diligent hearing to those who say, that no deed is so evil, but that in avoidance of a worse it ought to be done; moreover that the deeds of men include not only what they do, but whatever they consent to be done unto them. Wherefore, if cause have arisen that a Christian man should choose to burn incense to idols, that he might not consent to bodily defilement
St. Augustine—On Lying

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

The Preface to the Commandments
And God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD thy God,' &c. Exod 20: 1, 2. What is the preface to the Ten Commandments? The preface to the Ten Commandments is, I am the Lord thy God.' The preface to the preface is, God spake all these words, saying,' &c. This is like the sounding of a trumpet before a solemn proclamation. Other parts of the Bible are said to be uttered by the mouth of the holy prophets (Luke 1: 70), but here God spake in his own person. How are we to understand that, God spake,
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

The Right Understanding of the Law
Thou shalt have no other Gods before me.' Exod 20: 3. Before I come to the commandments, I shall answer questions, and lay down rules respecting the moral law. What is the difference between the moral laud and the gospel? (1) The law requires that we worship God as our Creator; the gospel, that we worship him in and through Christ. God in Christ is propitious; out of him we may see God's power, justice, and holiness: in him we see his mercy displayed. (2) The moral law requires obedience, but gives
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

The First Commandment
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.' Exod 20: 3. Why is the commandment in the second person singular, Thou? Why does not God say, You shall have no other gods? Because the commandment concerns every one, and God would have each one take it as spoken to him by name. Though we are forward to take privileges to ourselves, yet we are apt to shift off duties from ourselves to others; therefore the commandment is in the second person, Thou and Thou, that every one may know that it is spoken to him,
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

The Second Commandment
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am o jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of then that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.' Exod 20: 4-6. I. Thou shalt not
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

The Third Commandment
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.' Exod 20: 7. This commandment has two parts: 1. A negative expressed, that we must not take God's name in vain; that is, cast any reflections and dishonour on his name. 2. An affirmative implied. That we should take care to reverence and honour his name. Of this latter I shall speak more fully, under the first petition in the Lord's Prayer, Hallowed be thy name.' I shall
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

The Fourth Commandment
Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day and hallowed it. Exod 20: 8-11. This
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

The Fifth Commandment
Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.' Exod 20: 12. Having done with the first table, I am next to speak of the duties of the second table. The commandments may be likened to Jacob's ladder: the first table respects God, and is the top of the ladder that reaches to heaven; the second respects superiors and inferiors, and is the foot of the ladder that rests on the earth. By the first table, we walk religiously towards God; by
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

The Sixth Commandment
Thou shalt not kill.' Exod 20: 13. In this commandment is a sin forbidden, which is murder, Thou shalt not kill,' and a duty implied, which is, to preserve our own life, and the life of others. The sin forbidden is murder: Thou shalt not kill.' Here two things are to be understood, the not injuring another, nor ourselves. I. The not injuring another. [1] We must not injure another in his name. A good name is a precious balsam.' It is a great cruelty to murder a man in his name. We injure others in
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

The Seventh Commandment
Thou shalt not commit adultery.' Exod 20: 14. God is a pure, holy spirit, and has an infinite antipathy against all uncleanness. In this commandment he has entered his caution against it; non moechaberis, Thou shalt not commit adultery.' The sum of this commandment is, The preservations of corporal purity. We must take heed of running on the rock of uncleanness, and so making shipwreck of our chastity. In this commandment there is something tacitly implied, and something expressly forbidden. 1. The
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

The Eighth Commandment
Thou shalt not steal.' Exod 20: 15. AS the holiness of God sets him against uncleanness, in the command Thou shalt not commit adultery;' so the justice of God sets him against rapine and robbery, in the command, Thou shalt not steal.' The thing forbidden in this commandment, is meddling with another man's property. The civil lawyers define furtum, stealth or theft to be the laying hands unjustly on that which is another's;' the invading another's right. I. The causes of theft. [1] The internal causes
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

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