Exodus 23:1

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Summary

Exodus 23:1

Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.

Shalt not

An unrighteous witness

General references

Bible References

Shalt not

Keep far away from a false charge or action, and do not condemn to death the innocent or the righteous, for I will not justify and acquit the guilty.

“You shall not testify falsely [that is, lie, withhold, or manipulate the truth] against your neighbor (any person).

You shall not go around as a gossip among your people, and you are not to act against the life of your neighbor [with slander or false testimony]; I am the Lord.

Then the king said, “And where is your master’s son [Mephibosheth]?” Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he remains in Jerusalem, for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will give me back the kingdom of my father.’”

Further, he has slandered your servant to my lord the king; but my lord the king is like the angel of God; so do what is good in your eyes.

He does not slander with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor takes up a reproach against his friend;

Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will silence;
The one who has a haughty look and a proud (arrogant) heart I will not tolerate.

What shall be given to you, and what more shall be done to you,
You deceitful tongue?—

He who hides hatred has lying lips,
And he who spreads slander is a fool.

An evildoer listens closely to wicked lips;
And a liar pays attention to a destructive and malicious tongue.

The north wind brings forth rain;
And a backbiting tongue, an angry countenance.

For I have heard the whispering and defaming words of many,
“Terror on every side!
Denounce him! Let us denounce him!”
All my familiar and trusted friends,
[Those who are] watching for my fall, say,
“Perhaps he will be persuaded and deceived; then we will overcome him,
And take our revenge on him.”

And if the governor (Pilate) hears about it, we will calm him down and keep you out of trouble.”

And why not say, (as some slanderously report and claim that we teach) “Let us do evil so that good may come of it”? Their condemnation [by God] is just.

An unrighteous witness

‘You shall not give false testimony [that is, lie, withhold, or manipulate the truth] against your neighbor (any person).

If a malicious witness rises up against a man to [falsely] accuse him of wrongdoing,

and seat two worthless and unprincipled men opposite him, and have them testify against him, saying, ‘You cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”

Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries,
For false witnesses have come against me;
They breathe out violence.

Malicious witnesses rise up;
They ask me of things that I do not know.

A false witness who breathes out lies [even half-truths],
And one who spreads discord (rumors) among brothers.

He who speaks truth [when he testifies] tells what is right,
But a false witness utters deceit [in court].

A false witness will not go unpunished,
And he who breathes out lies will not escape.

A false witness will perish,
But a man who listens to the truth will speak forever and go unchallenged.

Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause,
And do not deceive with your lips [speak neither lies nor half-truths].

Like a club and a sword and a piercing arrow
Is a man who testifies falsely against his neighbor (acquaintance).

He said to Jesus, “Which commandments?” And Jesus answered, “You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not give false testimony;

Now the chief priests and the whole Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) tried to get false witnesses to testify against Jesus, so that they might [have a reason to] put Him to death.

Some soldiers asked him, “And what about us, what are we to do?” And he replied to them, “Do not extort money from anyone or harass or blackmail anyone, and be satisfied with your wages.”

Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, “See, Lord, I am [now] giving half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone out of anything, I will give back four times as much.”

Then [to attack him another way] they secretly instructed men to say, “We have heard this man [Stephen] speak blasphemous (slanderous, sacrilegious, abusive) words against Moses and against God.”

Therefore, rejecting all falsehood [whether lying, defrauding, telling half-truths, spreading rumors, any such as these], speak truth each one with his neighbor, for we are all parts of one another [and we are all parts of the body of Christ].

[and they will be] unloving [devoid of natural human affection, calloused and inhumane], irreconcilable, malicious gossips, devoid of self-control [intemperate, immoral], brutal, haters of good,

And see to it that your conscience is entirely clear, so that every time you are slandered or falsely accused, those who attack or disparage your good behavior in Christ will be shamed [by their own words].

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying,

“Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom (dominion, reign) of our God, and the authority of His Christ have come; for the accuser of our [believing] brothers and sisters has been thrown down [at last], he who accuses them and keeps bringing charges [of sinful behavior] against them before our God day and night.

General references

Then she told her husband the same story, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you brought among us, came to me to mock and insult me;

‘You shall not give false testimony [that is, lie, withhold, or manipulate the truth] against your neighbor (any person).

and charges her [without cause] with shameful behavior and publicly defames her, and says, ‘I took this woman, but when I approached her, I did not find in her evidence of virginity,’

A faithful and trustworthy witness will not lie,
But a false witness speaks lies.