Reference: Evil Speaking
Hastings
EVIL SPEAKING in the Bible covers sins of untruthfulness as well as of malice. It includes abuse, thoughtless talebearing, imputing of bad motives, slander, and deliberate false witness. Warnings against it are frequent; it is forbidden in the legislation of the OT (Ninth Commandment; De 19:16-19) and of the NT (Mt 5:22; 12:32; 15:19). Christians must expect this form of persecution (Mt 5:11), but must be careful to give no handle to it (Ro 14:16; Tit 2:8; 1Pe 2:12; 3:16).
C. W. Emmet.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
If a false witness rises up against any man to accuse him of wrongdoing, Then both parties to the controversy shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who are in office in those days. read more. The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, Then you shall do to him as he had intended to do to his brother. So you shall put away the evil from among you.
Blessed (happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous -- " with life-joy and satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, regardless of your outward conditions) are you when people revile you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things against you falsely on My account.
But I say to you that everyone who continues to be angry with his brother or harbors malice (enmity of heart) against him shall be liable to and unable to escape the punishment imposed by the court; and whoever speaks contemptuously and insultingly to his brother shall be liable to and unable to escape the punishment imposed by the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, You cursed fool! [You empty-headed idiot!] shall be liable to and unable to escape the hell (Gehenna) of fire.
And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Spirit, the Holy One, will not be forgiven, either in this world and age or in the world and age to come.
For out of the heart come evil thoughts (reasonings and disputings and designs) such as murder, adultery, sexual vice, theft, false witnessing, slander, and irreverent speech.
Do not therefore let what seems good to you be considered an evil thing [by someone else]. [In other words, do not give occasion for others to criticize that which is justifiable for you.]
And let your instruction be sound and fit and wise and wholesome, vigorous and irrefutable and above censure, so that the opponent may be put to shame, finding nothing discrediting or evil to say about us.