Ninth Commandment: You Shall Not Bear False Witness

by Mike Bennett

The Ninth Commandment has its roots in integrity and honesty. Truly obeying the command to not lie requires changing how we think.

Why does God hate lying?

Jesus identifies Satan the devil as “the father” of lies. Dishonesty is in opposition to the character and identity of God because it distorts and twists the truth, damaging relationships and creating uncertainty.

The Ninth Commandment explicitly prohibits making false statements against our neighbor. What does this mean, and what else does this commandment cover?

Who is your neighbor?

Jesus expanded on “who is my neighbor?” in the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37. He showed we are to be good neighbors to everyone.

Obviously the good neighbor Jesus Christ wants us to be will not lie about anyone.

Preventing perjury, slander and perversion of justice

Modern laws about perjury are based on this concept of reinforcing the importance of truth and truthfulness.

The Ninth Commandment is designed to prevent slander and perversion of justice.

As God told Moses and the Israelites: “You shall not circulate a false report. Do not put your hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice. …

“You shall not pervert the judgment of your poor in his dispute. Keep yourself far from a false matter; do not kill the innocent and righteous. For I will not justify the wicked. And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the discerning and perverts the words of the righteous” (Exodus 23:1-2, 6-8).

Lying and dishonesty pervert and corrupt hearts and are abominations to God.

Is lying a sin?

All lying is against God’s law, so it is sin.

Lying is clearly labeled sin in Leviticus 6: “If a person sins and commits a trespass against the LORD by lying to his neighbor …” (verse 2).

This is reinforced in scriptures that show that God hates lying and that liars will not be in God’s Kingdom:

“These six things the LORD hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: … a lying tongue, … a false witness who speaks lies” (Proverbs 6:16, 19).
“Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who deal truthfully are His delight” (Proverbs 12:22).
“But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Revelations 21:8, emphasis added throughout).
“Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city [New Jerusalem]. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie”(Revelation 22:14-15).

Thankfully, since all have sinned, God has made a way for us to repent and be forgiven. Sin is serious—it required the death of our Savior to pay our death penalty! So we must not take lying lightly. Learn more about repentance and forgiveness in our free booklet Change Your Life.

The intent of God’s Ninth Commandment goes even deeper than not lying. It emphasizes the importance of truth, and of becoming more like our Creator God who hates falsehood and loves truth.

God of truth

God is a God of truth. He wants us to learn to hate lying and dishonesty and to love truth. Consider these scriptures about how important truth is to God:

“He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a God of truth and without injustice; righteous and upright is He” (Deuteronomy 32:4).
“His truth endures to all generations” (Psalm 100:5).
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
“Your word is truth” (John 17:17).
“You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice” (John 18:37).

God does not lie

Is there anything that is impossible for God? Yes!

Numbers 23:19 says, “God is not a man, that He should lie.” The Bible even says “it is impossible for God to lie” (Hebrews 6:18) and that He “cannot lie” (Titus 1:2). He will not do it.

The father of lying

On the other hand, Satan is the father of lies. Jesus Christ explained to those who were justifying themselves and sneering at Him: “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44).

The first recorded lie was when Satan, through the serpent, told Eve that God was lying: “Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil’” (Genesis 3:4-5).

What a diabolical act of deception—lying by calling our totally trustworthy God a liar!

We long for the day when Satan will deceive the nations no more (Revelation 20:3).

No need to swear

The spirit of the Ninth Commandment goes further than not swearing falsely. Our every word should be trustworthy—there should be no need to swear.

As Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount: “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one” (Matthew 5:33-37).

God wants us to replace lying with honesty in our words and our hearts and our thoughts.

Are white lies okay?

God desires “truth in the inward parts” (Psalm 51:6), and white lies—regardless of our intentions—fail to meet this standard.

What about “white lies”?

Some wonder if it is possible to always tell the truth and suggest that “white lies” are needed to avoid hurting others. But the Bible says we should be “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). White lies are not necessary; but tact, kindness and courtesy should always be practiced.

The apostle Paul also told the Christians in Ephesus that by “putting away lying, ‘Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,’ for we are members of one another” (Ephesians 4:25).

The Ninth Commandment remains vitally important today. Learn more about what the Bible says about lying, dishonesty and the importance of truth in the following resources: “Lying vs. Telling the Truth,” “There’s a Proverb for That: Liar, Liar, Plants on Fire,” “Enemies of Honesty: Lies,” “Enemies of Honesty: Half Truths,” “Enemies of Honesty: Spin,” “Speak the Truth in Love” and our video “The Ninth Commandment: Take It Easy Pinocchio.”

For further study of the other commandments, read the article “What Are the 10 Commandments?”

About the Author

Mike Bennett

Mike Bennett is editorial content manager for the Church of God, a Worldwide Association, in the Dallas, Texas, area. He coordinates the Life, Hope & Truth website, Discernmagazine, the Daily Bible Verse Blog and the Life, Hope & Truth Weekly Newsletter (including World Watch Weekly). He is also part of the Personal Correspondence team of ministers who have the privilege of answering questions sent to Life, Hope & Truth.

the New Testament, the Greek word pseudomartys (2) that is used is a compound word containing pseudes and martus. Pseudes is commonly translated as liar or false, meaning untrue, erroneous, deceitful, or wicked (3). Martus is commonly translated as witness, record, or martyr (4), which Christians commonly use when referring to someone who is killed for their testimony of faith.

The phrase false witness is used in the following ways:

Someone who testifies falsely against someone: Exodus 23:1; Deuteronomy 19:16-18; Psalms 27:12; Psalms 35:11; Acts 6:13
Someone who gossips or causes trouble: Proverbs 6:19
False teachers: 1 Corinthians 15:15

Is lying ever justified?

In Ephesians 4:25 we are told, “Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.” It is pretty clear from this verse and others that we should not lie. However, some people will point to the Old Testament story of Rahab, who lied about Israelite spies to protect them, being blessed by God (Joshua 2 and Joshua 6).

When you read the story closely in Joshua 2 and Joshua 6, you find that Rahab was not blessed because she lied, she was blessed because she trusted that their God was the one true God (Joshua 2:8-11; Hebrews 11:31). It was because of her faith that she was saved and faith also motivated her to hide the spies. Hiding the spies simply demonstrated that she was justified before God because of her faith (James 2:25).

Despite Rahab’s good intentions, making up the cover story was a sin. This demonstrates to us that often our hearts may be in the right place, but how we go about doing something may be sinful. An example would be in Romans 12:14-21 where we are told that vengeance belongs to the Lord. We may think that we are doing the Lord’s work by paying back someone with evil deeds who is doing evil against us, but that is not God’s desire for us, which would make our actions sinful.

What is the Spiritual perspective of lying?

In John 8:44, Jesus referred to Satan, the devil, as “a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” We see from this verse that there are three spiritual perspective to lying,

Lying is tied to murder. Lying has at its root deception, which was first used by Satan to deceive Eve into rejecting God’s Word and instead worshipping Satan. This sin is the foundation of keeping people from trusting Christ and being saved, which results in their murder or death (Romans 6:23; Romans 7:11; Titus 3:3). This is the same tactic used by false teachers (Matthew 24:4-5; Romans 16:17-18; Ephesians 4:14; 2 Peter 2).
Lying is not a fruit of the Spirit. People who lie are presenting a testimony that the Holy Spirit does not abide in them (Galatians 5:22-23). Lying demonstrates the works for the flesh (Romans 8:29; 1 John 1:6; 1 John 2:27), which is contrary to the Spirit (Galatians 5:17).
Lying is not rooted in truth. Lying is contrary to the truth, which is God’s Word (Proverbs 30:5-6; Psalms 33:4; John 1:14; John 17:17). It is by the truth that we are saved and able to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:25-29) as we share the truth with others.

Conclusion

God commanded us not to lie in the ninth commandment. Although this was an Old Testament commandment, it pointed to the fact that lying is not in keeping with loving our neighbor. More so, when it comes to lying, it results in murder by stealing the truth from others, denies the indwelling of the Spirit in the person lying, and is not rooted in truth of God’s Word.

Lying is modeling the behavior of Satan who steals away men through deception, which steals the word from their hearts. Those who lie on behalf of Satan are false teachers.

What Is the Ninth Commandment?

Exodus 20:16

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

The Father of Lies

Who is the Father of Lies? Satan himself. (See John 8:44.) The very word “devil” means slanderer.

The Father of Lies Corrupts

Satan used slander to corrupt Adam in Eden, by slandering God’s honesty. God had said, “The day you eat of this fruit, you will surely die,” but Satan said, “You will not surely die.” (Read Genesis 3:3-4.)

Satan’s slander worked: Adam sinned.

The Father of Lies Criticizes

In the Book of Job, Satan appears before the throne of God and slanders Job, a godly man who loved God with all of his heart. (Read Job 1:8-11.)

When Jesus was in the wilderness, Satan slandered Jesus through accusations and temptations. (Read Matthew 4.) Satan has been bearing false witness about Jesus for a long time. (See Matthew 26:59.)

What Does It Mean to Bear False Witness?

There are many ways to break the ninth commandment.

Rumors

“You shall not circulate a false report” (Exodus 23:1a). A rumor-monger is a child of the Father of Lies.

Perjury

“Do not put your hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness” (Exodus 23:1b). It does not matter what people think—you do not bear false testimony. One day you will stand in God’s courtroom. There, the one who set the murderer free will be condemned of murder, and the one who accused the innocent will suffer the penalty the innocent suffered.

Flattery

“A lying tongue hates those who are crushed by it, and a flattering mouth works ruin” (Proverbs 26:28).

Flattery is a way of using people. “The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart” (Psalm 55:21a). Flattery and hypocrisy are two sides of the same coin, and God’s Word forbids it.

Insinuations

2 Corinthians 12:20 warns about “whisperings.” You can bear false witness by insinuation—just by the tone of your voice, by the arching of the eyebrows.

Slander

Of course, sheer slander is one of the family members of the Father of Lies. “Do not speak evil of one another, brethren” (James 4:11a). James does not care whether the matter is true or not.

When you listen to backbiting and slander, you are as guilty as the person who gives it.

Not Speaking Up

The negative always implies the positive. When the Bible says, “You shall not bear false witness,” it implies that you will bear truewitness. So if you are quiet when you ought to speak, you have sinned.

“If a person sins in hearing the utterance of an oath, and is a witness, whether he has seen or known of the matter—if he does not tell it, he bears guilt” (Leviticus 5:1). If you simply say, “It’s none of my business,” and keep silent when a criminal deed is done, or when a good man is criticized, you break the ninth commandment.

Is Lying a Sin?

Proverbs 6:16-19

These six things the LORD hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.

Of the seven things that God hates, two of them deal with breaking the ninth commandment: “You shall not bear false witness.”

If you have made a practice of lying, the Bible says plainly that “you are of your Father the devil” (John 8:44) and you will spend all eternity with Satan in Hell. Hell was not prepared for you; it was prepared for the devil and his angels, his messengers. (See Matthew 25:41.) But when you are a false witness, you become one of Satan’s messengers.

“All liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8b).

The God of Truth

“You shall not bear false witness” implies, “You shall bear true witness.”

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8; emphasis added).

Our homes ought to be witnesses to the saving power of Christ. One family becomes a witness to another family. Do your neighbors know you are Christians?

You may say, “I haven’t been to seminary. I’m not trained.” Has Jesus Christ saved you? Is He real to you? A witness tells what he has seen and heard—just the facts. Witness about things you do know. And if you fail, that is part of your witness: tell how you failed, and how God forgave you and gave you another chance. Your neighbor is waiting to hear.

Living By the Truth of God

There is a crying need today for families that believe the truth, love the truth, teach the truth, and share the truth. A home that is not built on the truth of God will crumble.

How do we transfer these things to our children, so that our children can go into the school, the workplace, the government, and permeate society with the truth of God?

Teach the Truth of God

The Word of God is truth, so teach the Word of God to your children. Show them that when they tell a lie, they are acting like the devil. Show them that when they tell the truth they are acting like Jesus Christ.

Do not simply say, “Don’t tell a lie, that’s bad.” Give them a theological reason. Tell them why they ought to tell the truth. Talk of these Scriptures when you rise up, when you lie down. (See Deuteronomy 6:7.) Make certain your children understand the holy Ten Commandments.

Model the Truth of God

Fathers, it cannot be stressed enough how important it is that you tell the truth.

You can fail in many ways and still come out fairly good with your children. But if you fail here, if you fail to keep your word and fail to tell the truth to your children, your home is on the road to disaster.

If you have ever made a promise to your child and failed to keep it, ask that child for forgiveness. Confess that you have done wrong. Let your children know that you are a truth-speaker.

Do you ever teach children to lie for you? “Mama said she’s not here.” If we teach them to lie for us, we should never punish them when they lie to us. Moms and dads, tell the truth and keep your word.

Discipline in the Truth of God

Your children should know you will not put up with these three D’s: Disobedience, Defiance, and Dishonesty.

In those moments, the judgment should be sure and swift. Kind? Yes. But stern, too.

If you want your home to win, go back to what God has said. Take the Ten Commandments one at a time—measure your life by them, and teach them to your children.

List of Scriptures Referenced in this Article

Exodus 20:16, 23:1; John 8:44; Genesis 3:3-4; Job 1:8-11; Matthew 4, 25:41, 26:59; Psalm 55:21; 2 Corinthians 12:20; James 4:11; Leviticus 5:1; Revelation 21:8; Acts 1:8

More Bible Verses About the Ninth Commandment

Psalm 15

LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart; he who does not backbite with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor does he take up a reproach against his friend; in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he honors those who fear the LORD; he who swears to his own hurt and does not change; he who does not put out his money at usury, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.

Proverbs 12:22

Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, But those who deal truthfully are His delight.

Ephesians 4:25

Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.

FALSE, a. L. falsus, from fallo, to deceive. See Fall and Fail.

1. Not true; not conformable to fact; expressing what is contrary to that which exists, is done, said or thought. A false report communicates what is not done or said. A false accusation imputes to a person what he has not done or said. A false witness testifies what is not true. A false opinion is not according to truth or fact. The word is applicable to any subject, physical or moral.

2. Not well founded; as a false claim.

3. Not true; not according to the lawful standard; as a false weight or measure.

4. Substituted for another; succedaneous; supposititious; as a false bottom.

5. Counterfeit; forged; not genuine; as false coin; a false bill or note.

6. Not solid or sound; deceiving expectations; as a false foundation

False and slippery ground.

7. Not agreeable to rule or propriety; as false construction in language.

8. Not honest or just; not fair; as false play.

9. Not faithful or loyal; treacherous; perfidious; deceitful. The king's subjects may prove false to him. So we say, a false heart.

10. Unfaithful; inconstant; as a false friend; a false lover; false to promises and vows.

The husband and wife proved false to each other.

11. Deceitful; treacherous; betraying secrets.

12. Counterfeit; not genuine or real; as a false diamond.

13. Hypocritical; feigned; made or assumed for the purpose of deception; as false tears; false modesty. The man appears in false colors. The advocate gave the subject a false coloring.

False fire, a blue flame, made by the burning of certain combustibles, in a wooden tube; used as a signal during the night.

False imprisonment, the arrest and imprisonment of a person without warrant or cause, or contrary to law; or the unlawful detaining of a person in custody.

FALSE, adv. Not truly; not honestly; falsely.

FALSE, v.t.

1. To violate by failure of veracity; to deceive. Obs.

2. To defeat; to balk; to evade. Obs.

falsely

FALSELY, adv. fols'ly.

1. In a manner contrary to truth and fact; not truly; as, to speak or swear falsely; to testify falsely.

2. Treacherously; perfidiously.

Swear to me - that thou wilt not deal falsely with me.

Gen. 21.

3. Erroneously; by mistake.

falseness

FALSENESS, n. fols'ness.

1. Want of integrity and veracity, either in principle or in act; as the falseness of a man's heart, or his falseness to his word.

2. Duplicity; deceit; double-dealing.

3. Unfaithfulness; treachery; perfidy; traitorousness.

The prince is in no danger of being betrayed by the falseness, or cheated by the avarice of such a servant.

The Bible makes it clear that false accusations are evil and should have no place in the life of a believer. In the Ten Commandments, God commanded: "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor" (Exodus 20:16). And again, a few chapters later, this same commandment is expounded upon: "You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness" (Exodus 23:1). We see similar exhortations in the New Testament. First Peter 2:1 instructs, "So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander." Ephesians 4:25 says, "Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another" (Ephesians 4:25). Revelation 21:8 includes liars in a list of those who will be cast into the lake of fire. In John 8:44 we learn that Satan "is a liar and the father of lies." Clearly falsehood of any kind is contrary to God's character, and thus it has no place in the life of a believer.

False accusations are the opposite of peace. They stir up chaos: "For they do not speak peace, but against those who are quiet in the land they devise words of deceit" (Psalm 35:20). So, what motivates people to make false accusations about others? A couple obvious reasons come to mind. First, people make false accusations as a way to seek revenge. They want to harm the person they are falsely accusing. Second, they do it as an attempt to gain or maintain power.

In Deuteronomy, specific instructions are given to the Israelites about how to handle false accusations: "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 meant to do to his brother. So you shall purge the evil from your midst" (Deuteronomy 19:18–19). These stakes are quite high; if a person falsely accused another intentionally and their falsehood was proven, they themself would have to bear the punishment they sought for the other.

We see this exact scenario play out in the story of Haman and Mordecai, found in the book of Esther. Haman was second in command to King Ahasuerus, and he sought revenge over Mordecai because Mordecai had refused to bow down to him and was also favored by the king. Haman formulated an evil plot to falsely accuse Mordecai of evildoing, and he had gallows constructed for the specific purpose of hanging Mordecai from it. Haman's evil scheme was exposed, however, and in the end, he instead was the one who was hung from the gallows intended for Mordecai (Esther 5:9–14; 6:4)."

Jesus dealt with false accusations from the Pharisees throughout His ministry all the way to His crucifixion. Isaiah prophesied this about the Messiah: "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth" (Isaiah 53:7). Even Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor who sentenced Jesus to be crucified, knew Jesus was innocent, but he gave into the Jew's false accusations because he didn't want them to riot (Matthew 27:22–26).

Under Mosaic Law, the people who falsely accused Jesus should have been crucified instead of Him, but Jesus showed them mercy instead when He said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). Jesus' sacrifice fulfilled the Mosaic Law and made a new law of mercy and forgiveness for all who put their faith in Jesus as Lord: "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" (John 1:17; cf. 3:16–18).

Throughout our lives, we will have people falsely accuse us, but instead of acting in any sort of violent retaliation, we can rest in the fact that God knows the truth. Peter instructs us to behave in such an upright way that it puts our accusers to shame: "Having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame" (1 Peter 3:16). Jesus actually said that we are blessed when this happens to us for His sake: "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matthew 5:11–12). It is not up to us to avenge ourselves (Romans 12:19). We should seek wisdom from the Word so that in all circumstances we may honor God (Psalm 119:69–70).

Stay strong; God sees and knows the truth. We have this promise from Him: "No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD and their vindication from me, declares the LORD" (Isaiah 54:17) (see also Romans 8).

NINTH COMMANDMENT: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor”

November 28, 2016

לא תענה ברעך עד שקר

The Ninth Commandment says, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor,” which is explained by Jewish tradition as “You shall not lie in a court of justice.”

As we have explained, DO NOT STEAL refers to the highest level of stealing: stealing a life (kidnapping, human trafficking, enslavement, etc.). The Ninth Commandment also refers to the highest form of lying: lying in the court of law. If lying in court was not criminalized, justice could not possibly be served. And without justice, we would have corruption, anarchy, and impunity. And human society would collapse. The Tora warns us severely about the manipulation and distortion of the judicial system, criminalizing, for example, bribery of judges or other court officials. The Ninth Commandment warns us specifically about lying in court, what is known as “perjury.”

Jewish law takes the matter of judicial testimony very seriously. There are several conditions that need to be met for someone to serve as a witness. For example, witnesses can not be relatives of the accused or of one of the parties. In a Jewish court, a single witness can not testify. At least two witnesses are needed. The fact that two witnesses are required, instead of one, while cannot entirely stop perjury, drastically diminishes the possibility of false testimony.

There are also maters of character that can disqualify a witness. The wicked (resha’im) are incompetent to act as witnesses. This includes people who have committed crimes: delinquents, scammers, thieves, usurers, etc. Neither can gamblers serve as witnesses, or people who deliberately and without justification cease to work or study, as they are suspected of spending their free time in criminal activities (see further details in Shulhan ‘Arukh Hoshen Mishpat Chapter 34).

A man who has no basic knowledge of Tora (the Bible) or Mishna, or of the basic norms of civilized behavior (derekh erets), is presumed to live a questionable life and therefore is not considered competent as a witness. This presumption, however, is refutable if there is evidence that, despite this person’s ignorance, his conduct is unblemished.

All these requirements and limitations (and more) are intended to avoid, as much as possible, that the Jewish judicial system could be manipulated or defrauded.

Returning to the topic of false witnesses; in the time of the Rabbinic courts, there were severe penalties for false witnesses. For example, if false witnesses were challenged by other witnesses, proving that they could not have been at the crime scene during the date they mentioned in their testimony (‘edim zomemim), the first witnesses would receive the penalty or punishment corresponding to the crime they wanted to adjudicate the accused. Thus, for example, if based on the testimony of these false witnesses, the accused would have to pay compensation of a 1,000 dollars, the false witnesses would have to pay 1,000 dollars. What is more, if the false witnesses accused someone of a crime that carries the death penalty, these false witnesses were to be sentenced to death.

In spite of all these efforts for justice to be served, sometimes a false witness can not be detected. The Tora, however, guarantees that when human justice is deceived, Divine Justice will soon arrive.

We read in the book of Mishle, the proverbs of King Solomon, that a false witness who deceived the court, will have to face Divine Justice. HaShem will not absolve or forgive a false witness. עד שקרים לא ינקה ויפיח כזבים לא ימלט, “A false witness shall not go unpunished, and he who declares lies shall not escape [Divine justice],” Proverbs 19: 5.

Every day, three times a day, we ask in our Tefilot [= prayers, specifically, the ‘amida] from HaShem to renew the courts of justice, and thus, when righteousness reigns, many of our sorrows will disappear. We declare at the end of this prayer that HaShem, is מלך אוהב צדקה ומשפט, is a King [ “King” here means “Supreme Judge”] who loves righteousness and justice. And therefore, He will not let impunity reign.

Exodus 20:16 and Deuteronomy 19:16 both say: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”

When we think of false witness, several events in Scripture should come to mind:

Potiphar’s wife accused Joseph of rape (Genesis 39);
Many people bore false witness against Yeshua (Mark 14:55-59);
Many people bore false witness against Stephen saying he spoke blasphemous words against Moses and God, and against the holy place and the law (Acts 6:8-15);
Paul was falsely accused of teaching the Jews to forsake Moses, not to circumcise their children, and not to walk according to the customs despite the fact he walked orderly and kept the law (Acts 21:20-24).

The results of false witness in these Scriptural accounts were terrible. Joseph and Paul were put in jail, and Yeshua and Stephen were put to death. I think the serious consequences of false witness for the victim are why we are commanded not to commit false witness.

As these men discovered, there is practically nothing you can do to convince anyone that false witness has taken place. A victim of false witness is helpless and indefensible; they feel hopeless and often do not have any recourse unless they have a provable alibi or unless what they did can be interpreted differently. Defending oneself against false witnesses is often dependent on what one is accused of in the first place as well as the type of evidence presented. Often, a person is considered guilty unless he can find a way to prove himself innocent. It should be the other way around.

In Joseph’s case, the evidence was against him. Potiphar’s wife had his garment and the men in the house probably heard her scream. Circumstantial evidence was against him and it was believable. It was her word against Joseph’s. Despite the righteous life Joseph lived, the people listened to the lie of Potiphar’s wife and assumed she was telling the truth. Proverbs 25:18 says, “A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is like a club, a sword, and a sharp arrow.”I’m sure Joseph felt the enormous pain of that blow for years to come while he was in prison.

I often wonder why God allowed this to happen to Joseph; I’m sure he wondered the same thing. I’ve come to the conclusion that it was because parts of Joseph’s life were intended to be a type of Yeshua who was also falsely accused of something. It was also a trial that was used to shape Joseph into what YHVH wanted him to be. This does not mean that YHVH approved of the false witness; on the contrary, He always hates lying lips no matter the reason.

As we’ve seen above, sometimes false witness is very deliberate; other times false witness is a result of misinterpreting reality. The false witnesses against Joseph, Yeshua, and Stephen were very deliberate. The false witness against Paul could have been deliberate and/or a result of misinterpreting reality. The problem with Paul is that the false witness against him was not short lived; it has been passed down for hundreds of years primarily because we’ve lacked information about the culture of the day and we’ve listened to the lessons we’ve been fed without investigating the teachings of the church. People are finally waking up to reality, trying to learn and understand the culture of Paul’s time, and seeing that Paul’s writings have been misunderstood and misinterpreted. This shows us just how long lasting the effects of false witnesses can be. This is another reason false witness should be detected and dealt with.

Let’s explore this idea of false witness that is the result of a misunderstanding or a misinterpretation of a situation. I recall an episode from “Little House on the Prairie” called “The Monster of Walnut Grove” that aired on TV in 1976 ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0633110/). On a Halloween eve, when Laura was still a child, she was outside the window at the Oleson’s place. Mr. Oleson was playing with his sword in the house while he was talking; all of a sudden he chopped off the head of a mannequin with his sword. Unknown to Mr. Oleson, Laura was listening and watching. If memory serves me correctly, the view of the room Laura had was through a drawn curtain with a lamp and the mannequin situated in front of the window. Based on what she saw, Laura assumed Mr. Oleson had killed his wife. The next morning, Mrs. Oleson went out of town. Laura eventually tried to convince a few of the other children that she had seen Mr. Oleson kill his wife. Fortunately, Mrs. Oleson finally came home proving she was very much alive. At the end of the show, Mr. Oleson had enough sense to explain himself and show her the mannequin so Laura could understand what had really happened. If you want a good laugh, be sure to watch the episode on-line.

This was a very laughable episode yet what if an event in real life is misinterpreted when someone’s reputation is on the line? Recall that Laura definitely saw something, but how she interpreted what she saw was not reality. She bore false witness based on what she thought she saw; this is still slander. Slander is very serious. In this episode, should Mr. Oleson have borne the blame for Laura misinterpreting what she saw? No. Likewise, in situations today, a teaching moment should take place to explain that things are not always as they appear; the victim of false witness should not be blamed for someone’s incorrect perception. People, especially children, need to learn that we often mistakenly interpret reality based on our cultural backgrounds, experiences, and beliefs, and that if we are to get along with others, we need to understand and be careful of that. We need to give people the benefit of the doubt and understand that most people are not even aware that their behavior is being misinterpreted unless an issue is made of the situation.

Have you ever seen or heard anything in your inter-personal relationships that could have been improperly interpreted? I think we all have. We often misinterpret body language and what people say for various reasons; sometimes we are actively looking for a problem that doesn’t even exist in another person. We improperly believe people don’t change; we believe, once a _____, always a _____. We interpret how a person behaves based on our beliefs about them. We also read body language, speak, and hear others through the lens of our own cultural backgrounds; personal experiences; and our moral and/or religious beliefs and values without taking into account those same but different things in other people. Because of this, we don’t always connect with people accurately and serious false witness or slander can be a result of that. We often fail to connect because despite the accused explaining their backgrounds, experiences, and beliefs, we reject that vital information and continue to process the event through our own lens of reality. We’ve got to get past that. We also need to realize this sort of thing is an unfortunate part of life that is not 100% controllable.

Committing deliberate false witness is 100% avoidable, but as I’ve demonstrated, inadvertent false witness is a bit more difficult to avoid. Sometimes we need to give people the benefit of the doubt when the evidence is based on things that could be possibly misinterpreted or when the evidence really is not as sufficient as we think at first. We may need to seek clarification and start listening and believing the accused; more evidence may need to be required before passing judgment on someone.

Consider Deuteronomy 19:16-20: “If a false witness rises against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing, 17 then both men in the controversy shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who serve in those days. 18 And the judges shall make careful inquiry, and indeed, if the witness is a false witness, who has testified falsely against his brother, 19 then you shall do to him as he thought to have done to his brother; so you shall put away the evil from among you.”

Any person who has witnesses against him should be allowed to face these witnesses to fully know the charges against him so that an adequate defense or explanation, and investigation can be made. If the evidence is only circumstantial and can be interpreted in more than one way, doubt should dismiss all witnesses until more definitive evidence can be brought forth. Two or three witnesses are not always sufficient if their interpretation of the situation is not completely based on reality or if they share a world view different from the victim. Often times, only YHVH can see the true heart of the victim; false witnesses based on faulty perceptions can improperly interpret that.

The reason we need to be so careful in judging testimony against others is because the damage of a false witness is so bad that Proverbs 6:16-19 lists it as one of the seven abominations that YHVH hates. In fact, Proverbs 19:5, 9 and 21:28 says a false witness will not go unpunished; he will perish.

Proverbs 12:17,20 says, “He who speaks truth declares righteousness, But a false witness, deceit. 18 There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, But the tongue of the wise promotes health. 19 The truthful lip shall be established forever, But a lying tongue is but for a moment. 20 Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, But counselors of peace have joy.”

We need to pursue truth and righteousness which lead to life, peace, and joy while avoiding false witness and deceit which is in the heart of those who are evil.

If it’s possible that you have misinterpreted an event you have witnessed and thereby caused emotional pain and suffering to another individual as a result of it, go and make things right. If it’s possible that you have listened to and believed this kind of false witness, go to the victim and try to make things right. The victim of false witness has that against you. Remember Matthew 5:23-24: “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”

If you were asked what the ninth commandment says, you might answer, “Don’t tell lies.” One popular paraphrase of the Bible says just that in Exodus 20:16, “Do not tell lies about others.” The ninth commandment does prohibit lying, but the exposition of the commandment found in the Westminster catechisms expands on the meaning of lying. In historical writing, it is important to present people, places, and events as accurately as possible.

Q. 76. Which is the ninth commandment?

A. The ninth commandment is, “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.”

Q. 77. What is required in the ninth commandment?

A. The ninth commandment requireth the maintaining and promoting of truth between man and man, and of our own and our neighbor’s good name, especially in witness-bearing.

Q. 78. What is forbidden in the ninth commandment?

A. The ninth commandment forbiddeth whatsoever is prejudicial to truth, or injurious to our own or our neighbor’s good name.

The Shorter Catechism provides the meaning of the commandment in brief, but the Larger Catechism develops the requirements more fully.

Q. 144. What are the duties required in the ninth commandment?

A. The duties required in the ninth commandment are, the preserving and promoting of truth between man and man, and the good name of our neighbor, as well as our own; appearing and standing for the truth; and from the heart, sincerely, freely, clearly, and fully, speaking the truth, and only the truth, in matters of judgment and justice, and in all other things whatsoever; a charitable esteem of our neighbors; loving, desiring, and rejoicing in their good name; sorrowing for and covering of their infirmities; freely acknowledging of their gifts and graces, defending their innocency; a ready receiving of a good report, and unwillingness to admit of an evil report, concerning them; discouraging talebearers, flatterers, and slanderers; love and care of our own good name, and defending it when need requireth; keeping of lawful promises; studying and practicing of whatsoever things are true, honest, lovely, and of good report.

Q. 145. What are the sins forbidden in the ninth commandment?

A. The sins forbidden in the ninth commandment are, all prejudicing the truth, and the good name of our neighbors, as well as our own, especially in public judicature; giving false evidence, suborning false witnesses, wittingly appearing and pleading for an evil cause, outfacing and overbearing the truth; passing unjust sentence, calling evil good, and good evil; rewarding the wicked according to the work of the righteous, and the righteous according to the work of the wicked; forgery, concealing the truth, undue silence in a just cause, and holding our peace when iniquity calleth for either a reproof from ourselves, or complaint to others; speaking the truth unseasonably, or maliciously to a wrong end, or perverting it to a wrong meaning, or in doubtful or equivocal expressions, to the prejudice of the truth or justice; speaking untruth, lying, slandering, backbiting, detracting, talebearing, whispering, scoffing, reviling, rash, harsh, and partial censuring; misconstructing intentions, words, and actions; flattering, vainglorious boasting, thinking or speaking too highly or too meanly of ourselves or others; denying the gifts and graces of God; aggravating smaller faults; hiding, excusing, or extenuating of sins, when called to a free confession; unnecessary discovering of infirmities; raising false rumors, receiving and countenancing evil reports, and stopping our ears against just defense; evil suspicion; envying or grieving at the deserved credit of any; endeavoring or desiring to impair it, rejoicing in their disgrace and infamy; scornful contempt, fond admiration; breach of lawful promises; neglecting such things as are of good report, and practicing, or not avoiding ourselves, or not hindering what we can in others, such things as procure an ill name.

Is there anything the Westminster Assembly missed as it expounded the commandment? Even though this list is extensive, it is not complete because the depth of Scripture cannot be plumbed. Obedience to the Law is impossible for the Christian in this life, but the Lord nevertheless said, “Be ye perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). Absolute perfection; perfectly perfect; no jots or tittles transgressed. Is there any hope? Martin Luther said an aspect of the Law is it acts as a schoolmaster by exposing sin and turning people to Christ for redemption from their hopeless situations. When Christ said to be perfect, it was a requirement he met fully and as the perfect lamb he atoned for the sin of his people. The catechisms are evangelistic in their presentation of the commandments because the overwhelming requirements listed in the answers lead readers through the Holy Spirit to relief in Christ. The Lord was and is perfect having fulfilled the ninth commandment even beyond the detailed presentation in the catechisms.

Thomas Watson (1620-1686) was a Presbyterian living in England during the era when the Westminster Assembly met. He was a puritan that was against the execution of King Charles I and was suspected by the roundheads of being a royalist (cavalier). When he wrote about bearing false witness, he undoubtedly had experience being on the receiving end of slander against him given his imprisonment. As he opened his exposition of the ninth commandment in A Body of Divinity, he said —

The tongue which at first was made to be an organ of God’s praise, is now become an instrument of unrighteousness. This commandment binds the tongue to its good behavior. God hath set two fences to keep in the tongue, the teeth and lips; and this commandment is a third fence set about it, that it should not break forth into evil; thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

Using human anatomy Watson expressed the meaning of James 3:9 when he exposed the dangers of the tongue saying, “With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the image of God.” And then as he concluded his comments on the ninth commandment, Watson added—

The mandatory part of this commandment implied: that is, that we should stand up for others and vindicate them, when they are injured by lying lips. This is the sense of the commandment, not only that we should not slander or falsely accuse others, but that we should witness for them, and stand up in their defense, when we know them to be traduced.

There is much more to the ninth commandment than telling someone a lie. The commandment is concerned with being true and defending truth in all areas of life. As a historian, I am concerned that I portray accurately the people I write about. My ability to be fair is a function of the sources of information available. An individual such as theologian Charles Hodge has considerable collections of primary source material archived for examination and an abundance of secondary literature. Other people I have written about are not so fortunate when it comes to sources. Sometimes I have to write based on the assessment of a subject’s contemporaries in secondary literature, but these sources are sometimes prejudiced, some openly so, while others are less obvious about their slants. A good historian does not want to misrepresent, sully, or defame someone from the past and transgress the ninth commandment. Sometimes it becomes difficult to be honest about people of the past because during research aspects of their lives are found to be unattractive, even reprehensible, but the ninth commandment still needs to be remembered. The dead cannot defend themselves, so historians have a responsibility to protect their integrity, and what is true for the reputations of the dead applies to the living as well.

Barry Waugh

Notes—The header is used courtesy of Reformation Art. The Larger Catechism title page is from The Confession of Faith, Together with the LARGER and LESSER CATECHISMS. Composed by the Reverend ASSEMBLY OF DIVINES, Sitting at Westminster, Presented to both Houses of PARLIAMENT. London, Printed by E. M. for the Company of Stationers, and are to be sold by John Rothwel at the Fountain in Cheapside. 1658.

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Bearing false witness