Exodus 20 · Verse 16

Exodus 20:16

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
Exodus 20:16, King James Version

Exodus 20:16 in other translations

BSBYou shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
WEB“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
ASVThou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
YLT‘Thou dost not answer against thy neighbour a false testimony.
DARBYThou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
BBEDo not give false witness against your neighbour.
WebsterThou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

What does Exodus 20:16 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 16 Thou shalt not bear false witness, etc. - Not only false oaths, to deprive a man of his life or of his right, are here prohibited, but all whispering, tale-bearing, slander, and calumny; in a word, whatever is deposed as a truth, which is false in fact, and tends to injure another in his goods, person, or character, is against the spirit and letter of this law. Suppressing the truth when known, by which a person may be defrauded of his property or his good name, or lie under injuries or disabilities which a discovery of the truth would have prevented, is also a crime against this law. He who bears a false testimony against or belies even the devil himself, comes under the curse of this law, because his testimony is false. By the term neighbor any human being is intended, whether he rank among our enemies or friends.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Exodus 20:12-17

The laws of the SECOND table, that is, the last six of the ten commandments, state our duty to ourselves and to one another, and explain the great commandment, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, Lu 10:27. Godliness and honesty must go together. The fifth commandment concerns the duties we owe to our relations. Honour thy father and thy mother, includes esteem of them, shown in our conduct; obedience to their…

Read the full comment on Exodus 20:12-17 →

Exodus 20:16 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

לֹֽא\־lo'-notH3808
תַעֲנֶ֥הta.'a.Nehyou must testifyH6030
בְרֵעֲךָ֖ve.re.'a.Khaagainst neighbor yourH7453
עֵ֥ד'edtestimony ofH5707
שָֽׁקֶר\׃\ \סSha.kerfalsehoodH8267

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Exodus 20:16

  • Proverbs 19:5

    A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape.

  • Matthew 19:18

    He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,

  • Psalms 15:3

    He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.

  • Exodus 23:1

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

  • Deuteronomy 19:15-21

    One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established. If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong; Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days; And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother; …

  • Matthew 26:59-60

    Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses,

  • Proverbs 10:18

    He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.

  • Acts 6:13

    And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law:

  • Leviticus 19:11

    Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.

  • Psalms 101:5-7

    Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer. Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me. He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.

  • Exodus 23:6-7

    Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause. Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.

  • Ephesians 4:31

    Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
23:6,7; Le 19:11,16; De 19:15-21; 1Sa 22:8-19; 1Ki 21:10-13
Ps 15:3; 101:5-7; Pr 10:18; 11:13; Mt 26:59,60; Ac 6:13; Eph 4:31
1Ti 1:10; 2Ti 3:3; Jas 4:11

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Exodus 20:15

    Thou shalt not steal.

  • Exodus 20:16

    Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

  • Exodus 20:17

    Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.

Read all of Exodus 20

Exodus 20:16 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		No hablarás contra tu prójimo falso testimonio.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Tu ne diras point de faux témoignage contre ton prochain.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Du sollst kein falsches Zeugnis ablegen wider deinen Nächsten. -
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Non loqueris contra proximum tuum falsum testimonium.