Exodus 20:16

Geneva Bible (1560)

Thou shalt not beare false witnes against thy neighbour.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

לֹֽא־תַעֲנֶ֥ה בְרֵעֲךָ֖ עֵ֥ד שָֽׁקֶר׃

Transliteration

lōʾ-ṯaʿăneh ḇə-rēʿăḵā ʿēḏ shāqer

Grammar Details

• *lōʾ-ṯaʿăneh*: negative particle + qal imperfect, 2nd masculine singular - you shall not answer/testify
• *ḇə-rēʿăḵā*: preposition + masculine singular noun with 2nd masculine singular suffix - against your neighbor
• *ʿēḏ*: masculine singular noun - witness
• *shāqer*: masculine singular noun - falsehood

Word Meanings

• *ṯaʿăneh*: answer/testify/respond
• *rēʿăḵā*: your neighbor/your friend/your fellow
• *ʿēḏ shāqer*: false witness/lying testimony/deceptive evidence

Referenced Verses

• Prov 19:5 : 5 A false witnes shall not be vnpunished: and he that speaketh lyes, shall not escape.
• Matt 19:18 : 18 He sayd to him, Which? And Iesus sayde, These, Thou shalt not kill: Thou shalt not commit adulterie: Thou shalt not steale: Thou shalt not beare false witnesse.
• Ps 15:3 : 3 He that slandereth not with his tongue, nor doeth euill to his neighbour, nor receiueth a false report against his neighbour.
• Ps 101:5-7 : 5 Him that priuily slandereth his neighbour, wil I destroy: him that hath a proude looke and hie heart, I cannot suffer. 6 Mine eyes shalbe vnto the faithfull of the lande, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfite way, he shall serue me. 7 There shal no deceitful person dwell within mine house: he that telleth lyes, shall not remaine in my sight.
• Exod 23:1 : 1 Thou shalt not receiue a false tale, neyther shalt thou put thine hande with the wicked, to be a false witnes.
• Matt 26:59-60 : 59 Nowe the chiefe Priestes and the Elders, and all the whole councill sought false witnesse against Iesus, to put him to death. 60 But they founde none, and though many false witnesses came, yet founde they none: but at the last came two false witnesses,
• Acts 6:13 : 13 And set forth false witnesses, which sayd, This man ceasseth not to speake blasphemous wordes against this holy place, and the Law.
• Eph 4:31 : 31 Let all bitternesse, and anger, and wrath, crying, and euill speaking be put away from you, with all maliciousnesse.
• 1 Tim 1:10 : 10 To whoremongers, to buggerers, to menstealers, to lyers, to the periured, and if there be any other thing, that is contrary to wholesome doctrine,
• 2 Tim 3:3 : 3 Without naturall affection, truce breakers, false accusers, intemperate, fierce, no louers at all of them which are good,
• Jas 4:11 : 11 Speake not euill one of another, brethren. He that speaketh euill of his brother, or he that condemneth his brother, speaketh euill of ye Law, and condemneth the Lawe: and if thou condemnest the Lawe, thou art not an obseruer of the Lawe, but a iudge.
• Exod 23:6-7 : 6 Thou shalt not ouerthrowe the right of thy poore in his sute. 7 Thou shalt keepe thee farre fro a false matter, and shalt not slaye the innocent and the righteous: for I will not iustifie a wicked man.
• Lev 19:11 : 11 Ye shall not steale, neither deale falsely, neither lie one to another.
• Lev 19:16 : 16 Thou shalt not walke about with tales among thy people. Thou shalt not stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the Lord.
• Deut 19:15-21 : 15 One witnes shall not rise against a man for any trespasse, or for any sinne, or for any fault that hee offendeth in, but at the mouth of two witnesses or at the mouth of three witnesses shall the matter be stablished. 16 If a false witnesse rise vp against a man to accuse him of trespasse, 17 Then both the men which striue together, shal stand before ye Lord, euen before the Priests and the Iudges, which shall be in those daies, 18 And the Iudges shall make diligent inquisition: and if the witnesse be found false, and hath giuen false witnes against his brother, 19 Then shall yee doe vnto him as hee had thought to doe vnto his brother: so thou shalt take euil away forth of the middes of thee. 20 And the rest shal heare this, and feare, and shall henceforth commit no more any such wickednes among you. 21 Therefore thine eye shall have no compassion, but life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foote for foote.
• 1 Sam 22:8-9 : 8 That all ye haue conspired against me, and there is none that tellerh mee that my sonne hath made a couenant with the sonne of Ishai? and there is none of you that is sory for me, or sheweth mee, that my sonne hath stirred vp my seruant to lie in wayte against me, as appeareth this day? 9 Then answered Doeg the Edomite (who was appoynted ouer the seruants of Saul) & sayd, I saw the sonne of Ishai when he came to Nob, to Ahimelech the sonne of Ahitub, 10 Who asked counsell of the Lorde for him and gaue him vitailes, and he gaue him also the sword of Goliath the Philistim. 11 Then the King sent to call Ahimelech the Priest the sonne of Ahitub, and all his fathers house, to wit, the Priests that were in Nob: and they came all to the King. 12 And Saul said, Heare now thou sonne of Ahitub; he answered, Here I am, my lord. 13 Then Saul sayde vnto him, Why haue yee conspired against me, thou & the sonne of Ishai, in that thou hast giuen him vitaile, and a sworde, and hast asked counsell of God for him, that he should rise against me, and lye in wayte as appeareth this day? 14 And Ahimelech answered the King, and sayde, Who is so faithfull among all thy seruants as Dauid, being also the Kings sonne in lawe, and goeth at thy commandement, and is honourable in thine house? 15 Haue I this day first begun to aske counsell of God for him? be it farre from mee, let not the King impute any thing vnto his seruant, nor to all the house of my father: for thy seruant knew nothing of all this, lesse nor more. 16 Then the King sayd, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy fathers house. 17 And the King sayde vnto the sergeantes that stoode about him, Turne, & slay the Priestes of the Lorde, because their hand also is with Dauid, and because they knewe when he fled, and shewed it not vnto mee. But the seruantes of the King would not moue their hands to fall vpon the Priests of the Lord. 18 Then the King sayde to Doeg, Turne thou and fall vpon the Priests; Doeg the Edomite turned, and ran vpon the Priestes, and slewe that same daye foure score and fiue persons that did weare a linen Ephod. 19 Also Nob the citie of the Priestes smote he with the edge of the sword, both man & woman, both childe and suckling, both oxe and asse, and sheepe with the edge of the sword.
• 1 Kgs 21:10-13 : 10 And set two wicked men before him, & let them witnesse against him, saying, Thou diddest blaspheme God and the King: then cary him out, and stone him that he may dye. 11 And the men of his citie, euen the Elders & gouernours, which dwelt in his citie, did as Iezebel had sent vnto them: as it was written in the letters, which she had sent vnto them. 12 They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth among the chiefe of the people, 13 And there came two wicked men, & sate before him: & the wicked men witnessed against Naboth in the presence of the people saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the King. Then they caried him away out of the citie, and stoned him with stones, that he dyed.
• Prov 10:18 : 18 He that dissembleth hatred with lying lips, and he that inuenteth slaunder, is a foole.
• Prov 11:13 : 13 Hee that goeth about as a slanderer, discouereth a secret: but hee that is of a faithfull heart concealeth a matter.