Exodus 23:1

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

Justice“You must not give a false report. Do not make common cause with the wicked to be a malicious witness.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

לֹ֥א תִשָּׂ֖א שֵׁ֣מַע שָׁ֑וְא אַל־תָּ֤שֶׁת יָֽדְךָ֙ עִם־רָשָׁ֔ע לִהְיֹ֖ת עֵ֥ד חָמָֽס׃

Transliteration

Not tiśśā šēmaʿ šāwe not-tāšet yādĕkā with-rāšāʿ to-hĕyōt ʿēd ḥāmās

Grammar Details

• *tiśśā*: qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular - lift/carry/take up
• *šēmaʿ*: noun masculine singular construct - report/rumor
• *šāwe*: noun masculine singular - falsehood/emptiness/vanity
• *tāšet*: qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular - put/place/set
• *yādĕkā*: noun feminine singular construct with 2nd person masculine singular suffix - your hand
• *rāšāʿ*: adjective masculine singular - wicked/evil person
• *hĕyōt*: qal infinitive construct - to be/become
• *ʿēd*: noun masculine singular - witness
• *ḥāmās*: noun masculine singular - violence/wrong/injustice

Word Meanings

• *tiśśā*: lift up/carry/raise/bear/take
• *šēmaʿ*: report/rumor/hearsay
• *šāwe*: falsehood/emptiness/worthlessness/vanity
• *tāšet*: put/place/set/join
• *ḥāmās*: violence/wrong/injustice/malicious

Referenced Verses

• Ps 101:5 : 5 I will destroy anyone who slanders his neighbor in secret. I will not tolerate anyone who has a haughty demeanor and an arrogant attitude.
• Ps 35:11 : 11 Violent men perjure themselves, and falsely accuse me.
• Exod 20:16 : 16 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
• Prov 19:5 : 5 A false witness will not go unpunished, and the one who spouts out lies will not escape punishment.
• Exod 23:7 : 7 Keep your distance from a false charge– do not kill the innocent and the righteous, for I will not justify the wicked.
• Lev 19:11 : 11 Dealing Honestly“‘You must not steal, you must not tell lies, and you must not deal falsely with your fellow citizen.
• Lev 19:16 : 16 You must not go about as a slanderer among your people. You must not stand idly by when your neighbor’s life is at stake. I am the LORD.
• Deut 5:20 : 20 You must not offer false testimony against another.
• Deut 19:16-21 : 16 If a false witness testifies against another person and accuses him of a crime, 17 then both parties to the controversy must stand before the LORD, that is, before the priests and judges who will be in office in those days. 18 The judges will thoroughly investigate the matter, and if the witness should prove to be false and to have given false testimony against the accused, 19 you must do to him what he had intended to do to the accused. In this way you will purge evil from among you. 20 The rest of the people will hear and become afraid to keep doing such evil among you. 21 You must not show pity; the principle will be a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, and a foot for a foot.
• Matt 26:59-61 : 59 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were trying to find false testimony against Jesus so that they could put him to death. 60 But they did not find anything, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two came forward 61 and declared,“This man said,‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”
• Matt 28:14-15 : 14 If this matter is heard before the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So they took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story is told among the Jews to this day.
• Luke 3:14 : 14 Then some soldiers also asked him,“And as for us– what should we do?” He told them,“Take money from no one by violence or by false accusation, and be content with your pay.”
• Luke 19:8 : 8 But Zacchaeus stopped and said to the Lord,“Look, Lord, half of my possessions I now give to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone of anything, I am paying back four times as much!”
• Acts 6:11-13 : 11 Then they secretly instigated some men to say,“We have heard this man speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 12 They incited the people, the elders, and the experts in the law; then they approached Stephen, seized him, and brought him before the council. 13 They brought forward false witnesses who said,“This man does not stop saying things against this holy place and the law.
• Rom 3:8 : 8 And why not say,“Let us do evil so that good may come of it”?– as some who slander us allege that we say.(Their condemnation is deserved!)
• Eph 4:25 : 25 Therefore, having laid aside falsehood, each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, because we are members of one another.
• 2 Tim 3:3 : 3 unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, savage, opposed to what is good,
• 1 Pet 3:16 : 16 Yet do it with courtesy and respect, keeping a good conscience, so that those who slander your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame when they accuse you.
• Rev 12:10 : 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying,“The salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the ruling authority of his Christ, have now come, because the accuser of our brothers and sisters, the one who accuses them day and night before our God, has been thrown down.
• Ps 120:3 : 3 How will he severely punish you, you deceptive talker?
• Prov 6:19 : 19 a false witness who pours out lies, and a person who spreads discord among family members.
• Prov 10:18 : 18 The one who conceals hatred utters lies, and the one who spreads slander is certainly a fool.
• Prov 12:17 : 17 The faithful witness tells what is right, but a false witness speaks deceit.
• Prov 17:4 : 4 One who acts wickedly pays attention to evil counsel; a liar listens to a malicious tongue.
• 2 Sam 16:3 : 3 The king asked,“Where is your master’s grandson?” Ziba replied to the king,“He remains in Jerusalem, for he said,‘Today the house of Israel will give back to me my grandfather’s kingdom.’”
• 2 Sam 19:27 : 27 But my servant has slandered me to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like an angel of God. Do whatever seems appropriate to you.
• 1 Kgs 21:10-13 : 10 Also seat two villains opposite him and have them testify,‘You cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and stone him to death.” 11 The men of the city, the leaders and the nobles who lived there, followed the written orders Jezebel had sent them. 12 They observed a time of fasting and put Naboth in front of the people. 13 The two villains arrived and sat opposite him. Then the villains testified against Naboth right before the people, saying,“Naboth cursed God and the king.” So they dragged him outside the city and stoned him to death.
• Ps 15:3 : 3 He does not slander, or do harm to others, or insult his neighbor.
• Ps 27:12 : 12 Do not turn me over to my enemies, for false witnesses who want to destroy me testify against me.
• Prov 19:9 : 9 A false witness will not go unpunished, and the one who spouts out lies will perish.
• Prov 19:28 : 28 A crooked witness scorns justice, and the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity.
• Prov 21:28 : 28 A lying witness will perish, but the one who reports accurately speaks forever.
• Prov 24:28 : 28 Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your words.
• Prov 25:18 : 18 Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow, so is the one who testifies against his neighbor as a false witness.
• Prov 25:23 : 23 The north wind brings forth rain, and a gossiping tongue brings forth an angry look.
• Jer 20:10 : 10 I hear many whispering words of intrigue against me. Those who would cause me terror are everywhere! They are saying,“Come on, let’s publicly denounce him!” All my so-called friends are just watching for something that would lead to my downfall. They say,“Perhaps he can be enticed into slipping up, so we can prevail over him and get our revenge on him.
• Matt 19:18 : 18 “Which ones?” he asked. Jesus replied,“Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony,