Psalms 15:3

He doth not take away or diminish his neighbour's good name, either by denying him his due praises, or by laying any thing to his charge falsely, or without sufficient cause and evidence; nor doeth evil, i.e. any hurt or injury, to his neighbour, i.e. to any man; as is evident,

1. From the nature of this precept, which reacheth to all, it being plain and certain that, both by laws of nature and of Moses, it was not. lawful to do evil to any man, except where God the Sovereign commanded it, as he did to the Canaanites and Amalekites.

2. From the Scripture usage of this word neighbour, which frequently signifies every man, though a stranger or a heathen, as appears from Genesis 29:4 Exodus 20:10,17 Le 18:20 19:15, &c.; Proverbs 25:8,9 Lu 10:20, &c.; Matthew 5:43,44. And he useth this word neighbour, because he who is strictly so is most within our reach, and most liable to the injuries which one man doth to another. Nor taketh up, to wit, into his lips or mouth, which is understood here, as also Exodus 20:7 Job 4:2, and fully expressed Psalms 16:4, Psalms 50:16, i.e. doth not raise it, though that may seem to be included in the first clause, that backbiteth not; or doth not spread and propagate it; which men are too prone and ready to do, and which makes that a public which before was but a private injury and mischief. Or, nor taketh or receiveth, i.e. entertaineth it cheerfully and greedily, as men usually do such things, and easily believeth it without sufficient reason. See Exodus 23:1 Leviticus 19:16. Or, nor beareth or endureth, as this phrase signifies, Psalms 69:7 Ezekiel 36:15. He doth not suffer another to defame him without some rebuke or signification of his dislike, Proverbs 25:23.