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The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

Exodus 20:16

EXODUS—NOTE ON Exodus 20:16 Acting as a false witness (see Exodus 23:1) suggests a legal trial in which false testimony could lead to unjust punishment for one’s neighbor.

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See also Exodus 20:16 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    THE NINTH COMMANDMENT Against _false testimony, perjury_, c. Verse Exodus 20:16. _THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, C._] Not only false oaths, to deprive a man of his _life_ or of his _right_, are...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    The Hebrew name which is rendered in our King James Version as the ten commandments occurs in Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 4:13; Deuteronomy 10:4. It literally means “the Ten Words.” The Ten Commandmen

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 20 THE COVENANT REVEALED _ 1. The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1)_ 2. Jehovah's gracious provision (Exodus 20:18) This law covenant is now stated. It was given three times. First orally here,...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    EXODUS 20-24, 34. THE CODES IN EXODUS. Recent study has by many converging lines of argument, based on subject matter, choice of words, relation to the context, idiomatic phrasing, comparison with the...

  • B. W. Johnson's Bible Commentary

    THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS. It will be evident, at. glance, that not only false witness in court, but also statements in common discourse, false promises whether deliberate or careless, exagger...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    The _ninth_commandment. Against bearing false witness, primarily in a court of law, a specially common crime in the East, but also more generally by taking away the character of a neighbour by false i...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST THY NEIGHBOUR— A further security is here given to man's life and property (of which _reputation_ may well be esteemed a considerable part) by forbidding the...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    THE TEXT OF EXODUS TRANSLATION 20 AND GOD SPAKE ALL THESE WORDS, SAYING, (2) I am Je-ho-vah thy God, who brought thee out of the land of E-gypt, out of the house of bondage. (3) Thou shalt have no ot...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST THY NEIGHBOUR._ Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour, х_ `EED_ (H5707) _ SHAAQER_ (H8267)] - false, lying evidence, not only in a court o...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (VV. 1-21) Exodus 20-23, containing (1) the Decalogue (Gk. = 'Ten Words' or 'Commandments') and (2) a code of laws regulating the religious and social life of the people, and call...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    It is noteworthy that of the ten commandments, two (the third and the ninth) refer to sins of speech. For the penalty prescribed in cases of false witness, see Deuteronomy 19:15. The spirit of the nin...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    EXODUS: *ISRAEL BECOMES A NATION GOD’S INSTRUCTIONS TO MOSES EXODUS CHAPTER S 19 TO 40 _HILDA BRIGHT AND KITTY PRIDE_ CHAPTER 20 GOD’S TEN *COMMANDMENTS – VERSES 1-17 V1 God spoke all these wor...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST THY NEIGHBOUR. — Our fourth duty to our neighbour is not to injure his character. Our great poet has said — “Who steals my purse, steals trash, But he who fi...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    לֹֽא ־תַעֲנֶ֥ה בְ רֵעֲךָ֖ עֵ֥ד שָֽׁקֶר׃ ס...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    THE NINTH COMMANDMENT. "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour."-- Exodus 20:16. St. James called the tongue a world of iniquity. And against its lawlessness, which inflames the who...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    THE “TEN WORDS” SPOKEN AT SINAI Exodus 20:1 The Law was given by the disposition of angels, through the medium of Moses. See John 1:17; Acts 7:53. It tells us, not what God is, for that is only shown...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Here we have the Ten Words of the moral Law. They are introduced by a proclamation of God concerning Himself: first as to His name, "I am Jehovah"; second, as to His relation to them, "thy God"; and,...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    Thou shalt not bear false (m) witness against thy neighbour. (m) But further his good name, and speak truth....

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _False. Calumniators were subjected to the law of retaliation, and were forced, by the Egyptians and others, to undergo the same punishment, which they would have inflicted upon others. This law is th...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    This is the ninth commandment. This is violated as well by speaking falsely and unjustly of our neighbour, as by witnessing to such things. What a beautiful picture is drawn of the man that hath grace...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    "In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai." Up to this point all the dealings of God have been the...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    G od here makes a provision for every man’s character and good name, lest any should be undeservedly weighed down by calumnies and false accusations. The same _synecdoche _exists here, which I have po...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 19 THROUGH 23. But having thus terminated the course of grace, the scene changes entirely. They do not keep the feast on the mountain, whither God, as He had...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    THOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST THY NEIGHBOUR. Neither publicly in a court of judicature, by laying things to his charge that are false, and swearing to them, to his hurt and damage; nor pri...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Ver. 16. _Thou shalt not bear false witness._] Neither bear it, nor hear it; raise, nor receive wrong reports of another; Deu 19:16 make a lie...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Thou shalt not bear false witness_ This forbids, 1st, Speaking falsely in any matter, lying, equivocating, and any way devising and designing to deceive our neighbour. 2d, Speaking unjustly _against...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 The ten Commandements. 18 The people are afraid. 20 Moses comforteth them. 22 Idolatrie is forbidden. 24 Of what sort the Altar should be. 1 AND God spake all these words, saying, 2 [NOTE: Deut...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor, the object being to protect truth, not only in all public, civil relations, but also in the home, the malice of evil tongues being well known....

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE COMMANDMENTS CONCERNING THE LOVE OF ONE'S NEIGHBOR...

  • Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures

    SECOND SECTION The Threefold Law of the Covenant for the Covenant People on the Basis of the Prophetic, Ethico-religious Divine Law of the Ten Commandments. Historical Prophecy Exodus 20-31 A. THE T...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (vs.1-17) Before God gives the ten commandments, He makes is abundantly clear that Israel's obedience to law had nothing to do with God's previous grace toward them in delivering...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    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...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    Heb. _not answer_, viz. when thou art asked in judgment, LEVITICUS 5:1, LEVITICUS 19:16; or, not speak a false testimony, or as a false witness; which doth not only forbid perjury in judgment, but als...

  • Notes on the Pentateuch by Charles Henry Mackintosh

    It is of the utmost importance to understand the true character and object of the moral law, as set forth in this chapter. There is a tendency in the mind to confound the principles of law and grace,...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Exodus 20:16 not H3808 bear H6030 (H8799) false H8267 witness H5707 neighbor H7453 Exodus

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    THE SECOND FIVE WORDS - MAN'S RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS GOD FOR HIS NEIGHBOUR (EXODUS 20:13). These commands are absolute. They reveal the sanctity in God's eyes of a man's right to fair treatment by his...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Exodus 20:16 This commandment is not to be restricted to false testimony given in courts of justice. It prohibits slander, calumny, misrepresentation, at any time, in any circumstances. On the other h...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Exodus 20:1. _And God spake all these words saying, I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me._ God...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Ten commandments delivered to Moses at Sinai. CHARACTERS: God, Moses. CONCLUSION: A holy and righteous God has holy and righteous standards. Those who love God will constantly endeavor to...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Exodus 20:1. _God spake all these words._ In compassion to man, and the increasing weakness of human traditions, it has pleased the infinitely wise and Holy One to renew the evidences of revelation at...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Thou shalt not hear false witness._ THE NINTH COMMANDMENT I. This Commandment is a recognition of those tribunals which are necessary to the peace and to the very existence of the State. II. In thi...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.— Exodus 20:16_ THE NINTH COMMANDMENT: THE POWER OF THE TONGUE FOR EVIL Human codes take cognisance of theft and of murder, and seek to repress them by severe punish...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION THE DELIVERY OF THE MORAL LAW. Every necessary preparation had now been made. The priests, as well as the people, had "sanctified themselves." A wholesome dread of "breaking" through the fe...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    And God spake these words, saying (Exodus 20:1), Now the people said, "All that the Lord commands, we will do." All right this is what the Lord has spoken. Now these are the commandments of God. I am...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Exodus 23:6 Exodus 23:7 Leviticus 19:11 Leviticus 19:16 D

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    THE TEN COMMANDMENTS Exodus 20:1 INTRODUCTORY WORDS As introductory to this study we wish to answer some statements relative to the Christian and the Law. 1. SAINTS ARE NOT UNDER THE LAW FOR SALVA...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    BREAKING THE TEN COMMANDMENTS Exodus 20:1 INTRODUCTORY WORDS We have today a study on the Ten Commandments. These Commandments were written upon two tables of stone. The first four, written on one...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Thou shalt not bear false witness — This forbids, Speaking falsely in any matter, lying, equivocating, and any way devising and designing to deceive our neighbour. Speaking unjustly against our neighb...

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