9th Commandment: Do Not Bear False Witness

Chapter 1: Meanings of “Bearing Witness” and “False”

The 9th Commandment often gets summarized as “Do not lie,” but it actually says “Do not bear false witness against your neighbor” (Exod. 20:16). The most general Hebrew word for lie is kazav, but the commandment states, lo’ ta‘aneh sheqer, which literally means “Do not respond falsely.” When Samuel steps down from leading Israel, he uses the same verb ‘anah to ask the people to respond if he has legally wronged them (1 Sam. 12:3-5). Both instances relate specifically to bearing witness in a communal, legal setting.

The Hebrew word sheqer means false, deceptive, ineffective, or even masquerading as truth (Ps. 33:17; Jer. 10:14; Prov. 25:14; Jer. 6:13-14; Exod. 5:9). So sheqer is actually connected to the word shav’ (“vain”), which we saw in the 3rd Commandment. Rather than generally avoiding words of sheqer, the ninth command focuses on false, deceptive words in a public, legal setting. It’s a communal commitment to truth.

Chapter 2: Case Studies in the 42 Commands

Several case studies in the 42 commands that follow the 10 Commandments offer clarity on why the 9th Commandment focuses on lying in a legal, communal context. Bending or twisting the truth in legal settings often leads to violence and oppression of the most vulnerable people in the community: the poor, needy, and immigrant.

Exodus 23:1-9 offers several short commands about truthfulness in legal settings. Verse 1 says that to give a false report or testimony makes you a “malicious witness,” joining your hand to a wicked man and spreading violence. Verse 2 says that if you are called as a witness, you should not join yourself with a wicked crowd to convict an innocent person. And finally, verse 3 forbids you from showing favoritism to a poor person in a lawsuit. Then verse 6 warns against denying justice to the poor in lawsuits, while also prohibiting bribes and discrimination against immigrants. In all these cases, only the truth should determine the outcome, not other outside factors.

Deuteronomy 19:15 requires that any charge of wrongdoing must be brought by at least two or three witnesses. And if a “malicious witness” in such a trial turns out to be lying, the judge sentences them to whatever punishment they intended for the accused (Deut. 19:16-20). Ideally, this judgment will prevent others from malice and lying as well.

Chapter 3: The Value Beneath the Command

Throughout the Hebrew Bible, Yahweh stands up for the most vulnerable, so he cares deeply about Israel rising above the status quo of corruption and treachery common in most cultures’ justice systems. Bearing false witness often leads to violence against the wrongly accused, while also contributing to the deterioration of a community. The ninth command is built upon a deeper value that everyone matters and deserves equal treatment.

Commandments three and nine are connected not only by using similar words, shav’ and sheqer. If Israel is to carry Yahweh’s name well, they must avoid bearing false witness against one another. So if we were to “flip over” the ninth command, we might say “Hold up, celebrate, and reinforce the value of truth telling in public settings.”