![]() The Mosaic legislation was probably the first wherein it was positively forbidden to circulate reports to the prejudice of another, and where consequently this was a criminal offence. But it does not disorganise the whole framework of society, like perjured evidence before a tribunal and states generally are content to leave the injured party to the remedy of an action-at-law. It may ruin a man it may madden him it may drive him to suicide. Private calumny may sometimes involve as serious consequences to individuals as false witness in a court. In Egypt, false witness was punished by amputation of the nose and ears ( Records of the Past, vol. At Rome, by a law of the Twelve Tables, he was hurled headlong from the Tarpeian rock. At Athens the false witness was liable to a heavy fine, and if thrice convicted lost all his civil rights. As fatal to the administration of justice, false witness in courts has been severely visited by penalties in all well-regulated states. The wrong done to a man by false evidence in a court may be a wrong of the very extremest kind - may be actual murder ( 1 Kings 21:13) More often, however, it results in an injury to his property or his character. The form of the expression here used points especially to false witness of the former kind, but does not exclude the latter, which is expressly forbidden in Exodus 23:1. We may either seek to damage our neighbour by giving false evidence against him in a court of justice, or simply calumniate him to others in our social intercourse with them. False witness is of two kinds, public and private. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Because the great law of love and charity, which is the life and soul of this and all the commands, and binds us to all binds us, and bound the Israelites, to strangers, as appears from Exodus 23:4 Leviticus 19:33,34. ![]() ![]() From the reason of the thing, which is common to all unless a man will be so hardy to say that he may bear false witness against a stranger, though not against an Israelite and, in like manner, that when God forbids a man to commit adultery with his neighbour’s wife, Leviticus 20:10, he may do it with a stranger’s wife and that though a man be commanded to speak the truth to his neighbour, Zechariah 8:16, he may tell lies to a stranger.Ĥ. Because it is so explained, Luke 10:29,36 Ro 13:9, compared with Matthew 22:39.ģ. Because that word is frequently used in that sense, not only in the New, as all agree, but also in the Old Testament, as Genesis 11:3 Leviticus 20:10 Esther 1:19 Proverbs 18:17.Ģ. Neighbour here is not only the Israelite, as some would have it, but any man as plainly appears,ġ. But under this kind are contained other sins of a like, though less sinful, nature, as in the other commands. are most commonly designed against them, and because this is a great aggravation of the sin, when a man not only speaks evil and falsehood, but doth this from malice and ill-will. when thou art asked in judgment, Leviticus 5:1 19:16 or, not speak a false testimony, or as a false witness which doth not only forbid perjury in judgment, but also all unjust censure, slander, backbiting, scorning, false accusation, and the like and also requires a just and candid judgment of him, and of his words and actions, speaking well of him, as far as truth and justice will permit, and defending his good name against the calumnies and detractions of others.Īgainst thy neighbour no, nor for thy neighbours but he saith against, both because such perjuries, slanders, &c. “Thou shalt not raise a false report” ( Exodus 23:1). Lest its wider bearing should be overlooked, the Divine legislator added later a distinct prohibition of calumny in the words. The ninth commandment is broad enough in its terms to cover both forms of the sin, though pointing especially to the form which is of the more heinous character. It was peculiar to the Hebrew legislation that it not only forbade and punished ( Deuteronomy 19:16-20) false testimony of this extreme kind, but denounced also the far commoner, yet scarcely less injurious, practice of spreading untrue reports about others, thus injuring them in men’s esteem. False witness is, of course, worst when given in a court of justice and this offence has generally been made punishable by law. Thus indicating the fact that calumny may injure a man more than robbery. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(16) Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.-Our fourth duty to our neighbour is not to injure his character.
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