1. The injunction against bearing false witness:

a. Witness: One who gives a verbal testimony; one who serves as a witness; one who gives evidence of what he knows in a formal, legal setting.

b. The readers are commanded NOT to give a verbal testimony or give any kind of evidence in a formal legal setting “without cause.”

c. Ex. 20:16 – This is basically the same command as the ninth commandment: “Thou shalt not bear false witness.”

d. In other words, all testimony in court must have a just cause. It must be accurate, truthful, and honest.

e. Bearing false witness in court could cost an innocent person his reputation, his freedom, his property, or even his life.

f. This is an exceptionally serious command because God is a God of truth and hates that which is false.
• Prov. 6:19 – It is one of the seven deadly sins that God especially hates!
• Prov. 12:22 – lying lips are an abomination to the Lord.
• Jesus said, “I am the Truth.” Of course lies and deception are hated by Him.

g. But it is also serious because of the damage and harm it can to do other men.

h. Ex. 23:1 – Moses states here that they were not to join with others in raising a false report against someone.
• Don’t be part of a conspiracy against someone.
• Don’t allow peer pressure to entice you into joining the crowd in condemning an innocent man.
• This was especially important under Mosaic Law, because one witness could not condemn a man. However, if there were two or three witnesses, then a person could be condemned.
• Hence, if a liar wanted to harm someone he hated, he would try to talk others into joining him in the false witness. The command here is: don’t be a part of that!

2. Bearing false witness against one’s “neighbor.”

a. Neighbor: This term has a broad range of meanings. It includes: Friend; companion; fellow; an associate; a fellow citizen or countryman; another person.

b. The term is obviously broader than just the person who lives in the house next to you.

c. The term the author uses here is broad enough to include ANY other person.

d. There is never an excuse for bearing false witness… even if the person is your enemy who has done you much harm.

e. Honesty in the court system in Israel was to extend to everyone… close kinsmen, associates, fellow countrymen, foreigners, and even the dreaded enemies!

3. Be sure that your testimony is not “without a cause.”

a. Without a cause: Freely; for no purpose; in vain; gratuitously; without cause; undeservedly; not having a basis or ground for an argument.

b. It is possible to give testimony about a person that really does not serve the right purpose.
• For example, if you are asked a “yes or no” question about a person, and you go way beyond the answer and testify of other things in order to tarnish the person, you are testifying without cause.
• Don’t give excessive details to put him in a bad light. Just answer honestly the question you were asked.
• A defendant standing before the court may not be a choir boy; he may be a troublemaker. But that does not mean he is guilty of the crime before the court.
• Unfortunately, we have too many examples of this in our politicians. They are asked a simple question about their opponent and answer it—and then go on a 5-minute diatribe highlighting all the faults and failures of their opponent going back to the sixth grade!
• There is really no basis or grounds for that kind of speech. They are giving information “without a cause” – not pertinent to the subject at hand.

c. Our answers and our testimony should be PURPOSEFUL and to the point… not “without a cause”, that is a just cause.
• What we say about another person ought not to be groundless… baseless… undeserved… for no good reason.
• This command forbids us from speaking up against someone out of anger, hatred, spite, or revenge.
• It is likely that verses 27 and 28 go together.
» If that is the case, then the author clearly is writing about testifying against someone who has wronged you.
» Hence, the warning is not to seek revenge in your testimony against that person.
» Don’t exaggerate. Don’t stretch the truth. Don’t try to get even… don’t bear false witness against him—even if he has wronged you.
• Even if we have suffered as a result of another person, the right way to handle injustices is to leave it in the hands of the Lord—and not to take matters into our own hands and run a smear campaign against them… or lie.
• That is unbecoming a saint.