Mar-18-0077-You shall not bear false witness
77_You shall not bear false witness Ex 20:16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. It was a sunny afternoon in a small-town courtroom when Ms. Martha, a kind and gentle schoolteacher, was accused of stealing money from a community fundraiser. The evidence seemed overwhelming—witnesses claimed they had seen her near the cash box just before it disappeared. As the trial unfolded, one witness stood out. He confidently recounted seeing her take the money, his words dripping with certainty. But when the defense lawyer presented a security video from that day, the courtroom gasped. The footage clearly showed Mrs. Martha helping a student far away from the cash box during the alleged time of theft. The "witness" had lied, hoping to tarnish her reputation for personal gain. Mrs. Martha was acquitted. However, doubts about her trustworthiness, and the damage to her reputation, lingered in the minds of some people. This is the power of bearing false witness. It’s not just about courtrooms or legal testimonies—it’s about the harm caused when truth is twisted, even in casual settings. The ripple effect of lies and misrepresentation extends far beyond what we can see. Exodus 20:16 commands: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” For many, this is about speaking the truth when testifying in court. While that’s certainly part of it, the commandment encompasses much more. Some translations put it as, “Do not tell lies about others.” This expands the scope to include any false representation of others, whether by withholding part of the truth or embellishing a story with untruths. Most of us are guilty of breaking this commandment, often during casual conversations, gossip, or passing on rumors. The impact of bearing false witness in a court of law is profound. When truth is distorted, justice is denied. The guilty may go free while the innocent suffer punishment. Truth and justice go hand in hand. In Israel’s society, reflecting the righteousness of God was crucial, and the people were to avoid any falsehood that perverted justice. Exodus 23:1-3 elaborates on this, saying, “You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. You shall not fall in with the many to do evil…” Even if the majority followed the path of falsehood, God’s people were called to stand apart. The seriousness of this commandment is highlighted in Deuteronomy 19:16-20, where God commanded that a false witness bear the same penalty he sought for his victim. This ensured that evil would be purged from the community and served as a deterrent. Proverbs also offers strong warnings: “A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will not escape.” (Proverbs 19:5). Another striking image comes from Proverbs 25:18: “A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is like a war club, or a sword, or a sharp arrow.” False testimony wounds deeply and leaves scars that are slow to heal. False witness also includes slander, exaggeration, and even editing that distorts the truth. Often, the root of false witness lies in our desire