"Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor." (Exodus 20:16) The second table of the decalogue is summed up in the statement,' Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself." The ninth commandment f6rbidsthe beating of any testimony by word or conduct that is contrary to that love for one's neighbor which the law demands. According to the parable of the good Samaritan, all our fellow men, including our enemies, are embraced in the term "neighbor." The sixth, seventh, and eighth commands have to do with man's life, virtue, and property. The ninth safeguards his reputation, which is of far more value than his external possessions.
The assassination of character is a more contemptible sin than the killing of the body or the stealing of property. Most of the other commands have to do with man's overt acts, or outward conduct, but the ninth deals with his words. So important is human speech that two out of the Ten Commandments regulate the use of the tongue. The third safeguards the name of God; the, ninth, the name, or reputation, of men. It has been said that "character is what you are; and reputation, what others think you are." Therefore false witnessing can only harm one's reputation. It cannot injure the character. Others may injure the reputation, but the character can be marred only by the person himself. False testimony may injure one's standing with his neighbors, but it cannot alter his standing with God, who will eventually vindicate the good names of His own.
A Good Name
The wise man said, "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches." (Proverbs 22:1) A good name is the most priceless possession a person has. It is worth more than all the gold and silver and wealth in the world. The man who attempts to rob another of his good name or to build up his own name on the ruins of another's reputation is a sinner of the worst type. But we must not fail to distinguish between character and reputation. Character is what we really are in the estimation of God. It is therefore in man's own keeping and no one can' touch it except him. Every man can determine what his own character will be. But reputation is our neighbors' opinion of us and is therefore wholly in their keeping. Our reputations depend on what our neighbors think and say about us. In no respect are we more fully our brother's keeper than in regard to his reputation. When we injure his name by false witnessing, we betray a most sacred trust, for which we shall be called to account in the judgment.
Duty of Witnesses
It is the duty of a witness to testify to the truth. A witness in court takes a solemn oath to tell "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth," and the Christian standard for testifying out of court is just as high. The divine instruction is, "Speak you every man to his neighbor; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates." (Zechariah 8:16) In this respect as in all others Jesus is the supreme example. He is called "the faithful Witness" and "the faithful and true Witness." (Revelation 1:5; 3:14) "The truthful Witness" is the Weymouth translation. To Pilate Jesus said, "To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Everyone that is of the truth heareth My voice." (John 18:37)
Jesus never minimized or exaggerated the truth in His witnessing. He never bore false testimony, nor did He stoop to the telling of those half truths that are sometimes the most dangerous of all lies. Of these Tennyson wrote:
"That a lie which is half a truth is ever the blackest of lies;
That a lie which is all a lie may be met and fought with outright But a lie that is part a truth is a harder matter to fight."
Before bearing any witness concerning others we should be sure of the facts in the case and remember how often our own conduct has been misrepresented and misjudged because of partial evidence. "The whole truth" demands full knowledge without which it is impossible to be a faithful and true witness. Without that knowledge we have no right to speak.
The Sin of Perjury
First of all, the ninth commandment forbids perjury in courts of justice. Perjury is the bearing of false witness while under oath to tell the truth. Although universally committed, it is considered a very serious crime. If justice is to be administered, the truth must be established by evidence which in turn must be established by the testimony of the witnesses. Justice can be based only on truth, and therefore, false testimony brings about a miscarriage of justice. For this reason perjury is made a criminal offense.
False testimony that defeats the ends of justice and robs one's neighbor of his possessions, his reputation, his liberty, or even his life, is the offense prohibited by the ninth commandment. This precept is broken by the judge who prostitutes his office by bribery, the lawyer who seeks to have the innocent condemned and the guilty set free, and the witness who deliberately distorts facts and invents lies to benefit friends or' punish enemies. There is an old Dutch proverb which says, "Give me a line of my neighbor's writing and I will hang him on the gallows." This indicates the gross injustice that can be done by false testimony.
But whether the unfavorable decision is rendered by a judge or jury or a neighbor, because of false testimony, makes but little difference. The penalties imposed by the court of public opinion are often more severe and unjust than those executed by a court of law where evidence is more carefully sifted and examined. Christians should be at least as fair as courts claim to be in ruling that "a man is innocent until he is proved guilty," and the proof that condemns him must be "beyond a reasonable doubt." If Christians practiced this rule it would eliminate nine tenths of the gossip that is cursing the modern church.
The Sin of Lying
Lying is devilish. It is satanic. Of Satan it is said, "He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." (John 8:44) All lying therefore is devil inspired, and Jesus declared that liars are of their father, the devil. Many other texts indicate how abominable lying is in the estimation of the "God of truth."
"Lying lips are abomination to the Lord: but they that deal truly are His delight." (Proverbs 12:22) "A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape." (Proverbs 19:5) Among the six things the Lord especially hates are "a lying tongue, a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren." (Proverbs 6:17-19) It has been said that "a lie has no legs," because it is supported and carried by other lies. It is just as much a crime to circulate counterfeit money as to make it, and it is just as much a sin to circulate malicious lies as to manufacture them.' A lie can be acted as well as spoken. Whatever is told as truth with the intent that it be accepted as truth but which is known to be false, or is deliberately placed in a false light or is exaggerated, with the intention of injuring the reputation of another, comes under the severest condemnation of the ninth commandment. We must make a distinction, of course, between unconscious falsehood based on misinformation or lack of knowledge and deliberate lying.
It is said that many thousands of people are color blind and that this enhances the danger of traffic accidents because they cannot distinguish the red lights from the green. This is also true in a spiritual sense. Many persons are always seeing things in a wrong light because they are spiritually color blind. We hear much about the innocence of "white lies," and although some lies may look white, and thus harmless to some persons who lie for their own convenience and profit, the fact is that all lies are as black as the bottomless pit whence they come. Our estimate of sin is largely determined by the spiritual condition of the heart. Everything looks green to those who look through green glasses and red to those who look through red glasses. With a heart and mind like Christ's we shall view sin with the same hatred as He does. It is said of Jesus that He "loved righteousness, and hated iniquity." (Hebrews 1:9) It seems that lying is especially hateful to Him who is the Truth. Three times He declares in the last two chapters of the Book of books that "all liars" and "whosoever loveth and maketh a lie" will be excluded from the kingdom of glory and the celestial city, and will "have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." (Revelation 21:8; 22:15) This is the fate of liars, because false witnessing reveals the condition of the heart and character. Jesus declared that "false witness" comes "out of the heart," and that "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh," and therefore, "every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shall be justified, and by thy words thou shall be condemned." (Matthew 15:19; 12:34-37) Truth always comes out of a true heart and falsehood out of a false heart, "for the tree is known by his fruit."
The Sin of Slander
The worst of all forms of false witnessing is slander, which is a falsehood deliberately invented and maliciously circulated. Slander appropriately has been called "tongue murder." The devil is the great slanderer, "the accuser of the brethren." "Devil" is the Greek name for "accuser" and "slanderer." Of the sin of slander G. Campbell Morgan says:
"Perhaps no form of injury done by man to men is more despicable than this. The person who makes use of it is one compared with whom the highwayman is a gentleman, and the assassin almost kind. The highwayman robs of material things that have been gained, and may be replaced. The assassin ends the life by swift or sudden stroke, often with little pain; but the slanderer who invents a lie, and uses it, forms a weapon which takes away a reputation, and all the chances are against its ever being regained; and thus oftentimes causes untold and prolonged suffering to the innocent, while, in the majority of cases, he himself goes undiscovered and unpunished."--The Ten Commandments, pp. 101, 102.
Everywhere reputations are being murdered by vitriolic tongues and pens. "He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool," declared the Lord through Solomon. (Proverbs 10:18) Through David He said, 'Whoso privily slandereth his neighbor, him will I cut off." (Psalms 101:5) This sin is appropriately described in Cymbeline:
'Tis slander, Whose edge is sharper than the sword, whose tongue Outvenoms all the worms of Nile, whose breath Rides on the posting winds and doth belie All corners of the world; kings, queens, and states, Maids, matrons, nay, the secrets of the grave This viperous slander enters."
Talebearing is closely related to slander. "Thou shall not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people" (Leviticus 19:16), is a divine application of the truth of the ninth commandment. The wise man said, "A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter." "The words of a talebearer are as wounds." "Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth." (Proverbs 11:13; 18:8; 26:20) There are usually plenty of fire tenders to pile on the fuel.
Talebearing is the repeating of evil reports without ascertaining whether or not they are true. The circu1.ation of any story that reflects on the reputation of another is a violation of the ninth commandment. Talebearing is one of the most common manifestations of false witnessing, and every Christian needs to pray daily and earnestly the petition of the psalmist, "Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips." (Psalms 141:3)
"A whisper broke the air,
A soft light tone, and low,
Yet barbed with shame and woe;
Now, might it only perish there,
Nor further go!
"Ah me! a quick and eager ear
Caught up the little-meaning sound;
Another voice has breathed it clear,
And so it wandered round,
From ear to lip, from lip to car,
Until it reached a gentle heart,
And that-it broke."
The peddler of malicious gossip is a false witness, but his testimony is harmless without a hearer. just as the receiver of stolen goods is equally guilty with the thief, so the listener to falsehood is equally guilty with the gossiper. Someone has said that the tongues of busybodies are like the tails of Samson's foxes--they carry firebrands enough to set the world aflame. The psalmist said: "Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully." "They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adder's poison is under their lips." (Psalms 52:2; 140:3)
Just as the physician determines the state of physical health by looking at the tongue, so a spiritual physician can tell the condition of one's spiritual state by the use he makes of his tongue. It has been said that "you can generally tell the metal of a bell by the sound of the clapper." just so you can tell the metal of a man by the sound of his words. The following is good advice for all of us:
"If wisdom's ways you wisely seek, Five things observe with care:
Of whom you speak, to whom you speak, And how, and when, and where."
Other Forms of False Witnessing
False witnessing assumes many different forms.
Even silence under some circumstances, when you know the slander to be false and do not speak in defense of the person defamed, it is false witnessing. There are times when "silence is golden" and other times when it is lying.
"By holding our peace when we have it in our power to defend, by failing to mention the good when the evil is spoken of, by encouraging the telling of evil by eager listening, we assault the reputation of our neighbor by the assent of our silence."--Schenck, The Ten Commandments, p. 127.
Suggestive hints and insinuating questions also constitute false witnessing. Satan's question, "Doth Job fear God for nought?" carried with it an implication of a sinister motive in his service that was far worse than a direct accusation. A person cannot be punished for asking a question, and' yet it may have all the evil effect of a serious charge. A question in regard to a person's motives plants a seed of doubt that cannot be removed because it cannot be disproved. Faultfinding is another form of transgression. The person who seeks for faults in others will find them, for we usually find what we look for and often fail to see anything else. A vulture flies over a beautiful landscape and sees nothing except what it is looking for, a putrefying carcass. The many beautiful things are overlooked. The same is true of a faultfinder. The beauties of character are unseen, and the eyes are fixed on the little that is disagreeable and ugly.
Flattery is another form of false witnessing that imperils the souls of both the flatterer and the flattered. Flattery is always an exaggeration of the truth and is therefore a lie. A highly colored and overdrawn estimate of another defeats its own end. Shakespeare said, "They do abuse the king that flatter him." The Scriptures declare that "a man that flattereth his neighbor spreadeth a net for his feet." (Proverbs 29:5) Of the flatterer we again read, "The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords." (Psalms 55:21)
It has been said that "flattery is soft soap, and soft soap is 90 per cent lye."
"Greatly his foes he dreads, but more his friends, He hurts me most who lavishly commends."--Churchill.
"Tis an old maxim in the schools, That flattery's the food of fools."--Swift.
This form of false witness includes the untrue recommendations and testimonials of character and ability often given because of friendship or other obligations.
Power of the Tongue
The tongue is a mighty power for good or ill, and it should therefore be kept under careful control. "Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak" is good .counsel. (James 1 :19.) Again we react, "In the multitude 'Of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise." (Proverbs 10:19) "Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not your heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few." (Ecclesiastes 5:2)
It seems that the Scriptures contain more warnings against the transgression of the ninth commandment than of any of the other ten. The bearing of false witness is a universal sin. Will Carleton gives wise counsel in verse in regard to the use of the tongue:
"Boys flying kites haul in their white-winged birds; You can't do that way when you're flying words. 'Careful with fire,' is good advice you know, 'Careful with words,' is ten times doubly so.
Thoughts unexpressed may sometimes fall back dead; But God Himself can't kill them when they're said."
One writer has put together in verse the proverbs of different peoples and lands dealing with the power of the tongue either to heal or to wound:
"The boneless tongue, so small and weak, Can crush and kill,' declared the Greek. The tongue destroys a greater horde,
The Turk asserts, 'than does the sword.'
The Persian proverb wisely saith, 'A lengthy tongue an early death'; Or sometimes takes this form instead:
'Don't let your tongue cut off your head.'
'The tongue can speak a word whose speed,' Says the Chinese, 'outstrips the steed.' While Arab sage doth this impart:
'The tongue's great storehouse is the heart.' From Hebrew hath the maxim sprung--
'Though feet should slip, ne'er let the tongue.' The sacred writer crowns the whole:
'Who keeps his tongue doth keep his soul.'
Control of the Tongue
"My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
"Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: but the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the rather; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be." (James 3:1-10)
It is here stated that the control of the tongue is the secret or evidence of perfection. It is as the bridle to the horse and the rudder to the ship. It is said to be it "a fire," which put to a proper use is a great blessing, but when out of control is a desolating curse "a world of iniquity" "a deadly poison." While no man can tame his tongue, there is a power that can bring it under control. The transforming power of the gospel can made the tongue our servant rather than our master.
Through science we learn that all sounds, including our words, set in motion waves of air which continue to undulate to the utmost confines of space. The effect of our words in a moral sense is similar. A whispered rumor of a scandal may keep moving and spreading and wounding and bruising and killing till the very end of the reign of sin. The cure for loose talk and malicious gossip is not the vow of perpetual silence taken by a class of monks and recluses. The Lord intends that we should use our tongues to bless our fellow men, and in fact they have no other use, with the exception of giving praise to God.
"Ye are My witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God" (Isaiah 43:12), sets forth the chief testimony to be borne by man. (See also Matthew 28:19,20; Acts 1:8) That God's last-day witnesses will have complete control if their tongues is evident from several scriptures. "The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth." "And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God." (Zephaniah 3:13; Revelation 14:5)
"Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself " is the positive phase of the ninth commandment. "Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." (Romans 13:10) Love is the golden rule in practice. It is doing to others as we would have them do unto us, and speaking of others as we would have them speak of us.
"If you see a tall fellow ahead of the crowd,
A leader of men, marching fearless and proud,
And you know of a tale whose mere telling aloud
Would cause his proud head in shame to be bowed,
It's a pretty good plan to forget it."