KJV King James Version
Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.
VERSE STUDY • KJV
Exodus 23:1
Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.
Read it in 5 translations
BSB Berean Standard Bible
“You shall not spread a false report. Do not join the wicked by being a malicious witness.
WEB World English Bible
“You shall not spread a false report. Don’t join your hand with the wicked to be a malicious witness.
ASV American Standard Version
Thou shalt not take up a false report: put not thy hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.
YLT Young’s Literal Translation
‘Thou dost not lift up a vain report; thou dost not put thy hand with a wicked man to be a violent witness.
Surrounding context — Exodus 23
1 Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.
2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to [do] evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest [judgment]:
3 Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause.
4 If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.
Topics connected to this verse
Original-language word links
These Hebrew/Greek tokens are linked by Strong's number. Click one for its lexicon definition and other occurrences.
לֹ֥אH3808 · lonotתִשָּׂ֖אH5375 · na.sato lift: raiseשֵׁ֣מַעH8088 · she.masoundשָׁ֑וְאH7723 · shavvanity: falseאַל־H408 · alnotתָּ֤שֶׁתH7896 · shitto set: makeיָֽדְךָ֙H3027 · yadhandעִם־H5973 · imwithרָשָׁ֔עH7563 · ra.sahwickedלִהְיֹ֖תH1961 · ha.yahto beעֵ֥דH5707 · edwitnessחָמָֽס׃ סH2555 · cha.masviolence
Cross-references
Psalm 101:5Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.Proverbs 19:5A false witness shall not be unpunished, and [he that] speaketh lies shall not escape.Deuteronomy 19:16-21If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him [that which is] wrong;Exodus 20:16Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.Matthew 26:59-61Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death;Psalm 35:11False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge [things] that I knew not.Leviticus 19:16Thou shalt not go up and down [as] a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I [am] the LORD.Deuteronomy 5:20Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.Romans 3:8And not [rather], (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just.Proverbs 19:9A false witness shall not be unpunished, and [he that] speaketh lies shall perish.Acts 6:11-13Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and [against] God.Revelation 12:10And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.Proverbs 10:18He that hideth hatred [with] lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, [is] a fool.Leviticus 19:11Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.Psalm 15:3[He that] backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.1 Peter 3:16Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.2 Timothy 3:3Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,Proverbs 6:19A false witness [that] speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION
Compare classic commentaries on Exodus 23:1
Put Matthew Henry, Adam Clarke, Calvin, Wesley, Barnes, Jamieson–Fausset–Brown, Aquinas’ Catena and other public-domain sources beside the passage.
Compare commentaries →