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Psa 15:1 LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
Psa 15:2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.
Psa 15:3 He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach
against his neighbour.
This Psalm gives indicators of how you can identify the righteous, firstly by their walk, work and speech.
Notice that in answer to the questions in verse 1, the lack of false witness is mentioned twice in both a
positive and negative manner to reinforce it. Again, the implication is here that other commandments are
violated by the one bears false witness.
Psa 36:3 The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.
This appears to be formerly godly man who has become wicked as he has left being wise and doing good,
but the false tongue again shows itself among the other markers.
Psa 40:4 Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as
turn aside to lies.
This seems to refer more to the lies of earthly things, positions and power although flattery and pandering
to the better people appears to apply also.
Psa 50:19 Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit.
Psa 50:20 Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother's son.
This portion of the Psalm (vv. 16-21) is addressed to those who sit in the congregation claiming to be
faithful and righteous, but again, the bearing of false witness in its many forms give an indicator of their
walk. Even those they should have closest of relationships with will be attacked by them
Psa 52:1 Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually.
Psa 52:2 Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
Psa 52:3 Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah.
Psa 52:4 Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue.
Psa 52:5 God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy
dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah.
Here David is rebuking one who lied to Saul, provoking Saul into killing the priests of the Lord. Jealous and
hating David, Doeg the Edomite reported to Saul in such a way as to make Saul think that the priests were
in rebellion against them, when they were simply helping the trusted servant of the king.
Psa 58:1 Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?
Psa 58:3 The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.
The question of speaking the truth (righteousness) also includes remaining in silence while hearing gossip
and slander. It is also noted that even infants lie before they can speak (as any parent can testify), which
makes lying closely related to our fallen state and may be considered a good indicator for the validity of a
profession of faith. It must remain only an indicator and not a positive sign one way or the other since most
of us are not instantly transformed, but must renew our minds and work out our salvation with fear and
trembling as we grow in Christ.
Psa 62:4 They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their
mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.
In context, the false witnesses seek to destroy the righteous, loving both the gossip behind the back and
false flattery to the face.
Psa 101:3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not
cleave to me.
Psa 101:4 A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person.
Psa 101:5 Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud
heart will not I suffer.
The rules of the king as ruler. All sorts of evil and evildoers will be shunned and banned from the court. It
also applies to anyone in relation to those they turn to for counsel. Notice that slander is prominently
mentioned as a specific trait of those to be removed.
References: Proverbs 10:16-18; 12:17; 14:5, 25; 19:5,9,28; 21:28, 24:28, 25:16
These are short snips again confirming that the Lord is against the false witness.
References: Proverbs 11:1; 16:11
These are about true scales and measure which refer to false witnessing in combination with stealing.
Pro 6:16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
Pro 6:17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
Pro 6:18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
Pro 6:19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
The references are easily read and need no comment, but this one passage is quite interesting. Here
seven things are listed that are abominations to the Lord and four of them directly involve bearing false
witness and the other three are possibly connected to it by being related in the other passages with lying as
a strong indicator of a false witness or professor of the faith.
Isa 59:3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies,
your tongue hath muttered perverseness.
Isa 59:4 None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they
conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.
A catalog of sins that keep prayers from reaching the Lord, i.e. signifying the unrighteousness of the one
praying. Notice the multiple references to false speech.
Jer 9:3 And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the
earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD.
Jer 9:4 Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will
utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walk with slanders.
Jer 9:5 And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their
tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity.
Jer 9:6 Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the LORD.
Jer 9:7 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how shall I do for
the daughter of my people?
Jer 9:8 Their tongue is as an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour
with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his wait.
The Lord speaks of why He will judge Judah, again, repeated references to the various ways of bearing
false witness along with hints of other issues such as theft and coveting. Notice that they weary
themselves or work at it. Again the use of false witness as an indicator of true righteousness.
Eze 13:8 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye have spoken vanity, and seen lies, therefore,
behold, I am against you, saith the Lord GOD.
Against false prophets who claim to have a word from god and deceive the people with their lies.
Zec 8:16 These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the
abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.
The description of the new Jerusalem, with those that make lies specifically prohibited from entry. Other
translations say does what is vile or false and practices falsehood, which along with maketh a lie
implies those who bear false witness in all its forms deliberately.
As is shown above, those who bear false witness tend to freely break other commandments, cloak
themselves with righteousness and cause disruption in the congregation. We should steer clear of them
and examine ourselves since we must also purge ourselves of these old tendencies to destroy others,
cause discord and puff up ourselves vainly by our own words. Those that cannot be faithful in a few things,
cannot be trusted with many, so to from this study it becomes clear that those who bear tales, slander and
gossip should be looked at very carefully, because from Scripture the evidence is strong that they are just
professors and not true believers, wolves in sheeps clothing. Like those of Berea, we must study to find the
truth of matters. They did not simply study Scripture, they studied Scripture (here the OT) to compare it to
what Paul and Silas were teaching them that was outside the Old Testament.
Wait, am I being too legalistic here? A bit on the Pharisee side? I dont think so.
1Ti 1:4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly
edifying which is in faith: so do.
1Ti 1:5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of
faith unfeigned:
1Ti 1:6 From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;
1Ti 1:7 Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.
1Ti 1:8 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;
1Ti 1:9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for
the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for
manslayers,
1Ti 1:10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for
perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;
1Ti 1:11 According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.
However, lets make it clear. What did Christ Himself say about this matter of bearing false witness?
Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. 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.
Rev 22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
Rev 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and
may enter in through the gates into the city.
Rev 22:15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and
whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.