Whatever Happened to the Ten Commandments?

The Ninth Commandment

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor
(Exod. 20:16).

This commandment binds the tongue as to its behaviour. Calvin remarks: "Just as the previous commandment ties the hands, so this one ties the tongue" (Brief Outline of the Christian Faith (1537), newly trans- lated by Stuart Olyott and published as Truth for All Time, Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 1998, p. 20). The Scripture calls slandering 'attacking with the tongue' (Jer. 18:18).

Augustine said, 'The tongue inflicts greater wounds than the sword.' Thomas Watson adds, 'The wounds of the tongue no physician can heal' (The Ten Commandments, London: Banner of Truth Trust, 1965, p. 169). He goes on: 'As it is a sin against this commandment to raise a false report of another, so it is to receive a false report before we have examined it . . . He that raises a slander, carries the devil in his tongue; and he that receives it, carries the devil in his ear.' Watson shows that two things are particularly forbidden in this commandment: slandering our neighbour and false witness against our neighbour. Again, there are two kinds of false witness:

There is bearing false witness for another, where we give our witness for a person who is guilty.
There is bearing false witness against another, when we accuse a person falsely.

Watson encourages those who are falsely accused with this assertion: 'A good conscience is a wall of brass, that will be able to stand against a false witness. As no flattery can heal a bad conscience, so no slander can hurt a good one' (The Ten Commandments, p. 173), but, as he also points out, a man may wrong another as much by silence as by slander when he knows him to be wrongfully accused, yet does not speak in his behalf. As before, the following duties required and sins forbidden are drawn from the Larger Catechism.

DUTIES REQUIRED IN THE NINTH COMMANDMENT

The duty of preserving and promoting truth and the good name of our neighbour:

These are the things you shall do:
Speak each man the truth to his neighbor;
Give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace (Zech. 8:16).

Demetrius has a good testimony from all, and from the truth itself. And we also bear witness, and you know that our testimony is true (3 John 12).

The duty to stand for the truth and to do so from the heart:
Open your mouth for the speechless,
In the cause of all who are appointed to die.
Open your mouth, judge righteously,
And plead the cause of the poor and needy (Pray. 31:8?9).

He who walks uprightly,
And works righteousness,
And speaks the truth in his heart (Psa. 15:2).

The duty to speak the truth and only the truth in matters of judgment and justice:

You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor (Lev. 19:15).

A faithful witness does not lie,
But a false witness will utter lies
A true witness delivers souls,
But a deceitful witness speaks lies (Prov. 14:5, 25).

The duty to speak the truth at all times:

Therefore, when I was planning this, did I do it lightly? Or the things I plan, do I plan according to the flesh, that with me there should be Yes, Yes, and No, No? But as God is faithful, our word to you was not Yes and No (2 Cor. 1:17—18).

Therefore, putting away lying, ‘Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,’ for we are members of one another (Eph. 4:25).

The duty of rejoicing in the gifts and graces of others:

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world (Ram. 1:8).

Greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also (2 Tim. 1:4—5).

I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father (2 John 4).

For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth (3 John 3—4).

The duty to receive a good report of others:

[Love] does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Cor. 13:6-7).

The duty to discourage all talebearers, flatterers and slanderers:

The north wind brings forth rain,
And a backbiting tongue an angry countenance (Prov. 25:23).

He who hates, disguises it with his lips,
And lays up deceit within himself;
When he speaks kindly, do not believe him,
For there are seven abominations in his heart (Prov. 26: 24?25).

Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor,
Him I will destroy; The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart,
Him I will not endure (Psa. 101:5).

The duty to keep lawful promises:

He who swears to his own hurt and does not change (Psa. 15:4).

The duty to study and practise everything true, noble, lovely and of good report:

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue, and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things (Phil. 4:8).

SINS FORBIDDEN IN THE NINTH COMMANDMENT

The sin of partiality in judging, especially in courts of law:

You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be The Ninth Commandment partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbour (Lev. 19:15).

The sin of giving false evidence:

A false witness will not go unpunished,
And he who speaks lies will not escape (Prov. 19:5).

These six things the LORD hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to Him...
A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who sows discord among brethren (Prov. 6:16, 19).

The sin of passing an unjust sentence, calling evil good and good evil:

He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, Both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD (Prov. 17:15).

Who justify the wicked for a bribe,
And take away justice from the righteous man! (Isa. 5:23).

The sin of lying:

In transgressing and lying against the LORD,
And departing from our God,
Speaking oppression and revolt,
Conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood (Isa. 59:13).

The proud have forged a lie against me,
But I will keep Your precepts with my whole heart (Psa. 119:69).

You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another (Lev. 19:11).

Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds (Col. 3:9).

The sin of concealing the truth:

If a person sins in hearing the utterance of an oath, and is a witness, whether he has seen or known of the matter—if he does not tell it, he bears guilt (Lev. 5:1).

You shall not consent to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him or conceal him (Deut. 13:8). And he kept back part of the proceeds . . . and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles? feet. But Peter said, 'Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself' (Acts 5:2?3).

The sin of speaking the truth unseasonably:

A fool vents all his feelings,
But a wise man holds them back (Prov. 29:11).

The sin of perverting the truth to a wrong meaning:

All day they twist my words;
All their thoughts are against me for evil (Psa. 56:5).

Jesus answered and said to them, 'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up' (John 2:19). But at last two false witnesses came forward and said, 'This fellow said, "I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days." (Matt. 26:60?61).

The sin of slandering and backbiting:

You sit and speak against your brother;
You slander your own mother's son (Psa. 50:20).

He who does not backbite with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend (Psa. 15:3).

The sin of talebearing:

You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people (Lev. 19:16).

The sin of misconstruing intentions, words, and actions:

It is reported among the nations, and Geshem says, that you and the Jews plan to rebel; therefore, according to these rumors, you are rebuilding the wall, that you may be their king. And you have also appointed prophets to proclaim concerning you at Jerusalem, saying, 'There is a king in Judah!' Then I sent to him, saying, 'No such things as you say are being done, but you invent them in your own heart' (Neh. 6:6'-?8).

And why not say, 'Let us do evil that good may come'?—as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just (Rom. 3:8).

Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk But Hannah answered and said, 'No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD' (1 Sam. 1:13, 15).

And the princes of the people of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, 'Do you think that David really honors your father because he has sent comforters to you' Has David not rather sent his servants to you to search the city, to spy it out, and to overthrow it?' (2 Sam. 10:3).

The sin of flattery:

They speak idly everyone with his neighbor;
With flattering lips and a double heart they speak.
May the LORD cut off all flattering lips,
And the tongue that speaks proud things (Psa. 12:2?3).

... flattering people to gain advantage (Jude 16).

The sin of thinking too highly or too meanly of ourselves or others:

Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in them- selves that they were righteous, and despised others. . . The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men' extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector' (Luke 18:9, 11).

Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion (Rom. 12:16).

Then Moses said to the LORD, 'O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.' So the LORD said to him, 'Who has made man's mouth' Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the LORD? Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.' But he said, 'O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send.' So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses... (Exod. 4:10-14).

The sin of exaggerating minor faults:

And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye', and look, a plank is in your own eye, Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye (Matt. 7:3?5).

The sin of hiding or excusing sins, when called to a free confession:

He who covers his sins will not prosper,
But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy (Prov. 28:13).

Then the man said, 'The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.' And the LORD God said to the woman, 'What is this you have done?' The woman said, 'The serpent deceived me, and I ate' (Gen. 3:12?13).

Then the LORD said to Cain, 'Where is Abel your brother?' He said, 'I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?' (Gen. 4:9).

The sin of raising false rumours:

You shall not circulate a false report. Do not put your hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness (Exod. 23:1).

The sin of groundless suspicion:

[Love] . . . thinks no evil . . . (1 Cor. 13:5).
. . .disputes and arguments over words, from which come . . .
evil suspicions. . . (1 Tim. 6:4).

The sin of envying anyone’s deserved credit:

Then Moses said to him, 'Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the LORD’S people were prophets and that the LORD would put His Spirit upon them!' (Num. 11:29).

But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ they were indig- nant and said to Him, ‘Do you hear what these are saying?’ (Matt. 21:15—16).

The sin of scornful contempt and mocking:

But in my adversity they rejoiced
And gathered together;
Attackers gathered against me,
nd I did not know it; They tore at me and did not cease. . .
They also opened their mouth wide against me,
And said, ‘Aha, aha!
Our eyes have seen it’ (Psa. 35:15, 21).

And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ (Matt. 27:28—29).