9th Commandment: Do Not Bear False Witness
6/8/202649 min
The 10 Commandments E12 — The common summary of the 9th Commandment is “Do not lie,” a generic prohibition against all kinds of fibs. But the commandment actually reads “Do not bear false witness,” drawing attention to a very specific kind of lying in a communal, legal setting. Many of the other commandments are more general. So why does the 9th Commandment zoom in on truth telling in public, legal settings? In this episode, Jon and Tim explore the 9th Commandment, discovering its underlying value of upholding truth and justice in defense of the most vulnerable in society.
FULL SHOW NOTES
For chapter-by-chapter summaries, biblical words, referenced Scriptures, and reflection questions, check out the full show notes for this episode.
CHAPTERS
- Meanings of “Bearing Witness” and “False” (0:00-23:51)
- Case Studies in the 42 Commands (23:51-38:07)
- The Value Beneath the Command (38:07-49:02)
OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
View this episode’s official transcript.
THE 10 COMMANDMENTS BIBLEPROJECT TRANSLATION
View our full translation of the 10 Commandments.
REFERENCED RESOURCES
- Find the related animated video for this episode here.
- Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books.
SHOW MUSIC
- “Church Pews feat. Oly.Lo & wisdm” by Lofi Sunday
- “Yo” by Lofi Sunday, Just Derrick
- BibleProject theme song by TENTS
SHOW CREDITS
Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey and Aaron Olsen edited today’s episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty writes the show notes. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie.
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsJon Collins· Host0:00
[upbeat music] Don't lie. This is something we learn at a very early age. Lies are bad. Lies erode trust. Lies can cause harm. Don't lie. Not lying is so important, we think this is what the ninth command is, do not lie. But interestingly, that isn't actually the command.
Tim Mackie· Host0:23
The way we normally summarize the meaning of the ninth commandment is we flatten it out. Don't lie. But instead, it's you will not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Jon Collins· Host0:34
Do not bear false witness. What does that mean?
Tim Mackie· Host0:37
This is a fixed little phrase used to refer specifically to legally or publicly making a declaration.
Jon Collins· Host0:45
So bear false witness is specifically about twisting or manipulating the truth in a communal legal setting. It's really specific, and honestly, it kinda sticks out alongside these more general commands. Don't kill, don't steal. Why is it so specific?
Tim Mackie· Host1:01
The Biblical authors have this conviction that when truth is misrepresented in the one place where the truth is the most at stake in a public way, it results in violence towards the most vulnerable. Because who tends to suffer, get the most taken advantage of when people bend the truth in legal settings? Often it's people who are in vulnerable social and economic positions.
Jon Collins· Host1:25
In this series, we talk about how the Ten Commandments are words of wisdom