Exodus 20:16 is the ninth of the Ten Commandments in the ordinary numbering, and it forbids lying about another person in a way that harms them. God, speaking through Moses to the people of Israel at Mount Sinai, is telling them not to bear false witness against a neighbor. The command covers more than courtroom lies, because it guards a person’s reputation, safety and standing in the community. The verse is the Lord’s own word to his people, given as part of the covenant he made with them.
“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
Exodus 20:16 (WEB)
What Exodus 20:16 Means
The phrase “give false testimony” comes from the setting of a legal witness. In ancient Israel, a person who stood up and spoke about what had happened could decide whether someone was punished, cleared or even put to death. So the command first addresses speech that is untrue and used to hurt. It asks you to think of your words as having weight, because others may act on them.
The words “against your neighbor” narrow the focus to the person who lives beside you. Your neighbor is someone whose life is bound up with yours, whose good name you can either protect or damage. The verse does not promise that every hard conversation will go smoothly, and it does not mean you must say everything you know. It asks that you never twist the truth to wound someone who trusts you to deal honestly with them.
The Context of Exodus 20:16
Exodus is traditionally attributed to Moses and tells how God rescued Israel from slavery in Egypt and then formed them into a nation bound to him by covenant. Chapter 20 is where God gives the Ten Commandments directly to the assembled people. Many Jewish and Christian readers see the commandments as a summary of how to live in right relationship with God and with other people, and this verse sits among those commands about human relationships.
Just before verse 16 come the prohibitions against murder, adultery and theft, and just after it comes the command not to covet. Read together, the list moves from actions that harm a neighbor’s body, household and property, to the lie that harms a neighbor’s name, and then to the desire that can lead to every other offense. That placement shows why a false word carries real force: it can do to a person’s reputation what theft does to their goods.
Key Phrases in Exodus 20:16
Proverbs 19:9
A false witness shall not be unpunished. He who utters lies shall perish.
(WEB)
This proverb warns that a false witness will not go unpunished, which echoes the seriousness of Exodus 20:16. It shows that the command was understood as having real consequences for both the one who lies and the one who is harmed. Reading the two together helps you see that God treats dishonest speech about others as a matter of justice.
Ephesians 4:25
Therefore putting away falsehood, speak truth each one with his neighbor. For we are members of one another.
(WEB)
Paul builds on the commandment by urging believers to put away falsehood and speak truthfully with one another. He grounds the call in the fact that Christians belong to one body, so a lie told to a neighbor damages the whole community. This passage helps you connect the old command to the life of the church and to everyday honesty.
A Short Prayer From Exodus 20:16
Lord, you are the God of truth, and you ask me to speak honestly about the people around me. Forgive me for the times I have shaded the facts, repeated what I should not have repeated, or let my own interests bend my words. Give me courage to say only what is true and kindness to speak carefully about those I might be tempted to criticize. Protect the reputations of the people I love, and let my words build them up rather than tear them down. Amen.
