Deuteronomy 5:20 is a command from God not to lie about another person in a way that harms them, especially in a courtroom or any setting where someone’s word can decide what happens to them. Moses speaks these words to the people of Israel as part of the Ten Commandments, which God gave at Mount Sinai and which Moses repeats to the next generation before they enter the Promised Land.
“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
Deuteronomy 5:20 (WEB)
What Deuteronomy 5:20 Means
The phrase “false testimony” refers to a witness who says something untrue under the expectation that others will rely on it. In ancient Israel, legal cases often depended on the word of witnesses, so a lie could send an innocent person to punishment or take away property, family, or life. The verse addresses that specific danger, though its principle reaches into everyday speech as well.
“Against your neighbor” narrows the focus. The command is about speaking falsely in a way that wounds the person next to you, the member of your community whose reputation and well-being depend on honest dealing. Read carefully, the verse does not promise that a lie will always be caught or punished in this life, and it does not describe every hard conversation. It sets a standard: God’s people are to be truthful about others because their neighbors are real people made in his image.
The Context of Deuteronomy 5:20
Deuteronomy means “second law” and is Moses’ farewell address to Israel on the plains of Moab. Traditionally Moses is named as its author, and its original audience is the generation born in the wilderness, who are about to cross the Jordan River. Moses recalls the events at Horeb (Sinai) and restates the Ten Commandments to a people who need to hear God’s covenant again before they settle into a new land with courts, markets, and village life.
Verse 20 sits in a list of five commands about the neighbor: do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not covet. Read together, they show that love for others is tested in concrete ways: in how you treat their life, their marriage, their property, and their name. Verse 22 also reminds the reader that these words came directly from God with a great voice, so the list is not merely Moses’ advice but a divine boundary for community life.
Key Phrases in Deuteronomy 5:20
Exodus 20:16
“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
(WEB)
This is the earlier version of the same commandment, given at Sinai and recorded in the original giving of the Ten Commandments. Reading it alongside Deuteronomy 5:20 shows the continuity of God’s instruction across generations and helps you see that Moses is restating a law his hearers already knew.
Proverbs 19:9
A false witness shall not be unpunished. He who utters lies shall perish.
(WEB)
Proverbs gives the wisdom side of this law, warning that a false witness will not go unpunished and that lies eventually undo the liar. It shows how the prohibition in Deuteronomy works out in ordinary life, where dishonesty tends to bring its own consequences.
A Short Prayer From Deuteronomy 5:20
Lord, you are the God of truth, and you know every word I speak about others. Forgive me for the times I have been careless, exaggerated, or quick to repeat what I have not checked. Give me a steady heart that loves the people around me enough to speak honestly about them. When I am tempted to shade the truth for my own advantage, remind me of your command and give me the courage to be faithful. Amen.
