Deuteronomy 5:20 forbids giving false testimony against your neighbor, which means you must not lie in a way that harms another person’s reputation, freedom, or standing. Moses speaks these words to the people of Israel as part of the Ten Commandments, the summary of God’s covenant law given at Mount Sinai.
“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
Deuteronomy 5:20 (WEB)
What Deuteronomy 5:20 Means
The phrase “you shall not” is a direct command, not a suggestion. It is the same firm language used for murder, adultery, and theft in the verses just before it. God is saying that the words you speak about another person carry real weight and can do real damage.
“Give false testimony” comes from courtroom language. In ancient Israel, a witness spoke in a legal dispute, and a false witness could send an innocent person to punishment or even death. The command is therefore about more than casual gossip. It addresses any statement, made under oath or in conversation, that twists the truth to hurt someone. The word “neighbor” points to everyday people you live beside, work with, and share a community with.
The verse does not promise that lying will always be discovered, nor does it spell out every situation where speech is wrong. It sets a clear boundary: you are not to betray another person through deceit. It describes what God requires, but it does not by itself explain how to handle every hard conversation or accusation.
The Context of Deuteronomy 5:20
Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Torah, the first five books of the Bible. Traditionally it is attributed to Moses, who addresses the generation of Israelites preparing to enter the Promised Land. Chapter 5 is a retelling of the covenant at Sinai, reminding the people of what God commanded them and why their relationship with him matters.
The verse sits in a list of commands from verses 17 to 21, each protecting a different part of life: human life, marriage, property, truthful speech, and the heart’s desires. The surrounding verses also describe how God spoke these words to the assembly out of fire, cloud, and darkness, and wrote them on two stone tablets. Seeing the command in this setting shows that false testimony is treated with the same seriousness as murder and theft, because each one breaks the trust that holds a community together.
Key Phrases in Deuteronomy 5:20
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 Deuteronomy 5:20 and shows that God takes deception against others very seriously.
Ephesians 4:25
Therefore putting away falsehood, speak truth each one with his neighbor. For we are members of one another.
(WEB)
Paul takes the principle of truthfulness into the life of the church, urging believers to put away falsehood and speak truthfully with one another because they belong to one body.
A Short Prayer From Deuteronomy 5:20
Lord, you are a God of truth, and you know every word I have spoken about others. Forgive me for the times I have shaded the facts, repeated what I should have kept silent about, or spoken carelessly about the people you have placed around me. Give me a guarded tongue and a careful heart, so that when I speak about my neighbor, I speak with honesty and with love. Help me to protect people’s good names as you would protect them. Amen.
