Psalms 15:3

Psalms 15:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.
• New International Version (NIV)whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others;
• English Standard Version (ESV)who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
• New King James Version (NKJV)He who does not backbite with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;

Context of Psalms 15:3

1Lord, who may be a guest in your home? Who may live on your holy hill? 2Whoever lives a blameless life, does what is right, and speaks honestly. He does not slander, or do harm to others, or insult his neighbor. 4He despises a reprobate, but honors the Lord’s loyal followers. He makes firm commitments and does not renege on his promise. 5He does not charge interest when he lends his money. He does not take bribes to testify against the innocent. The one who lives like this will never be upended.

Psalms 15:3 word by word

לֹֽא־רָגַ֨ל׀ עַל־לְשֹׁנ֗וֹ לֹא־עָשָׂ֣ה לְרֵעֵ֣הוּ רָעָ֑ה וְ֝חֶרְפָּ֗ה לֹא־נָשָׂ֥א עַל־קְרֹֽבוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• backbitethרָגַלrâgal · to spyH7270
• not with his tongueלָשׁוֹןlâshôn lâshôn leshônâh · tongueH3956
• nor doethעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• evilרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: evilH7451
• to his neighbourרֵעַrêa‛ rêya‛ · neighborH7453
• nor taketh upנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: loudH5375
• a reproachחֶרְפָּהcherpâh · reproachH2781
• against his neighbourקָרֹבqârôb qârôb · nearH7138

Cross-references for Psalms 15:3

• Psalms 101:5I will destroy anyone who slanders his neighbor in secret. I will not tolerate anyone who has a cocky demeanor and an arrogant attitude.
• Exodus 23:1“You must not give a false report. Do not make common cause with the wicked to be a malicious witness.
• Leviticus 19:16You must not go about as a slanderer among your people. You must not stand idly by when your neighbor’s life is at stake. I am the Lord.
• Jeremiah 9:4Everyone must be on his guard around his friends. He must not even trust any of his relatives. For every one of them will find some way to cheat him. And all of his friends will tell lies about him.
• Romans 1:30slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, contrivers of all sorts of evil, disobedient to parents,
• James 4:11Do not speak against one another, brothers and sisters. He who speaks against a fellow believer or judges a fellow believer speaks against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but its judge.
• 1 Peter 2:1So get rid of all evil and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.
• 1 Samuel 24:11Look, my father, and see the edge of your robe in my hand! When I cut off the edge of your robe, I didn’t kill you. So realize and understand that I am not planning evil or rebellion. Even though I have not sinned against you, you are waiting in ambush to take my life.
• Isaiah 56:2The people who do this will be blessed, the people who commit themselves to obedience, who observe the Sabbath and do not defile it, who refrain from doing anything that is wrong.
• Matthew 7:12In everything, treat others as you would want them to treat you, for this fulfills the law and the prophets.
• Romans 12:17Do not repay anyone evil for evil; consider what is good before all people.
• Romans 13:10Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
• 3 John 1:11Dear friend, do not imitate what is bad but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does what is bad has not seen God.
• Proverbs 22:10Drive out the scorner and contention will leave; strife and insults will cease.
• Proverbs 25:3As the heaven is high and the earth is deep so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.

Commentaries on Psalms 15:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3He that backbiteth not with his tongue - לשנו על רגל לא lo ragal al leshono, "he foots not upon his tongue." 4. He is one who treats his neighbor with respect. He says nothing that might injure him in his character, person, or property; he forgets no calumny, he is author of no slander, he insinuates nothing by which his neighbor may be injured. The tongue, because of its slanderous conversation, is represented in the nervous original as kicking about the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3He that backbiteth not with his tongue - The word “backbite” means to censure; slander; reproach; speak evil of. The Hebrew word - רגל râgal - a verb formed from the word foot, means properly “to foot it,” and then “to go about.” Then it means to go about as a tale-bearer or slanderer; to circulate reports unfavorable to others. It is not improperly rendered here “backbite;” and the idea is, that it is essential to true piety that one should “not” be a…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-5This wisdom poem contrasts the lifestyle of the righteous with the actions of fools (Psalm 14). The questions in this psalm invite people to examine themselves and not pay attention to problems with the wicked. The question of who dwells in God’s presence leads into a description of godly character qualities (compare Psalm 24:3–6; Isaiah 33:14–16).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. He neither slanders nor spreads slander.Read the comment

Topics related to Psalms 15:3

• Backbiting
• Holiness
• Integrity
• Neighbor
• Righteous
• Righteousness
• Slander
• Speaking
• Talebearer

In the dictionaries

• Backbite
• Contemn
• Evilspeaking
• Tabernacle
• God
• Neighbor
• Papyrus
• Psalms, Book of
• Slander
• Poetry, Hebrew

Commentaries on Psalms 15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• The Treasury of David
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings