New Living Translation
Proverbs 24:28
28Don’t testify against your neighbors without cause; don’t lie about them.
Proverbs 24:28 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not with thy lips.
- New International Version (NIV)Do not testify against your neighbor without cause— would you use your lips to mislead?
- English Standard Version (ESV)Be not a witness against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause, For would you deceive with your lips?
Context of Proverbs 24:28
26An honest answer is like a kiss of friendship. 27Do your planning and prepare your fields before building your house. Don’t testify against your neighbors without cause; don’t lie about them. 29And don’t say, “Now I can pay them back for what they’ve done to me! I’ll get even with them!” 30I walked by the field of a lazy person, the vineyard of one with no common sense.
Read all of Proverbs 24Proverbs 24:28 word by word
אַל־תְּהִ֣י עֵד־חִנָּ֣ם בְּרֵעֶ֑ךָ וַ֝הֲפִתִּ֗יתָ בִּשְׂפָתֶֽיךָ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Proverbs 24:28
- Proverbs 14:5An honest witness does not lie; a false witness breathes lies.
- Proverbs 19:5A false witness will not go unpunished, nor will a liar escape.
- Proverbs 21:28A false witness will be cut off, but a credible witness will be allowed to speak.
- Exodus 20:16“You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.
- Exodus 23:1“You must not pass along false rumors. You must not cooperate with evil people by lying on the witness stand.
- 1 Samuel 22:9Then Doeg the Edomite, who was standing there with Saul’s men, spoke up. “When I was at Nob,” he said, “I saw the son of Jesse talking to the priest, Ahimelech son of Ahitub.
- 1 Kings 21:9In her letters she commanded: “Call the citizens together for a time of fasting, and give Naboth a place of honor.
- Job 2:3Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil. And he has maintained his integrity, even though you urged me to harm him without cause.”
- Psalms 35:7I did them no wrong, but they laid a trap for me. I did them no wrong, but they dug a pit to catch me.
- Matthew 26:59Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find witnesses who would lie about Jesus, so they could put him to death.
- Matthew 27:23“Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has he committed?” But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify him!”
- John 15:25This fulfills what is written in their Scriptures: ‘They hated me without cause.’
- Ephesians 4:25So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.
- Colossians 3:9Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds.
- Revelation 21:8“But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
- Revelation 22:15Outside the city are the dogs—the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idol worshipers, and all who love to live a lie.
Commentaries on Proverbs 24:28
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 28Be not a witness - Do not be forward to offer thyself to bear testimony against a neighbor, in a matter which may prejudice him, where the essential claims of justice do not require such interference; and especially do not do this in a spirit of revenge, because he has injured thee before.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 28Deceive not with thy lips - Better, wilt thou deceive with thy lips?Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 28-29Verses 28-29 There are three defaults in a witness pointed out.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 28-29Saying 4: Do not twist the truth, even for revenge (see Proverbs 6:19; 12:17; 14:25; 19:28; 24:23–24; 25:18).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2828. Do not speak even truth needlessly against any, and never falsehood.Read the comment
Topics related to Proverbs 24:28
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Proverbs 24
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- 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
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