A man who gives false testimony against his neighbor is like a club, a sword, or a sharp arrow.
Parallel Translations
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A man who gives false testimony against his neighbor is like a club, a sword, or a sharp arrow.
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A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow.
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As a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow, so is a man that beareth false witness against his neighbour.
Cross-references (10)
Passages linked to Proverbs 25:18 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Psalms 57:4 My soul is among lions. I lie among those who are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
- Proverbs 12:18 There is one who speaks rashly like the piercing of a sword, but the tongue of the wise heals.
- Jeremiah 9:8 Their tongue is a deadly arrow. It speaks deceit. One speaks peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth, but in his heart, he waits to ambush him.
- James 3:6 And the tongue is a fire. The world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire by Gehenna.
- Psalms 120:3-4 What will be given to you, and what will be done more to you, you deceitful tongue? Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.
- Jeremiah 9:3 “They bend their tongue, as their bow, for falsehood. They have grown strong in the land, but not for truth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they don’t know me,” says Yahweh.
- Psalms 52:2 Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
- Psalms 140:3 They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent. Viper’s poison is under their lips.
- Proverbs 24:28 Don’t be a witness against your neighbor without cause. Don’t deceive with your lips.
- Psalms 55:21 His mouth was smooth as butter, but his heart was war. His words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (15 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Pro 25:18 A man that beareth false witness against…
Pro 25:18 A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour [is] a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow.
Ver. 18. Is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow] A "maul," hammer, or club, to knock out his brains, and make them fly about the room, as the Hebrew word imports. A "sword," {Psa 42:10} or murdering weapon, to run him through and let out his bowels. And a "sharp arrow," {Psa 57:5} to pierce his flesh, and strike through his very heart. Lo, here the mischief of an evil tongue, thin, broad, and long, like a sword to let out the life blood of the poor innocent - nay, to destroy his soul too, as seducers do that bear false witness against the truth of God, and by their cunning lies "deceive the hearts of the simple."
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Is as cruel and pernicious to him as any…
Is as cruel and pernicious to him as any instrument of death. The design of the proverb is to show the wickedness of slander, and that a false witness is in some respect as bad as a murderer.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Matthew Henry 1710 · Public Domain Here, 1. The sin condemned is bearing false witness…
Here, 1. The sin condemned is bearing false witness against our neighbour, either in judgment or in common conversation, contrary to the law of the ninth commandment. 2. That which it is here condemned for is the mischievousness of it; it is in its power to ruin not only men's reputation, but their lives, estates, families, all that is dear to them. A false testimony is every thing that is dangerous; it is a maul (or club to knock a man's brains out with), a flail, which there is no fence against; it is a sword to wound near at hand and a sharp arrow to wound at a distance; we have therefore need to pray, Deliver my soul, O Lord! from lying lips, Psa 120:2.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour,....…
A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour,.... In whose house he has often been, and whom he has frequently visited; and, observing what was done there, not only discovers and tells abroad the secrets of his family, but even things which are false; yea, in a court of judicature, appears a witness against him, and swears falsely to his hurt and prejudice. Such a man
is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow; that is, to his neighbour, against whom he bears false witness; and, by so doing, he mauls his fame, his credit, character, and reputation; and, as with a sword, takes away his life; and against whom there is no more guarding than against a sharp arrow, that comes from afar, suddenly and swiftly.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain A sword - Is as cruel and pernicious as…
A sword - Is as cruel and pernicious as any instrument of death.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Pro 25:18. A man that beareth false witness, &c.,…
Pro 25:18. A man that beareth false witness, &c., is a maul — Or, club, by which a man’s fame and character are beaten down to the ground. And a sword, and a sharp arrow — By his tongue he is as cruel and pernicious to his neighbour as any instrument of death: he destroys him, not only when he is near, as with a sword, but when he is afar off, as with a sharp arrow shot at him.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Maul - A heavy sledge hammer. The word is…
Maul - A heavy sledge hammer. The word is connected with “malleus:” its diminutive “mallet” is still in use.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Charles Bridges 1846 · Public Domain False witness is universally condemned. But where, save in…
False witness is universally condemned. But where, save in the word of God, are its true character and deep aggravation of guilt adequately set forth? What a picture is here of cruelty and malice — nay — even of intentional murder! Three murderous instruments are before us, identifying the sixth and ninth commandments. The tongue, intended as "a tree of life," becomes a weapon of death.†1 Who can bear the sin involved in this fearful perversion? Often does the open perjury, as a sword and sharp arrow, pierce the fountain of life.†2 And little better are those calumnies and unkind insinuations — all breaches of charity — uttered so freely in common conversation. ’Consider, ye that deal in such conversation, whether you could think of treating the objects of your defamatory discourse, as Jael did Sisera (Jdg 4:21 ), or as Joab did Abner. (2Sa 3:27 .) Would you shrink with horror at the thought of beating out your neighbor’s brains with an hammer, or of piercing his bowels with a sword, or a sharp arrow? Why then do you indulge in the like barbarity; destroying as far as you can that reputation, which is dear to men as their life, and wounding all their best interests, by mangling their character?’†3 Other injuries a man may wear away or outlive. But defamation, notwithstanding all retrieving circumstances to heal the wound, too often leaves a scar to the dying day.
Truly affecting is it to think of the multitude of these mauls, swords, and sharp arrows even in the Church of God. It is not "setting the battle in array against the Philistines, army against army" (1Sa 17:21 ), but brother against brother. The Shibboleth of a party, not the standard of the cross, is the watchword for the destructive conflict. (Jdg 12:6 .) "How long! Lord! how Long?"
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Footnotes:
†1 Pro 15:4, with Pro 12:18 . Jer 9:3, Jer 9:8 .
†2 Gen 39:14-20. 1Ki 21:10-13 . Mat 26:60-66 . Act 6:13-14.
†3 Lawson in loco. See God’s estimate and threatening. Psa 50:19-21 . Eze 22:5 .
Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Proverbs (1846) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain A false witness is as destructive to reputation, as…
A false witness is as destructive to reputation, as such weapons to the body (Pro 24:28).
beareth . . . witness--literally, "answereth questions," as before a judge, against his neighbor.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 18. A maul — Or a war club. As…
18. A maul — Or a war club. As these were offensive and injurious weapons, so a false witness is among the most pernicious of men. Compare Pro_6:19; Pro_12:17; Pro_19:5; Pro_19:9; Pro_21:28; Psa_120:3-4.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 18. a maul] “i.e. a hammer, a variation of…
18. a maul] “i.e. a hammer, a variation of mall, from malleus … The Hebrew and English alike occur in Pro_25:18 only. But a derivative from the same root, and differing only slightly in form, is found in Jer_51:20, and is there translated by ‘battle-axe’ (or maul, R.V. marg.)—how incorrectly is shown by the constant repetition of the verb derived from the same root in the next three verses, and there uniformly rendered ‘break in pieces’ … There is no doubt that some heavy warlike instrument, a mace or club, is alluded to; probably such as that which is said to have suggested the name of Charles Martel.… A similar word is found once again in the original of Eze_9:2=‘weapon of smashing’ (A.V. and R.V. text, ‘slaughter-weapon).’ The sequel shows how terrible was the destruction such weapons could effect.”—Smith’s Dict. of Bible, Art. Maul. See note in this Series on Jer_51:20.
It is difficult to see why in this and the following verse (though not in Pro_25:14, or Pro_25:26,) R.V. should have followed A.V. in inverting the order of the two clauses in the Hebrew.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (18) A maul—i.e., hammer, connected with “malleus” and “mallet.”…
(18) A maul—i.e., hammer, connected with “malleus” and “mallet.” A false witness is as mischievous as the most deadly weapons.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Hebrew, A maul, and a sword, and a sharp…
Hebrew, A maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow a man that beareth false witness against his neighbour (see on Ver. 11). One who bears false witness against his neighbour prepares for him the instruments of death, such as those mentioned here. "A maul" (mephits), usually a heavy wooden hammer (compare malleus and "mallet"); here a club, or mace, used in battle, ropalon . (Septuagint; comp. Jer_51:20) There is a kind of climax in the three offensive weapons named the club bruises, the sword inflicts wounds, the arrow pierces to the heart; and the three may represent the various baneful effects of false testimony, how it bruises reputation, spoils possessions, deprives of life. The second clause is from the Decalogue. (Exo_20:16)
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 A man who bears false witness against his neighbor…
A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is like a club used in war, or a sword, or a sharp arrow
A false witness is compared to three weapons that can hurt or kill people. (See: Simile)
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An unfaithful man in whom you trust in a time of trouble is like a bad tooth or a foot that slips
A foolish man is compared to a part of the body that causes trouble for a person. AT: "Trusting in an unfaithful man in time of trouble will bring you pain like a bad tooth or a foot that slips" (See: Simile)
translationWords
corrupt witness
neighbor
sword
bow and arrow
trust
faithful
trouble
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 25:18 Lying can have deadly consequences (see 6:16-19; 14:5,…
25:18 Lying can have deadly consequences (see 6:16-19; 14:5, 25).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.