S2:E7 - Why Does God Tell Us, "You Shall Not Give False Testimony Against Your Neighbor"?

Welcome back Press Pause! When we hear people talking about testimonies, we generally think about witnesses in courtrooms, but the ninth commandment speaks to our daily experience, not just what we see on Judge Judy. Here’s our question and answer for this week’s episode.

Q: Why does God tell us, “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor”?

A: So we will tell the truth as God does and not speak evil of one another.

We see the command given to the Israelites in Exodus 20:16. We also see in Proverbs 12:22 that "The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy."

In the Bible, false testimony wasn’t just about small lies—it could mean life or death. In ancient Israel, if someone lied in court and accused an innocent person of a crime, that person could be punished unfairly. But this commandment isn’t just about courtrooms—it’s about how we treat one another every day. Grab your Bible, and read both Exodus 20:16 and Proverbs 12:22 together before listening to this week’s episode.