You must not go about spreading slander among your people. You must not endanger the life of your neighbor. I am the LORD.
Parallel translations
- WEB “‘You shall not go up and down as a slanderer among your people. “‘You shall not endanger the life of your neighbor. I am Yahweh.
- KJV Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD.
- NKJV You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people; nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord.
- NASB You shall not go about as a slanderer among your people; and you are not to jeopardize the life of your neighbor. I am the Lord.
- NLT “Do not spread slanderous gossip among your people. “Do not stand idly by when your neighbor’s life is threatened. I am the Lord.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Israel must not spread slander or endanger a neighbor's life.
Overview
This protects both reputation and life from the harm of malicious speech and indifference to others' safety. Slander destroys community trust, and ignoring a neighbor's peril violates love. The verse calls God's people to guard one another's good name and well-being as an expression of holiness.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 18
- Exod 23:1“You shall not spread a false report. Do not join the wicked by being a malicious witness.
- Exod 23:7Stay far away from a false accusation. Do not kill the innocent or the just, for I will not acquit the guilty.
- Prov 20:19He who reveals secrets is a constant gossip; avoid the one who babbles with his lips.
- Ezek 22:9Among you are slanderous men bent on bloodshed; within you are those who eat on the mountain shrines and commit acts of indecency.
- Prov 11:13A gossip reveals a secret, but a trustworthy person keeps a confidence.
- Jer 6:28All are hardened rebels, walking around as slanderers. They are bronze and iron; all of them are corrupt.
- Jer 9:4“Let everyone guard against his neighbor; do not trust any brother, for every brother deals craftily, and every friend spreads slander.
- 1 Pet 2:1Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander.
- 1 Kgs 21:10–13But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify, ‘You have cursed both God and the king!’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”
- Ps 15:3who has no slander on his tongue, who does no harm to his neighbor, who casts no scorn on his friend,
- Exod 20:16You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
- Acts 6:11–13Then they prompted some men to say, “We heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God.”
- 1 Tim 3:11In the same way, the women must be dignified, not slanderers, but temperate and faithful in all things.
- Matt 26:60–61But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two came forward
- Titus 2:3Older women, likewise, are to be reverent in their behavior, not slanderers or addicted to much wine, but teachers of good.
- 2 Tim 3:3unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good,
- Matt 27:4“I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,” he said. “What is that to us?” they replied. “You bear the responsibility.”
- Acts 24:4–9But in order not to burden you any further, I beg your indulgence to hear us briefly.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Every sacrifice, every priest, and every day of atonement points beyond itself to the one perfect offering and the great High Priest who, by his own blood, makes the unclean holy once for all.
How Leviticus 19:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.