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.
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.
- BSB You must not go about spreading slander among your people. You must not endanger the life of your neighbor. I am the LORD.
- ESV You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: 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 quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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 23:1Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.
- Exod 23:7Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.
- Prov 20:19He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.
- Ezek 22:9In thee are men that carry tales to shed blood: and in thee they eat upon the mountains: in the midst of thee they commit lewdness.
- Prov 11:13A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.
- Jer 6:28They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: they are brass and iron; they are all corrupters.
- Jer 9:4Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walk with slanders.
- 1 Pet 2:1Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
- 1 Kgs 21:10–13And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die.
- Ps 15:3He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.
- Exod 20:16Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
- Acts 6:11–13Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God.
- 1 Tim 3:11Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
- Matt 26:60–61But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses,
- Titus 2:3The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
- 2 Tim 3:3Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
- Matt 27:4Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.
- Acts 24:4–9Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I pray thee that thou wouldest hear us of thy clemency a few words.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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.