A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape.
Parallel translations
- WEB A false witness shall not be unpunished. He who pours out lies shall not go free.
- BSB A false witness will not go unpunished, and one who utters lies will not escape.
- NKJV A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who speaks lies will not escape.
- NASB A false witness will not go unpunished, And one who declares lies will not escape.
- NLT A false witness will not go unpunished, nor will a liar escape.
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
A false witness will not escape punishment. Lying under oath brings certain judgment.
Overview
This proverb solemnly affirms that the false witness and the liar will not go unpunished, upholding the ninth commandment's concern for truth (Exod. 20:16). It warns that, though deceit may seem to succeed, justice will come. God is the God of truth who judges all falsehood, and the gospel both exposes our sin and reconciles us through Christ, in whom there was no deceit (1 Pet. 2:22).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Prov 21:28A false witness shall perish: but the man that heareth speaketh constantly.
- Exod 23:1Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.
- Prov 6:19A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
- Prov 19:9A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish.
- Dan 6:24And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den.
- Deut 5:11Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
- Deut 19:16–21If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong;
- 1 Kgs 2:9Now therefore hold him not guiltless: for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him; but his hoar head bring thou down to the grave with blood.
- Ps 120:3–4What shall be given unto thee? or what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue?
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Wisdom personified, with God before creation and the agent of all things, anticipates Christ 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom' — the wisdom of God made flesh.
How Proverbs 19:5 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
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