A false witness shall not be unpunished. He who pours out lies shall not go free.
Parallel translations
- KJV A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape.
- 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 will perish, and a man who listens speaks to eternity.
- Exod 23:1“You shall not spread a false report. Don’t join your hand with the wicked to be a malicious witness.
- Prov 6:19a false witness who utters lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.
- Prov 19:9A false witness shall not be unpunished. He who utters lies shall perish.
- Dan 6:24The king commanded, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions mauled them, and broke all their bones in pieces, before they came to the bottom of the den.
- Deut 5:11“You shall not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain: for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
- Deut 19:16–21If an unrighteous witness rises up against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing,
- 1 Kgs 2:9Now therefore don’t hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man; and you will know what you ought to do to him, and you shall bring his gray head down to Sheol with blood.”
- Ps 120:3–4What will be given to you, and what will be done more to you, you deceitful tongue?
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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
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.