He does not slander with his tongue, Nor do evil to his neighbor, Nor bring shame on his friend;
Parallel translations
- WEB He who doesn’t slander with his tongue, nor does evil to his friend, nor casts slurs against his fellow man;
- KJV He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.
- BSB who has no slander on his tongue, who does no harm to his neighbor, who casts no scorn on his friend,
- NKJV He who does not backbite with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;
- NLT Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends.
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
The godly person does no harm with the tongue and does not slander or wrong his neighbor. It matters because how we treat others reveals whether we truly belong to God.
Overview
The character of one fit for God's presence includes restraint of the tongue, refusing to slander, harm a friend, or reproach a neighbor. Loving one's neighbor in word and deed is integral to genuine godliness. This echoes the second great commandment that Jesus affirmed and embodied.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Rom 13:10Love doesn’t harm a neighbor. Love therefore is the fulfillment of the law.
- Ps 101:5–8I will silence whoever secretly slanders his neighbor. I won’t tolerate one who is haughty and conceited.
- Matt 7:12Therefore whatever you desire for men to do to you, you shall also do to them; for this is the law and the prophets.
- Jas 4:11Don’t speak against one another, brothers. He who speaks against a brother and judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge.
- Lev 19:16“‘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.
- 3 Jn 1:11Beloved, don’t imitate that which is evil, but that which is good. He who does good is of God. He who does evil hasn’t seen God.
- Jer 9:4–9“Everyone beware of his neighbor, and don’t trust in any brother; for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbor will go about with slanders.
- Exod 23:1–33“You shall not spread a false report. Don’t join your hand with the wicked to be a malicious witness.
- 1 Pet 2:1–2Putting away therefore all wickedness, all deceit, hypocrisies, envies, and all evil speaking,
- Isa 56:2Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast; who keeps the Sabbath without profaning it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil.”
- Prov 25:3As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth, so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.
- Prov 22:10Drive out the mocker, and strife will go out; yes, quarrels and insults will stop.
- Rom 1:30backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
- Titus 3:2to speak evil of no one, not to be contentious, to be gentle, showing all humility toward all men.
- 1 Sam 24:11Moreover, my father, behold, yes, see the skirt of your robe in my hand; for in that I cut off the skirt of your robe, and didn’t kill you, know and see that there is neither evil nor disobedience in my hand, and I have not sinned against you, though you hunt for my life to take it.
- Rom 12:17Repay no one evil for evil. Respect what is honorable in the sight of all men.
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
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 15:3 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.