Item 9 in Ten Commandments
Do Not Bear False Witness
Do not give false testimony against another person.
- Position
- 9
- Form
- Prohibition
- Obligation
- Mandatory
- Wording status
- Editorial paraphrase
- Intended audience
- Originally Israel; subsequently interpreted within Jewish and Christian traditions
- Last reviewed
- 28 June 2026
Names and terminology
Canonical name: Do Not Bear False Witness
Source wording
Editorial paraphrase: Do not give false testimony against another person.
Literal meaning
Do not give false testimony against another person.
Broader interpretation
Later interpretation commonly applies the rule to lying, slander and deceptive damage beyond formal court testimony.
Ethical purpose
To shape conduct or character in a way consistent with the wider ethical framework.
Modern application
Modern application requires attention to consent, rights, evidence, foreseeable harm and changing social conditions.
Criticism and difficult cases
Application can become difficult when this principle conflicts with another duty, when harm is indirect, or when ancient social assumptions do not fit modern conditions.
Truth By Reason analysis
Truth By Reason assesses this principle according to evidence, rights, intentions, foreseeable consequences and consistency with the treatment of all affected beings.
Ethical themes
Explanations, comparisons and discussions
Comparison
Eightfold Path and Ten Commandments: Similarities and Limits of Comparison
The two systems both regulate conduct, but differ in structure, authority and purpose.
Comparison
Truthfulness Across Ethical Traditions
A comparison of false speech, truthful testimony, trustworthiness and morally responsible communication.
Sources
- Deuteronomy 5 Primary source
- Exodus 20 Primary source