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Friday, September 19th, 2025
the Week of Proper 19 / Ordinary 24
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Read the Bible

Bishop's Bible

Proverbs 25:18

Whoso beareth false witnesse against his neighbour, he is a very club, a sworde, and a sharpe arrowe.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Arrow;   False Teachers;   Maul;   Sword;   Thompson Chain Reference - False;   Witnesses, False;   The Topic Concordance - Lying/lies;   Witness;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Arrows;   Slander;   Sword, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Proverb, the Book of;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Lie, Lying;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Pardon;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Armour;   Arrows;   Maul;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Arms and Armor;   Maul;   Proverbs, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Armour, Arms;   Greek Versions of Ot;   Lie, Lying;   Proverbs, Book of;   Witness;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Maul,;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Arrow;   Maul;   Sword;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Armor;   Maul;   Neighbor;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Arrow;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
A person giving false testimony against his neighboris like a club, a sword, or a sharp arrow.
Hebrew Names Version
A man who gives false testimony against his neighbor Is like a club, a sword, or a sharp arrow.
King James Version
A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow.
English Standard Version
A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is like a war club, or a sword, or a sharp arrow.
New American Standard Bible
Like a club, a sword, and a sharp arrow Is a person who gives false testimony against his neighbor.
New Century Version
When you lie about your neighbors, it hurts them as much as a club, a sword, or a sharp arrow.
Amplified Bible
Like a club and a sword and a piercing arrow Is a man who testifies falsely against his neighbor (acquaintance).
World English Bible
A man who gives false testimony against his neighbor Is like a club, a sword, or a sharp arrow.
Geneva Bible (1587)
A man that beareth false witnes against his neighbour, is like an hammer and a sword, and a sharpe arrowe.
Legacy Standard Bible
Like a club and a sword and a sharp arrowIs a man who bears false witness against his neighbor.
Berean Standard Bible
Like a club or sword or sharp arrow is a man who bears false witness against his neighbor.
Contemporary English Version
Telling lies about friends is like attacking them with clubs and swords and sharp arrows.
Complete Jewish Bible
Like a club, a sword or a sharp arrow is a person who gives false testimony against a neighbor.
Darby Translation
A maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow, is a man that beareth false witness against his neighbour.
Easy-to-Read Version
A person who gives false testimony against a neighbor is as deadly as a club, a sword, or a very sharp arrow.
George Lamsa Translation
A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is like an iron bar, a sword, and a sharp arrow.
Good News Translation
A false accusation is as deadly as a sword, a club, or a sharp arrow.
Lexham English Bible
Like a club and sword and a sharp arrow is a man who bears false witness against his neighbor.
Literal Translation
A man who gives false witness against his neighbor is a maul, and a sword and a sharp arrow.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Who so beareth false wytnesse agaynst his neghboure, he is a very speare, a swearde & a sharpe arowe.
American Standard Version
A man that beareth false witness against his neighbor Is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow.
Bible in Basic English
One who gives false witness against his neighbour is a hammer and a sword and a sharp arrow.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
As a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow, so is a man that beareth false witness against his neighbour.
King James Version (1611)
A man that beareth false witnes against his neighbour, is a maule, and a sword, and a sharpe arrow.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Moreover there are three things impossible for me to comprehend, and the fourth I know not:
English Revised Version
A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
A dart, and a swerd, and a scharp arowe, a man that spekith fals witnessing ayens his neiybore.
Update Bible Version
A man that bears false witness against his neighbor Is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow.
Webster's Bible Translation
A man that beareth false witness against his neighbor [is] a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow.
New English Translation
Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow, so is the one who testifies against his neighbor as a false witness.
New King James Version
A man who bears false witness against his neighbor Is like a club, a sword, and a sharp arrow.
New Living Translation
Telling lies about others is as harmful as hitting them with an ax, wounding them with a sword, or shooting them with a sharp arrow.
New Life Bible
A man who tells a lie against his neighbor is like a heavy stick or a sword or a sharp arrow.
New Revised Standard
Like a war club, a sword, or a sharp arrow is one who bears false witness against a neighbor.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
A hammer and a sword, and a sharpened arrow, is a man becoming a false witness against his neighbour.
Douay-Rheims Bible
A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour, is like a dart and a sword and a sharp arrow.
Revised Standard Version
A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is like a war club, or a sword, or a sharp arrow.
Young's Literal Translation
A maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow, [Is] the man testifying against his neighbour a false testimony.
THE MESSAGE
Anyone who tells lies against the neighbors in court or on the street is a loose cannon.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Like a club and a sword and a sharp arrow Is a man who bears false witness against his neighbor.

Contextual Overview

18 Whoso beareth false witnesse against his neighbour, he is a very club, a sworde, and a sharpe arrowe.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Proverbs 12:18, Psalms 52:2, Psalms 55:21, Psalms 57:4, Psalms 120:3, Psalms 120:4, Psalms 140:3, Jeremiah 9:3, Jeremiah 9:8, James 3:6

Reciprocal: Exodus 23:1 - an unrighteous witness 1 Kings 21:13 - the men of Belial 2 Chronicles 34:6 - mattocks Proverbs 6:19 - A false Proverbs 21:28 - false witness Proverbs 26:18 - arrows Jeremiah 9:4 - walk Matthew 26:59 - sought

Cross-References

Genesis 2:11
The name of ye first is Pison, the same is it that compasseth the whole lande of Hauilah, where there is golde:
Genesis 10:7
And the children of Chus: Seba, and Hauilah, and Sabthah, and Raamah, and Sabtheca.
Genesis 10:29
And Ophir, and Hauilah, and Iobab, all these were the chyldren of Iactan.
Genesis 13:10
And so Lot lyftyng vp his eyes, behelde all the countrey of Iordane, whiche was well watred euery where before the Lorde destroyed Sodome and Gomorrh, euen as the garden of the Lorde, lyke the lande of Egypt as thou commest vnto Soar.
Genesis 14:10
And the vale of Siddim was full of slyme pyttes: and the kynges of Sodome and Gomorrhe fledde, and fell there, and they that remayned, fledde to the mountayne.
Genesis 16:12
He also wyll be a wylde man, and his hande wyll be agaynst euery man, and euery mans hande against hym: and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.
Genesis 20:1
And Abraham departed thence towarde the south countrey, & dwelled betweene Cades and Sur, and soiourned in Gerar.
Genesis 21:14
And so Abraham rose vp early in the mornyng, and tooke bread, and a bottel of water, and gaue it vnto Hagar, puttyng it on her shoulder, and the lad also, and sent her away: who departing, wandered vp and downe in the wildernesse of Beer seba.
Genesis 21:21
And he dwelt in the wyldernesse of Paran, and his mother got hym a wyfe out of the lande of Egypt.
Genesis 25:23
And the Lorde sayde vnto her: there are two maner of people in thy wombe, and two nations shalbe deuided out of thy bowelles, and the one nation shalbe mightier then the other, and the elder shalbe seruaunt vnto the younger.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour,.... In whose house he has often been, and whom he has frequently visited; and, observing what was done there, not only discovers and tells abroad the secrets of his family, but even things which are false; yea, in a court of judicature, appears a witness against him, and swears falsely to his hurt and prejudice. Such a man

[is] a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow; that is, to his neighbour, against whom he bears false witness; and, by so doing, he mauls his fame, his credit, character, and reputation; and, as with a sword, takes away his life; and against whom there is no more guarding than against a sharp arrow, that comes from afar, suddenly and swiftly.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Maul - A heavy sledge hammer. The word is connected with “malleus:” its diminutive “mallet” is still in use.


 
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