Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, August 9th, 2025
the Week of Proper 13 / Ordinary 18
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Read the Bible

Literal Standard Version

Proverbs 25:18

A maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow, || [Is] the man testifying a false testimony against his neighbor.

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.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Whoso beareth false witnesse against his neighbour, he is a very club, a sworde, and a sharpe arrowe.
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

18A maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow, || [Is] the man testifying a false testimony against his neighbor.

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 the first [is] Pison, it [is] that which is surrounding the whole land of Havilah where the gold [is],
Genesis 10:7
And sons of Cush [are] Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtechah; and sons of Raamah [are] Sheba and Dedan.
Genesis 10:29
and Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab; all these [are] sons of Joktan;
Genesis 13:10
And Lot lifts up his eyes, and sees the whole circuit of the Jordan that it [is] all a watered country (before YHWH's destroying Sodom and Gomorrah, as YHWH's garden, as the land of Egypt), in your coming toward Zoar,
Genesis 14:10
And the Valley of Siddim [is] full of bitumen-pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah flee, and fall there, and those left have fled to the mountain.
Genesis 16:12
and he is a wild-donkey man, his hand against everyone, and everyone's hand against him—and before the face of all his brothers he dwells."
Genesis 20:1
And Abraham journeys from there toward the land of the south, and dwells between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourns in Gerar;
Genesis 21:14
And Abraham rises early in the morning, and takes bread, and a bottle of water, and gives to Hagar (placing [it] on her shoulder), also the boy, and sends her out; and she goes on, and goes astray in the wilderness of Beer-Sheba;
Genesis 21:21
and he dwells in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother takes for him a wife from the land of Egypt.
Genesis 25:23
And YHWH says to her, "Two nations [are] in your womb, and two peoples from your bowels are parted; and the [one] people is stronger than the [other] people; and the older serves 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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