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Monday, October 13th, 2025
the Week of Proper 23 / Ordinary 28
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Read the Bible

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

Proverbs 25:18

A hammer and a sword, and a sharpened arrow, is a man becoming a false witness against his neighbour.

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.
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 A hammer and a sword, and a sharpened arrow, is a man becoming a false witness against his neighbour.

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 one, is Pishon, - the same, is that which surroundeth all the land of Havilah, where is gold;
Genesis 10:7
And, the sons of Cush: Seba and Havilah, and Sabtah and Raamah, and Sabtechah, - And the sons of Raamah, Sheba and Dedan.
Genesis 10:29
and Ophir and Havilah, and Jobab - all these were sons of Joktan.
Genesis 13:10
So Lot lifted up his eyes and beheld all the circuit of the Jordan, that the whole of it, was well-watered, - before Yahweh destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the Garden of Yahweh, like the land of Egypt, as thou enterest into Zoar.
Genesis 14:10
Now, the valley of the open fields, had many pits of bitumen, so the king of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there, - while, they who remained, towards a mountain, fled.
Genesis 16:12
But, he, will be a wild ass of a man, his hand, against every one, and every ones hand against him - yet, in presence of all his brethren, shall he have his habitation.
Genesis 20:1
And Abraham brake up from thence, towards the land of the South, and fixed his dwelling between Kadesh and Shur, so he sojourned in Gerar.
Genesis 21:14
So Abraham rose up early in the morning - and took bread and a skin of water and gave unto hagar, - putting them on her shoulder and the child, and sent her forth, - so she went her way and wandered, in the desert of Beer-sheba.
Genesis 21:21
And he dwelt in the desert of Paran, - and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.
Genesis 25:23
And Yahweh said to her. Two nations, are in thy womb, And two races, from thy body, shall be parted, - And, one race, shall be stronger, than the other race, And the elder, shall serve 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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