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Thursday, August 21st, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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Read the Bible

Douay-Rheims Bible

Proverbs 25:18

A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour, is like a dart and a sword and a sharp arrow.

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.
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 man that beareth false witness against his neighbour, is like a dart and a sword and a sharp arrow.

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 Phison: that is it which compasseth all the land of Hevilath, where gold groweth.
Genesis 10:7
And the sons of Chus: Saba, and Hevila, and Sabatha, and Regma, and Sabatacha. The sons of Regma: Saba, and Dadan.
Genesis 10:29
And Ophir, and Hevila, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Jectan.
Genesis 13:10
And Lot lifting up his eyes, saw all the country about the Jordan, which was watered throughout, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrha, as the paradise of the Lord, and like Egypt as one comes to Segor.
Genesis 14:10
Now the woodland vale had many pits of slime. And the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrha turned their backs, and were overthrown there: and they that remained, fled to the mountain.
Genesis 16:12
He shall be a wild man: his hand will be against all men, and all men’s hands against him: and he shall pitch his tents over against all his brethren.
Genesis 20:1
Abraham removed from thence to the south country, and dwelt between Cades and Sur, and sojourned in Gerara.
Genesis 21:14
So Abraham rose up in the morning, and taking bread and a bottle of water, put it upon her shoulder, and delivered the boy, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Bersabee.
Genesis 21:21
And he dwelt in the wilderness of Pharan, and his mother took a wife for him out of the land of Egypt.
Genesis 25:23
And he answering, said: Two nations are in thy womb, and two peoples shall be divided out of thy womb, and one people shall overcome the other, 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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