From The Christian’s Daily Walk. Headings are not the author’s.
Exodus 20:16
A summary of the commandment
The ninth commandment concerns truth of speech, the great means of intercourse between man and man, and of preserving the rights, and redressing the disorders, of human society. It forbids all falsehood of speech, under the name of bearing false witness.
Questions for reflection
Have I, with or without an oath:
- spoken the truth from my heart, or
- given [true] testimony (in public or private, whether spoken or written) of things concerning mine own or [my] neighbour’s name, including:
- credit,
- life,
- chastity, or
- goods?
Or am I rather guilty of:
- telling lies jestingly, officiously [i.e., willingly], or perniciously [i.e., wickedly],
- raising, spreading, or receiving false reports of my neighbour,
- speaking falsely in buying and selling,
- commending (by word or writing) unworthy persons,
- dispraising [i.e., criticizing] the good,
- boasting of myself,
- flattering of others,
- giving false evidence,
- using equivocations [i.e., ambiguous language to conceal the truth],
- concealing the truth which I should have spoken, or
- perverting the truth?