What does bearing false witness against your neighbor mean?

Question

What does bearing false witness against your neighbor mean?

Answer 1

To give false witness is to lie. So, don't lie about your neighbor. Or, better yet, don't lie at all.

Answer 2

It means don't sleep with their wife.  

Answer 3

its basically lying about someone to make them look bad

Answer 4

Lying in a way that will harm them.  I say that because if you read the scriptures you'll see that the only time witness was borne at all was in the case of legal dispute.

Answer 5

Spreading lies about someone else to damage their reputation and hold them up to public hatred and disrepute. It can also involve things that may not necessarily be lies, but would be things that would cause a person to be publically reviled. Basically, its what we today call "malicious gossip".

Answer 6

lying about some thing you witnessed your neighbor do.

Answer 7

AKA Gossip.

Answer 8

To tell a lie against him.  Perhaps to even repeat something you have heard without actual and truthful evidence.  If you can not testify that it is the truth in court, don't repeat it.

Answer 9

Bearing a false witness means to lie. A neighbor doesn't just reffer to the people next door. It means everybody. So... it pretty much just means don't lie, period.

Here's an example:

My boss is always asking me to tell lies for him. Usually It’s just a routine thing like, “If anybody from Consolidated Engineering calls, I’m not in.” Sometimes, however, he involves me in seemingly more serious falsehoods. This morning he said, “If Mr. Sanford calls, tell him his account is at the auditors.” I know that everything came back from the auditors days ago. Am I guilty along with him, or is it none of my business?

That is bearing false witness because that person is lying for the boss... It would be the same if yourself were lying.

Also, spreading rumors about anybody. Sometimes gossip is true, sometimes it's not. Just don't do it.

Answer 10

When you lie about them. You don't tell the whole truth.