"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Exodus 20:16
The commandments in the second table of the Law really present a wonderfully noble doctrine of the dignity of man. Killing is forbidden because man is made in the image of God; adultery is forbidden because it violates the sanctity of family life; stealing is forbidden because man has a fundamental right to his own property. Now, in the ninth commandment, it is his honour, character and reputation that are to be safeguarded against attack. This is a commandment that can be broken in many ways. Perjury and slander, as well as violating the law of God, are also punishable at law, and rightly so, for the untold harm and injury they can inflict upon innocent people. But tale-bearing, with its 'snowballing' effect, the creation of false impressions by innuendo, tone of voice, gesture, or even knowing silence, unworthy imputation of motive, are just as heinous in the sight of God, and just as harmful to innocent lives, besmirching character and dragging it sometimes irretrievably into the mire. Hearts are often broken and lives brought to a premature grave by such malicious and merciless practices, sometimes too under the cloak of sanctity and zeal for righteousness. How careful we must be, in handling the good name of our brother, lest we be betrayed into speaking ill of him! The all-important question, of course, is motive. If we want to believe ill of him, if we want what we have heard of him to be true, then we have already borne false witness against him in our own hearts; and we shall soon bear false witness against him to others. Well might the wise man of old say, 'Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life' (Proverbs 4:23).