Proverbs 24:28

Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not with thy lips. BE NOT A WITNESS AGAINST THY NEIGHBOUR WITHOUT CAUSE - falsely, or even frivolously, without sure ground for thy accusation. AND DECEIVE (NOT) WITH THY LIPS. Do not wound him either by false accusations or by insidious blandishments....

Verse Proverbs 24:28. _BE NOT A WITNESS_] Do not be forward to offer thyself to bear testimony against a neighbour, in a matter which may prejudice him, where the essential claims of justice do not require such interference; and especially do not do this in a spirit of _revenge_, because he has injured thee before....

DECEIVE NOT WITH THY LIPS - Better, wilt thou deceive with thy lips?...

EXPOSITION PROVERBS 24:1 We return here to the more usual form, the tetrastich. BE NOT THOU ENVIOUS AGAINST EVIL MEN (see on Proverbs 23:17, where a similar warning is given, and comp. Proverbs 23:19 below). "Men of wickedness," wholly given over to evil. NEITHER DESIRE TO BE WITH THEM. Their company is pollution, and association with them makes you a partner in their sinful doings. The Septuagint prefaces the paragraph with the personal address, υἱέ_ _"son." PROVERBS 24:2 For their heart studie

BE NOT A WITNESS AGAINST THY NEIGHBOUR WITHOUT CAUSE,.... Unless forced unto it, except there is some urgent reason for it; not upon any trivial account, or in any frivolous matter; never appear forward and eager to bear witness against him, and, whenever obliged to it, be not a false witness, but speak truth, whether thy neighbour be a friend or a foe; AND DECEIVE [NOT] WITH THY LIPS; by bearing a false testimony, the judge, thy neighbour and thyself; for though men may be deceived, God cannot: or, shouldest thou do so, "thou wouldest break" and cut him to pieces "with thy lips" x; which is the sense of the words according to R. Judah, as Ben Melech relates. x והפיתית בשפתיך "et ne atteras labiis tuis", Vatablus; "et ne comminuas eum labiis tuis", Syriac version....

CHAPTER 24 INSTRUCTIONS CONTINUED In the final instructions of this chapter we find first a description of the evil men. Their heart studieth destruction; their lips talk mischief. This theme is repeatedly referred to in this chapter. In Proverbs 24:15 the evil man is addressed not to lay wait for the righteous and not to spoil his resting place. The Lord takes care of the righteous; he may be overcome by misfortunes seven times, yet will he rise again. Different it is with the wicked when he falls into mischief. Yet there must be no rejoicing over the fall of the enemy, nor gladness when he stumbled. This displeaseth the Lord. Still higher is the command of the New Testament, “Love your enemies; ... recompense no man evil for evil; ... overcome evil with good.” There is to be no fretting because of evil men nor envy ...

SECOND DIVISION, PROVERBS 24:23. This section constitutes the second division of the Sayings of the Wise, as Proverbs 24:23 a indicates. It contains a short collection of sayings varying in form and character, resembling in the main those of Proverbs 22:17 to Proverbs 24:22. The greater part (Proverbs 24:30) is a vivid description of the effects of slothfulness, which may be compared with the passage on the drunkard in Proverbs 23:29

DECEIVE. Hebrew. _pathah._ See note on Proverbs 11:18....

_deceive not_ Lit. and perhaps more forcibly, AND WOULDEST THOU DECEIVE WITH THY LIPS?...

TEXT Proverbs 24:23-34 23. These also are sayings of the wise. To have respect of persons in judgment is not good. 24. He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous, Peoples shall curse him, nations shall abhor him; 25. But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, And a good blessing shall come upon them. 26. He kisseth the lips Who giveth a right answer. 27. Prepare thy work without, And make it ready for thee in the field; And afterwards build thy house. 28. Be not a witness against thy neighbor without cause; And deceive not with thy lips. 29. Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me; I will render to the man according to his work. 30. I went by the field of the sluggard, And by the vineyard of the man void of unders