Exodus 20:16

Summary

Exodus 20:16 prohibits testifying against one's neighbor with a testimony of falsehood. The verse combines a verb of testifying with a noun phrase that specifies the nature of that testimony as false.

Key words

• lo' ("not", H3808) — negation particle that, combined with the imperfect verb, functions as a durative prohibition (a standing rule, not a one-time command).
• ta'aneh ("you must testify", H6030B) — qal imperfect, second person masculine singular. The imperfect aspect indicates an action viewed as ongoing or repeatable in the future, not a single completed act.
• re'a ("neighbor", H7453) — masculine singular noun in construct state, meaning it grammatically depends on the following suffix to form "your neighbor."
• kha ("your", H9021) — pronominal suffix attached to re'a, specifying the possessor (masculine "you").
• 'ed ("testimony of", H5707) — masculine singular noun in construct state, linked to the following word to form the phrase "testimony of falsehood."
• shaqer ("falsehood", H8267) — masculine singular noun, the absolute form that completes the construct chain begun by 'ed.

What the text says

The Hebrew sentence structure places the negated verb first: lo' ta'aneh ("not you-must-testify"), establishing the prohibition before naming its object. The verb ta'aneh (H6030B) is qal imperfect, which in this context conveys a general, ongoing restriction applicable to future situations rather than a single historical instance. The preposition ve (H9003), attached to re'a, indicates the direction of the testimony — "against" the neighbor — showing that the prohibited act is oriented toward harming another person through speech.

The phrase 'ed shaqer (H5707 + H8267) is a construct chain: 'ed ("testimony of") is grammatically bound to shaqer ("falsehood"), producing "testimony of falsehood" or "false testimony." This construct relationship means the two nouns function as a single unit describing the type of testimony being prohibited — not testimony in general, but specifically testimony characterized by falsehood. The construct state of re'a similarly binds it to the suffix kha, forming "your neighbor" as a possessive unit.

Differences between versions

The LXX renders the verb with psēudomartyrēseis ("you will bear false witness"), a single compound verb that combines the concepts of testimony and falsehood into one lexical item, whereas the Hebrew expresses this through a verb (ta'aneh) plus a separate construct phrase ('ed shaqer). The Vulgate uses loqueris ("you will speak") with falsum testimonium ("false testimony") as a direct object, opting for a more generic verb of speaking rather than one specifically tied to testifying. The BSB and SBLIBRE translations follow the Hebrew's structure more closely by using "bear/dar... testimony" plus "false" as a modifier, preserving the construct-like relationship between testimony and falsehood.