Bible Strands
Proverbs 14:25
A truthful witness saves lives, but one who utters lies is deceitful.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The proverb addresses a community navigating legal and social disputes, positioned between instructions on the rewards of wisdom and the security of fearing the Lord. It contrasts two opposing figures in a judicial or communal setting.
The words — The phrase עֵד אֱמֶת ('ed 'emet) literally renders a witness of reliability, while מִרְמָה (mir'mah) denotes deceit or treachery. These terms anchor the verse's contrast between life-preserving truth and destructive falsehood.
The thread — The concept of testimony appears in Proverbs 14:5, which contrasts honest and dishonest witnesses, while Acts 26:16 and Acts 20:26 shift the focus to apostolic witness without addressing the truth-lies contrast. These references trace the biblical movement from communal legal testimony to personal missionary declaration.
Why it lands — The text demands verification of statements before acting on them and requires abstention from false declarations. It places the responsibility for communal safety directly on the accuracy of individual speech.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
A true witness delivereth souls: but a deceitful witness speaketh lies.
Cross-references
- Proverbs 14:5 An honest witness does not deceive, but a dishonest witness pours forth lies.
- Acts 26:16 ‘But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen from Me and what I will show you.
- Acts 20:26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men.
- 1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,
- 2 Peter 3:3 Most importantly, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.
- Acts 20:21 testifying to Jews and Greeks alike about repentance to God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.