Bible Strands
Psalms 15:3
who has no slander on his tongue, who does no harm to his neighbor, who casts no scorn on his friend,
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The psalmist continues listing the moral qualifications for those permitted to dwell in God’s sanctuary, bridging the integrity described in verse 2 with the values detailed in verse 4.
The words — רָגַל (ra.Gal) literally means “he takes slander,” and רָעָה (ra.'Ah) denotes “evil” or harm.
The thread — This prohibition against damaging others appears in Romans 13:10, which declares love does no wrong to a neighbor, Psalm 101:5, which targets secret slanderers, and Matthew 7:12, which commands treating others as you wish to be treated.
Why it lands — The text requires concrete restraint: eliminate slander from speech, refuse to inflict harm on neighbors, and reject contempt toward friends.
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
He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.
Cross-references
- Romans 13:10 Love does no wrong to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
- Psalms 101:5 Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, I will put to silence; the one with haughty eyes and a proud heart, I will not endure.
- Matthew 7:12 In everything, then, do to others as you would have them do to you. For this is the essence of the Law and the Prophets.
- James 4:11 Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. And if you judge the law, you are not a practitioner of the law, but a judge of it.
- Leviticus 19:16 You must not go about spreading slander among your people. You must not endanger the life of your neighbor. I am the LORD.
- 3 John 1:11 Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.
- Jeremiah 9:4 “Let everyone guard against his neighbor; do not trust any brother, for every brother deals craftily, and every friend spreads slander.
- Exodus 23:1 “You shall not spread a false report. Do not join the wicked by being a malicious witness.
- Isaiah 56:2 Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath without profaning it and keeps his hand from doing any evil.”
- 1 Peter 2:1 Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander.