“A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow.”
My Notes
What Does Proverbs 25:18 Mean?
"A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow." The false witness is compared to three weapons: a maul (war club), a sword, and a sharp arrow. Each weapon does different damage: the maul crushes (blunt force), the sword cuts (close-range slashing), and the arrow pierces from a distance. False testimony destroys in every possible way — crushing, cutting, and piercing.
The three weapons progress in range: the maul operates at point-blank range (you must be standing next to the victim). The sword operates at arm's length (close combat). The arrow operates at a distance (you can destroy someone without being near them). False witness can destroy at every range — up close, at arm's length, or from far away.
The absence of any defense or qualifier makes the comparison absolute: the false witness ISN'T LIKE a weapon metaphorically. The false witness IS a maul, a sword, and a sharp arrow. The person who lies about their neighbor in testimony is committing violence as real as physical assault — three kinds of violence simultaneously.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Have you felt the maul, sword, and arrow of someone's false witness against you?
- 2.How does false testimony operating at every range (close, medium, distant) describe its comprehensive damage?
- 3.What does the proverb calling false witness a WEAPON (not just a lie) change about how you view dishonest testimony?
- 4.Where have your words about someone functioned as a maul, sword, or arrow — even unintentionally?
Devotional
A maul. A sword. A sharp arrow. Three weapons — that's what false witness is. Not like a weapon. IS a weapon. The person who lies about their neighbor in testimony isn't just being dishonest. They're wielding a war club, a blade, and a projectile simultaneously.
The three weapons cover every range of destruction: the maul crushes at point-blank range — the false witness who destroys you face-to-face, in the courtroom, to your face. The sword cuts at arm's length — the false witness who damages you in your social circle, among people you know. The sharp arrow pierces from a distance — the false witness who destroys your reputation in places you've never been, among people you'll never meet. The lies travel at every range.
The stacking of three weapons means the damage is comprehensive: you're not just hit once. You're crushed AND cut AND pierced. The false witness doesn't do one kind of harm. They do every kind — blunt trauma, sharp wounds, and long-range penetration. The testimony that seems like just words is actually three simultaneous assaults.
The proverb makes the violence of false witness PHYSICAL: the culture says 'words aren't weapons.' The proverb says: false witness is a maul, a sword, and an arrow. The lying testimony doesn't just hurt feelings. It crushes, cuts, and pierces. The false witness is committing assault with three weapons at once.
Have you ever been the target of false witness — and did you feel the maul, the sword, and the arrow?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour,.... In whose house he has often been, and whom he has frequently…
Maul - A heavy sledge hammer. The word is connected with “malleus:” its diminutive “mallet” is still in use.
Here, 1. The sin condemned is bearing false witness against our neighbour, either in judgment or in common conversation,…
a maul "i.e. a hammer, a variation of mall, from malleus… The Hebrew and English alike occur in Pro 25:18 only. But a…
Cross References
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