"You will not lie about your neighbor" Exodus 20:16

The eighth Commandment consists of only five words in the Hebrew. But despite its brevity, don’t be fooled into thinking that it is unimportant. It speaks to the heart of a fundamental human problem. Its intention is to prevent one man from destroying another with his tongue.

In all probability, the original purpose of this guide for living was to assure truth in the law courts. Even today before a witness takes his place before the bench he usually must swear to tell "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth." Such a procedure was current even among earlier societies. In the days when the Commandments were new, men had to take oaths that would back up what they said. It was already apparent long before Moses that if truth …