8908.不可作谎言的见证人反驳你的邻舍表不可将良善称为邪恶，将真理称为虚假；反之，不可将邪恶称为良善，将虚假称为真理。这从“谎言的见证人”的含义清楚可知，“谎言的见证人”是指对虚假的确认。“见证”是指确认（参看4197节）；“谎言”是指信之虚假，这一点从下文明显看出来。“反驳邻舍”是指以这种方式对某人说话；因为“邻舍”表示每个人，尤表处于良善的每个人，在抽象意义上表示良善本身（3419，5025，6704，6706-6711，6818，8123节）。因此，“不可作谎言的见证人反驳你的邻舍”在内义上是指不可向任何人说假话，也就是不可说良善是邪恶，真理是虚假，反之亦然。
必须简要解释一下此中是何情形。凡被自我之爱或尘世之爱所主宰的人，也就是以显赫的地位或尊贵，或财富、利益为目的的人都会毫不犹豫地去说并说服别人相信，正义是不正义，不正义是正义，从而扮演谎言见证人的角色。他们具有这种品性的原因是，他们的意愿完全服从于这些爱及其欲望，被它们完全占据和拥有。同时理解力，也就是心智的另一部分虽能看出正义和非正义，却不愿去看，因为意愿战胜了理解力，并通过流入它而说服了它，最终还使它变瞎。这些人没有良知，也不知道良知就在于，称正义的事是正义的，不是因为其它原因，只是因为它是正义的，也就是出于对正义的热爱。在世时具有这种品性的人在来世也具有这种品性，不同之处在于：那时他们不是将正义的事称为不正义的，而是将信之良善称为邪恶，将真理称为虚假；因为世界的正义对应于灵界的良善和真理。他们如此行是毫无良知的，也不觉得羞耻，因为他们活在肉身时，这种事他们就已经学会并习惯了。
“谎言”在圣言中多次被提及，无论在哪里出现，“谎言”在内义上都表示信之虚假和邪恶；“谎言的见证人”，也被称为“暴行的见证人”，表示对虚假的确认，无论是在审判官面前，还是在某个其他人面前，亦或通过在人的内在思维里面的自我说服而自己面前（如出埃及记23:1等；利未记19:11，12；申命记19:16-20）。“谎言”在灵义上是指信之邪恶和虚假，这一点从以下经文明显看出来，约翰福音：
你们是出于你们的父魔鬼，你们父的欲望，你们愿意行。他从起初是杀人的，不站在真理中，因他里面没有真理；他说谎是出于自己说的，因他本来是说谎的，也是它的父。（约翰福音8:44）
“谎言”在此表示信之虚假；因为所论述的主题是犹太人，他们不愿承认主。此处“魔鬼”在灵义上是指虚假，“它的父”是指邪恶；因为虚假来自邪恶，就像儿子来自他的父。属于魔鬼的虚假是信之真理，邪恶是爱自己爱世界的邪恶。
以赛亚书：
摩押人极其骄傲，他的骄傲、狂妄、忿怒，他的谎言并不坚固。（以赛亚书16:6）
“谎言”表示信之虚假，因为“摩押人”是指那些陷入爱自己的邪恶，因而歪曲真理的人（参看2468，8315节）。又：
我们与死亡立约，与阴间结盟。我们投靠谎言，藏身于虚假。（以赛亚书28:15）
又：
他们是悖逆的百姓、说谎的儿女，不肯听从耶和华律法的儿女。（以赛亚书30:9）
耶利米书：
他们各人欺哄同伴，不说真话；他们教舌头说谎。（耶利米书9:5）
又：
看哪，我必反对那以谎言之梦为预言，又述说这梦的，他们谎言使我的百姓走错了路。（耶利米书23:32）
又：
剑哦，要临到说谎者，他们就成为愚昧。（耶利米书50:36）
以西结书：
他们所见的是虚荣，是谎言的占卜，说，耶和华说的！其实耶和华并没有差遣他们。所以主耶和华如此说：因你们讲虚荣，见谎言，我就与你们反对。（以西结书13:6-9）
那鸿书：
祸哉！这流人血的城，充满谎言和劫掠。（那鸿书3:1）
西番雅书：
以色列的余民必不作罪孽，不说谎言，口中也没有诡诈的舌头；他们必得草吃，必得躺卧。（西番雅书3:13）
启示录：
城外有那些犬类、行邪术的、淫乱的、杀人的、拜偶像的，并一切喜爱并实行谎言的人。（启示录22:15）
在这些经文，和在其它许多经文中一样，“谎言”表示信之虚假和邪恶。
Potts(1905-1910) 8908
8908. Thou shalt not answer against thy neighbor the witness of a lie. That this signifies that good is not to be called evil, nor truth falsity; thus conversely, neither is evil to be called good, nor falsity truth, is evident from the signification of "the witness of a lie," as being the confirmation of falsity. (That "witness" denotes confirmation, see n. 4197; and that "a lie" denotes the falsity of faith will be plain from what follows.) "To answer against a neighbor" denotes to speak in such manner against anyone; for by "neighbor" is signified every man, and specifically everyone who is in good, and in the abstract sense, good itself (n. 3419, 5025, 6704, 6706-6711, 6818, 8123). Consequently "thou shalt not answer against thy neighbor the witness of a lie," in the internal sense denotes not to say to anyone what is false, that is, to say that what is good is evil, and what is true is false, or the converse. [2] How the case herein is shall be briefly explained. All with whom there reigns the love of self or the love of the world, that is, who have as their end eminence, or honors, or wealth, or gain, do not hesitate to say and persuade others that what is just is unjust, and that what is unjust is just, and thus to act the part of witnesses of a lie. The reason why they are of such a character is that their will is wholly subject to these loves and their cupidities, and is wholly occupied and possessed by them; and then the understanding, which is the other part of the mind, is indeed able to see what is just and what is unjust; but is not willing to see, because the will prevails over the understanding, and by means of influx persuades it, and at last also blinds it. These same persons neither have conscience, nor do they know that it belongs to conscience to call that just which is just, for no other reason than because it is just, that is, from the love of what is just. They who are of this character in the world are also of the same character in the other life, but with the difference that they do not then call what is just unjust, but the good which is of faith they call evil, and truth they call falsity; for what is just in the civil world corresponds to what is good and true in the spiritual world. And they do this without conscience and also without shame, because they have been inured and habituated to it in the life of the body. [3] Frequent mention is made in the Word of "a lie," and by this in the internal sense is everywhere signified the falsity and evil of faith, and by "the witness of a lie," which is also called "the witness of violence," is signified the confirmation of falsity, whether it be before a judge, or before anyone else, or before oneself within the thought by self-persuasion (as in Exod. 23:1, and following verses; Lev. 19:11, 12; Deut. 19:16-20). That in the spiritual sense "a lie" denotes the evil and falsity of faith, is evident from the following passages. In John:
Ye are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father ye will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and stood not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh from his own; for he is a liar, and the father of it (John 8:44). "A lie" here denotes the falsity of faith; for the subject treated of is the Jews, that they were not willing to acknowledge the Lord. In the spiritual sense "the devil" here denotes falsity, and "the father of it" denotes evil; for falsity is from evil as a son is from his father. The falsity which is of the devil is the falsity of faith, and the evil is the evil of the love of self and the love of the world. [4] In Isaiah:
Moab is exceeding haughty, his pride, and his haughtiness, and his anger, his lies are not firm (Isa. 16:6). "Lies" denote the falsities of faith, because "Moab" denotes those who are in the evil of the love of self, and therefore falsify truths (see n. 2468, 8315). Again:
We have made a covenant with death, and with hell have we made a vision; we have made a lie our trust, and have lurked in falsehood (Isa. 28:15). This is a rebellious people, lying sons, sons that are not willing to hear the law of Jehovah (Isa. 30:9). They mock every man his companion, and speak not the truth; they have taught their tongue to speak a lie (Jer. 9:5). I am against them that prophesy dreams of a lie, and tell them, that they may seduce My people by their lies (Jer. 23:32). O sword against the liars, that they may be foolish (Jer. 50:36). They have seen vanity and divination of a lie, saying, Jehovah hath said, when Jehovah hath not sent them. Therefore thus said the Lord Jehovih, Because ye speak vanity, and see a lie, therefore behold I am against you (Ezek. 13:6-9). Woe to the city of bloods! it is all full of lying and rapine (Nah. 3:1). The remains of Israel do no perversity, nor will they speak a lie, neither shall a tongue of fraud be found in their mouth; they shall feed and be at rest (Zeph. 3:13). Without are dogs, and enchanters, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and everyone that loveth and maketh a lie (Rev. 22:15). In these as in many other passages "a lie" denotes the falsity and evil of faith.
Elliott(1983-1999) 8908
8908. 'You shall not answer as a witness of a lie against your neighbour' means that good must not be called evil, nor truth falsity, and conversely that evil must not be called good, nor falsity truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'witness of a lie' as the confirmation of falsity. For the meaning of 'witness' as confirmation, see 4197; and the meaning of 'a lie' as falsity of faith will be evident from what follows below. 'Answering against the neighbour' is speaking to someone in that manner; for 'neighbour' means any and every person, in particular everyone governed by good, and in the abstract sense good itself, 3419, 5025, 6704, 6706-6711, 6818, 8123, so that in the internal sense 'you shall not answer as the witness of a lie against your neighbour' means not saying what is false to anyone, that is, not saying that good is evil and truth is falsity, or vice versa.
[2] What this implies must be explained briefly. None who are ruled by self-love or by love of the world, that is, whose end in view is either to have high and honoured positrons or to possess wealth and gain, care when they tell and persuade others that something just is unjust or something unjust is just, and by doing this behave as 'witnesses of a lie'. The reason why they are like this is that their will is in complete subjection to those loves and accompanying desires; it is completely possessed and dominated by them. At the same time the understanding, which is the other part of the mind, indeed has the ability to see what is just or unjust but has no wish to see it. For the will prevails over the understanding; it flows into and persuades it, and at length also makes it blind. Those same people possess no conscience, nor do they know that conscience consists in saying that something just is just, and for no other reason than because it is so, that is, from a love of what is just. People who are like this in the world are also like it in the next life, except for the difference that they do not then say something just is unjust. Instead they call the good of faith evil, and truth falsity, since what is just in dealings with people in the world corresponds to what is good and true in the spiritual world. This is done by them without conscience and also without any shame because it was something they had learned to do during their lifetime and grown accustomed to.
[3] Many times in the Word the expression 'a lie' is used, and wherever it occurs the falsity and evil of faith is meant in the internal sense. And 'the witness of a lie', who is also called 'the witness of violence', means confirming something false, whether before a judge, or before someone else, or before oneself by convincing oneself in one's inner thinking, as in Exod 23:1ff; Lev 19:11, 12ff; Deut 19:16-20. The fact that 'a lie' in the spiritual sense is the evil and falsity of faith is clear from the following places: In John,
You are from your father the devil, and the desires of your father you will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has not stood in the truth because the truth is not in him. When he speaks a lie he speaks from the things that are his own, for he is the teller of a lie and the father of it. John 8:44.
Here 'a lie' stands for falsity of faith, for it refers to the unwillingness of the Jews to acknowledge the Lord. 'The devil' in the spiritual sense here is falsity, and 'the father of it' is evil; for falsity springs from evil like son from father. The falsity that is the devil's is the falsity of faith, the evil that is his is the evil of self-love and love of the world.
[4] In Isaiah,
Moab is exceedingly proud; his haughtiness, and his pride, and his anger - his lies are not firm. Isa 16:6.
'Lies' stands for falsities of faith, since 'Moab' is those who, ruled by the evil of self-love, therefore falsify truths, 2468, 8315. In the same prophet,
We have made a covenant with death, and with hell we have shaped a vision. We have put our trust in a lie, and we have hidden in falsity. Isa 28:15.
In the same prophet,
They were a rebellious people, lying sons, sons who did not wish to hear the law of Jehovah. Isa 30:9.
In Jeremiah,
They deceive one another,a and do not speak the truth. They have taught their tongue to speak a lie Jer 9:5.
In the same prophet,
Behold, I am against those that prophesy lying dreamsb and tell them in order that they may mislead My people by their lies. Jer 23:32.
In the same prophet,
O sword, [be] against the liars, that they may become foolish. Jer 50:36.
In Ezekiel,
They have seen vanity and lying divination,c saying, Jehovah has said! when Jehovah has not sent them. Therefore thus has the Lord Jehovih said, Because you speak vanity and see a lie, therefore behold, I am against you. Ezek 13:6-9.
In Nahum,
Woe to the city of blood!d It is all full of lies and plunder. Nahum 3:1.
In Zephaniah,
The remnant of Israel will not do iniquity or speak any lie; nor will a fraudulent tongue be found in their mouth. They will feed and rest. Zeph 3:13.
In John,
Outside are dogs, and sorcerers, and fornicators, and murderers, and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices a lie. Rev 22:15.
In these as in many other places 'a lie' stands for the falsity and evil of faith.
Latin(1748-1756) 8908
8908. `Non respondebis in proximum tuum testis mendacii': quod significet quod non bonum dicendum (x)sit malum, nec verum falsum, ita nec vice versa {1} malum dicendum sit bonum et falsum verum, constat ex significatione `testis mendacii' quod sit confirmatio falsi; `testis' quod sit confirmatio, videatur n. 4197, et quod `mendacium' sit falsum (o)fidei, patebit a sequentibus; `respondere in proximum' est ita dicere alicui, per `proximum' enim significatur unusquisque homo, ac in specie omnis qui in bono est, inque sensu abstracto ipsum bonum, n. 3419, 5025, 6704, 6706-6711, 6818, 8123; inde `non respondebis in proximum testis mendacii' in sensu interno est non dicere alicui falsum, hoc est, dicere bonum esse malum et verum falsum, nec vice versa. [2] Quomodo hoc se habet, paucis explicandum est: omnis apud quem regnat amor sui aut mundi, hoc est, qui pro fine habet eminentiam seu honores aut {2} opulentiam seu lucrum, illi non curant dicere (o)et persuadere id injustum esse quod justum, et id justum (o)esse quod injustum, ac ita agere testes mendacii; causa quod illi tales sint, est quia voluntas illorum prorsus subjecta est amoribus illis et eorum cupiditatibus, et ab illis prorsus occupata et possessa, et {3} tunc intellectus, qui est altera pars mentis, quidem videre potest quid justum (x) aut injustum, sed non vult videre, voluntas enim valet supra intellectum, et per influxum persuadet et tandem quoque occaecat {4}; iidem illi nec conscientiam habent, neque sciunt quod id conscientia sit dicere id justum quod justum est, non propter aliam causam quam quia justum est, hoc est, ex amore justi; qui tales sunt in mundo, iidem (o)etiam tales sunt in altera vita, sed cum differentia quod non tunc justum dicant injustum, sed bonum quod fidei dicant malum, ac verum falsum, nam justum in civili mundo correspondet bono et vero in spirituali mundo; et hoc faciunt absque conscientia, et quoque absque pudore, quia ita imbuti et assuefacti in vita corporis. [3] Pluries in Verbo dicitur `mendacium,' et per id ubivis in sensu interno {5} significatur falsum (o)et malum fidei, et per `testem mendacii,' qui etiam `testis violentiae' vocatur, significatur confirmatio falsi, sive sit coram judice, sive {6} coram quocumque alio, sive coram semet {7} intus in cogitatione persuadendo sibi, ut Exod. xxiii 1 seq.; Lev. xx 11, 12 seq.; Deut. xix 16-20 {8}. Quod `mendacium' in sensu spirituali sit malum ac falsum quae fidei {9}, constat a sequentibus locis: apud Johannem, Vos ex patre diabolo estis, et desideria patris vestri vultis facere; ille homicida fuit {10} ab initio, et in veritate non stetit, quia non {11} veritas in illo; quando loquitur mendacium, ex propriis loquitur, quia mendacium loquens est; et pater ejus, viii 44;`mendacium' hic pro falso fidei, agitur enim de Judaeis quod non agnoscere voluerint {12} Dominum; `diabolus' hic in sensu spirituali est falsum, et `pater ejus' est malum, nam falsum est ex malo sicut filius a patre; falsum quod est diaboli {13} est falsum fidei, et malum {14} est malum amoris sui et (o)amoris mundi: [4] apud Esaiam, Moabus elatus est valde, superbia ejus, et elatio ejus, et ira ejus, mendacia ejus non sunt firma, xvi 15 [Heb. and d. V. 6];
`mendacia' pro falsis fidei, quia `Moabus' sunt qui in malo amoris sui, (c)ac ideo falsificant vera, n. 2468, 8315: apud eundem, Excidimus foedus cum morte, et cum inferno fecimus visionem {15}; posuimus mendacium fiduciam, et in falsitate latuimus, xxviii 15:
apud eundem, Populus rebellionis ille, filii mendaces, filii non voluerunt audire legem Jehovae, xxx 9:
apud Jeremiam, Vir socio suo illudunt, et veritatem non loquuntur; docuerunt linguam suam loqui mendacium, ix 4 [A. V. 5]:
apud eundem, Ecce ego contra prophetantes somnia mendacii, et narrant ea, ut seducant populum Meum per mendacia sua, xxiii 32:
apud eundem, Gladie contra mendaces, ut stultescant, l 36:
apud Ezechielem, Viderunt vanitatem et divinationem mendacii, dicentes, Dictum Jehovae; cum Jehovah non miserit eos; quare sic dixit Dominus Jehovih, Propterea quod loquimini vanitatem, et videtis mendacium, ideo ecce Ego contra vos, xiii 6-9:
apud Nahum, Vae urbi sanguinum! tota mendacio et rapina plena est, iii 1:
apud Zephaniam, Reliquiae Israelis non facient {16} perversitatem, neque loquentur mendacium, neque invenietur in ore eorum lingua fraudis; hi pascent et requiescent, iii 13:
apud Johannem, Foris sunt canes, incantatores, et scortatores, et (x)homicidae, et idololatrae, et omnis qui amat et facit mendacium, Apoc. xxii 15;
in his ut in `aliis pluribus' locis `mendacium' pro falso et malo fidei. @1 i quod$ @2 ac$ @3 i cum voluntas est ab illis possessa,$ @4 i illum$ @5 spirituali$ @6 vel$ @7 vel quoque coram se$ @8 i et alibi$ @9 falsum quod fidei$ @10 erat$ @11 i est$ @12 agnoverint$ @13 i etiam$ @14 i quod illius$ @15 Heb [ ] (hozeh) means a. a seer, b. a vision, c. an agreement$ @16 faciunt IT$