321. 第八誡 不可作假見證陷害人
就其完全的屬世之義而言, 對鄰舍妄證或提供假證據, 指的是在法官面前或法庭之外其他人面前都不可做假證人, 來指證被不公正地指控某罪名之人。不可以上帝之名來作如此錯誤的斷言, 也不可憑著其它任何神聖之事物, 或憑自己的權威, 又或憑人們認同的某人的名譽來斷言此事。
更廣泛一點的屬世之義, 此誡表示當禁止一切形式的謊言, 以及心懷惡意的偽善; 還有, 禁止貶低和誹謗鄰舍,暗中損害別人的身份,名字和聲譽(人的品質決定於這些)。
屬世的最廣泛意義, 此誡包含密謀,欺騙和惡意對某人, 其動機來源於敵對,仇恨,報復,嫉妒,爭竟等等。這些惡行有假證隱藏其中。
321. The Eighth Commandment
You Are Not to Bear False Witness against Your Neighbor
In its most accessible earthly meaning, [this commandment against] "bearing false witness against our neighbor" or testifying falsely includes not being a false witness before a judge, or before others outside of a courtroom, against someone who is wrongly accused of some evil. We are not to make such false assertions in the name of God or something sacred, or base them on our own authority or on some expertise for which we are well known.
In a broader earthly sense, this commandment applies to political lies and hypocrisies of every kind that have an evil intent, as well as disparagement and slander of our neighbors to undermine the status, name, and reputation on which their whole good character depends.
In the broadest earthly sense, this commandment includes plots, deceptions, and evil intent against anyone for a variety of motives such as hostility, hatred, desire for revenge, envy, rivalry, and so on. These evils have false witness hidden inside them.
321. THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT
You are not to bear false witness against your neighbour.
Appearing as a false witness against one's neighbour or giving false evidence means in the strictest natural sense not being a false witness before a judge, or before other people out of court, against someone who is wrongly accused of some crime, and asserting this in God's name, or swearing by anything else holy, or by oneself, or by such things as affect the reputation of one's name. In a wider natural sense this commandment forbids all kinds of lying and hypocrisy in public life with evil intent; also, criticising and slandering one's neighbour so as to undermine his honour, name and reputation, on which the whole of a person's character depends. In the widest natural sense it includes using trickery, guile and deliberate wrong-dealing against someone for various causes, such as enmity, hatred, revenge, envy, rivalry, etc. These evil actions contain bearing false witness hidden within them.
321. THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT.
THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST THY NEIGHBOR.
"Bearing false witness against the neighbor," or testifying falsely, means, in the natural sense nearest to the letter, to act the part of a false witness before a judge, or before others not in a court of justice, against one who is rashly accused of any evil, and to support the accusation by the name of God or anything else that is holy or by one's personal influence and the strength of his personal reputation. In a wider natural sense this commandment forbids all kinds of lies and hypocrisies in civil life which look to an evil end; also traducing and defaming the neighbor, to the injury of his honor, name, and fame, on which the man's whole character depends. In the widest natural sense, the commandment forbids plots, cunning devices, and premeditated evils against anyone, which spring from various sources, as enmity, hatred, revenge, envy, emulation, and the like. For these evils conceal within them the bearing of false witness.
321. THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT
THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST THY NEIGHBOR.
To bear false witness against the neighbor, to testify falsely, means in the natural sense first of all to bear false witness before a judge, or before others not in a court of justice, against anyone accused on a groundless charge of some crime; and to affirm this by the name of God, or by anything else that is holy, or by oneself or the honor of one's name. In a wider natural sense, this commandment forbids all kinds of lies and hypocritical practices in civil life which have an evil purpose in view; and also traducing and defaming the neighbor to the injury of his honor, his name, and his reputation, on which his whole character depends. In the widest natural sense, it forbids treachery, deceit, and premeditated evil against anyone, arising from various causes, as enmity, hatred, revenge, envy, rivalry and the like; for these evils involve the sin of false witness.
321. OCTAVUM PRAECEPTUM.
Non respondebis contra proximum tuum falsus testis.
Per respondere contra proximum falsus testis, seu false testari, in SENSU NATURALI proxime intelligitur non falsum testem agere coram judice, aut coram aliis extra judicium, contra aliquem, qui alicujus mali temere inculpatur, et hoc asseverare per nomen Dei, aut per aliud sanctum, aut per se, et talia sui quae alicujus nominis famae sunt. Per hoc Praeceptum in Sensu Naturali latiori intelliguntur omnis generis mendacia et hypocrises politicae, quae malum finem spectant; tum proximum traducere et diffamare, unde ejus honor, nomen et fama, ex quibus character totius hominis pendet, labefactantur. In Sensu naturali latissimo intelliguntur insidiae, doli, et mala proposita, contra aliquem ex variis originibus, ut ex inimicitia, odio, vindicta, invidia, aemulatione, etc., haec enim mala, in se recondunt testationem falsi.