Proverbs 14:5

“A faithful witness will not lie, etc.] For that would be contrary to his character as faithful; and as he will not witness to a falsehood upon oath in a court of judicature, so neither will he tell a lie in common conversation. This may be applied to Gospel ministers, who are witnesses of Christ; the Gospel they preach is a testimony concerning him, and they bear a faithful witness to the truth; nor will they, knowingly and willingly, deliver out a falsehood, or a doctrinal lie, since “no lie is of the truth”, (<620221>1 John 2:21); the character of a faithful witness is given to Christ, (<660105>Revelation 1:5 3:14); who is a “witness” of his father’s love and grace, of his mind and will,…”

“A faithful witness, &c.--one tested to be such. utter lies--or, "breathe out lies"--that is, habitually lies (Pro 6:19; compare Act 9:1). Or the sense is, that habitual truthfulness, or lying, will be evinced in witness-bearing.”

“14:5 Honest speech and lies both flow from deep within a person’s character. Cp. 12:17.”

“Pro 14:25, Pro 6:19, Pro 12:17, Pro 13:5, Pro 19:5, Pro 19:9; Exo 20:16, Exo 23:1; Kg1 21:13, Kg1 22:12-14 Proverbs 14:6”

“Striking if also accidental is the frequency of the א and ב in Pro 14:4. This is continued in Pro 14:5, where the collector gives two proverbs, the first of which commences with a word beginning with א, and the second with one beginning with ב: 5 A faithful witness does not speak untruth; But a lying witness breathes out falsehoods. The right vocalization and sequence of the accents is בּקּשׁ לץ חכמה (ק with Tsere and the servile Mahpach, חכמה with Munach, because the following Athnach-word has not two syllables before the tone). As in 5a עד אמוּנים, so in 5b עד שׁקר is the subject. Different is the relation of subject and predicate in the second line of the parallel proverbs, Pro 14:25, Pro…”