Proverbs 19:9

Old Testament Wisdom/Poetry ASV (1901)

What does Proverbs 19:9 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “A false witness shall not be unpunished; And he that uttereth lies shall perish.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

A false witness shall not be unpunished; And he that uttereth lies shall perish.
Proverbs 19:9 — American Standard Version

Context — Proverbs 19

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
9A false witness shall not be unpunished; And he that uttereth lies shall perish.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“A false witness shall not be unpunished, etc.] (See Gill on “<201905>Proverbs 19:5”); and [he that] speaketh lies shall perish; or “be lost”, shall be undone for ever; he shall not enter into the holy city, but have his part in the lake of fire: they that speak lies in hypocrisy, doctrinal ones, and are given up to believe and profess them, such shall be damned, (<530211>2 Thessalonians 2:11,12).”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“19:9 The reference to a false witness (see also 19:5) reminds us of the ninth commandment (Exod 20:16).”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“false: Pro 19:5 and: Isa 9:15-17; Jer 23:25-32, Jer 28:15-17, Jer 29:31, Jer 29:32; Eze 13:22; Th2 2:8-10; Ti1 4:1, Ti1 4:2; Pe2 2:1-3; Rev 19:20, Rev 21:8, Rev 22:15 Proverbs 19:10”
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Keil & Delitzsch
C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch · Commentary on the Old Testament · 19th-century historical commentary
“The group of proverbs ( Pro 19:9-16) now following begins and closes in the same way as the preceding. 9 A lying witness doth not remain unpunished, And one who breathes out lies perisheth, or goeth to ruin, for אבד (R. בד, to divide, separate) signifies to lose oneself in the place of the separated, the dead (Arab. in the infinite). In Pro 19:5, instead of this ἀπολεῖται (lxx), the negative οὐ σωθήσεται is used, or as the lxx there more accurately renders it, οὐ διαφεύξεται. Proverbs 19:10”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification