Throughout the Bible, slander and gossip are depicted as destructive and divisive forces that undermine trust and community. These negative speech acts contradict the teachings of love, truth, and integrity. Slander and gossip can sever relationships, sow discord, and malign reputations. The Scriptures provide guidance on the importance of taming our tongues and guarding against malicious speech. Here are insightful biblical verses that address the issues of slander and gossip:
Bible Verses about Slander and Gossip
1. Proverbs 11:13 – A Trustworthy Spirit
“A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.” – Proverbs 11:13
Cross-References
Proverbs 20:19 – “A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much.”
Proverbs 25:9 – “If you take your neighbor to court, do not betray another’s confidence.”
2. Proverbs 16:28 – Causes of Conflict
“A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.” – Proverbs 16:28
Cross-References
Proverbs 17:9 – “Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.”
Romans 16:17 – “I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way.”
3. Proverbs 18:8 – Words of a Gossip
“The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.” – Proverbs 18:8
Cross-References
Psalm 64:3 – “They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim cruel words like deadly arrows.”
Proverbs 26:22 – “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.”
4. Ephesians 4:29 – Building Each Other Up
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” – Ephesians 4:29
Cross-References
Colossians 4:6 – “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”
James 1:19 – “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”
5. Leviticus 19:16 – Laws Against Harm
“Do not go about spreading slander among your people. Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the LORD.” – Leviticus 19:16
Cross-References
Deuteronomy 19:16 – “If a malicious witness takes the stand to accuse someone of a crime.”
6. James 4:11 – Warning Against Judgment
“Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it.” – James 4:11
Cross-References
Romans 2:1 – “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself.”
1 Corinthians 4:5 – “Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes.”
Matthew 7:1 – “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.”
7. Titus 3:2 – Speak No Evil
“To slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.” – Titus 3:2
Cross-References
1 Peter 2:1 – “Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.”
2 Corinthians 6:6 – “In purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love.”
8. Psalm 15:3 – The Righteous Person
“Whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others.” – Psalm 15:3
Cross-References
James 1:26 – “Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.”
9. Psalm 101:5 – Condemnation of Pride and Slander
“Whoever slanders their neighbor in secret, I will put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, I will not tolerate.” – Psalm 101:5
Cross-References
Isaiah 29:20-21 – “The ruthless will vanish, the mockers will disappear, and all who have an eye for evil will be cut down—those who with a word make someone out to be guilty.”
Romans 1:30 – “They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents.”
10. 2 Corinthians 12:20 – Concerns about Quarreling
“For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.” – 2 Corinthians 12:20
Cross-References
Galatians 5:19-21 – “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.”
1 Timothy 6:4 – “They are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions.”
Philippians 2:3 – “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.”
11. Proverbs 21:23 – Guarding the Mouth
“Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity.” – Proverbs 21:23
Cross-References
Psalm 39:1 – “I said, ‘I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth while in the presence of the wicked.'”
James 3:2 – “We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.”
12. Romans 1:29 – Wickedness Described
“They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips.” – Romans 1:29
Cross-References
1 Timothy 5:13 – “Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to.”
Proverbs 6:12-13 – “A troublemaker and a villain, who goes about with a corrupt mouth, who winks maliciously with his eye, signals with his feet and motions with his fingers.”
Titus 2:3 – “Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine.”
13. Matthew 15:18-19 – Source of Evil
“But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.” – Matthew 15:18-19
Cross-References
Jeremiah 17:9 – “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”
Mark 7:21-22 – “For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come.”
Luke 6:45 – “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.”
14. Matthew 12:36 – Accountable Words
“But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.” – Matthew 12:36
Cross-References
Ecclesiastes 12:14 – “For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”
Romans 14:12 – “So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.”
Hebrews 4:13 – “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
15. Colossians 3:8 – Removing Malice and Slander
“But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.” – Colossians 3:8
Cross-References
Ephesians 4:31 – “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.”
James 3:8 – “But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”
16. Proverbs 26:20 – Quenching Fire
“Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down.” – Proverbs 26:20
Cross-References
Proverbs 17:14 – “Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.”
James 3:6 – “The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.”
Proverbs 29:22 – “An angry person stirs up conflict, and a hot-tempered person commits many sins.”
17. 1 Peter 3:10 – Controlling the Tongue
“For, ‘Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech.’” – 1 Peter 3:10
Cross-References
Proverbs 12:13 – “Evildoers are trapped by their sinful talk, and so the innocent escape trouble.”
Ecclesiastes 10:12 – “Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious, but fools are consumed by their own lips.”
18. Exodus 23:1 – Truth in Witness
“Do not spread false reports. Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness.” – Exodus 23:1
Cross-References
Proverbs 19:5 – “A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will not go free.”
Deuteronomy 5:20 – “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.”
19. Psalm 34:13 – Preserve the Speech
“Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies.” – Psalm 34:13
Cross-References
Psalm 141:3 – “Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.”
Proverbs 12:19 – “Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.”
20. Proverbs 25:23 – North Wind’s Power
“Like a north wind that brings unexpected rain is a sly tongue—which provokes a horrified look.” – Proverbs 25:23
Cross-References
James 3:5 – “Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.”
Proverbs 15:4 – “The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.”
21. Matthew 12:37 – Justification by Words
“For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” – Matthew 12:37
Cross-References
Proverbs 18:21 – “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
22. Proverbs 10:18 – Foolishness of Slander
“Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips and spreads slander is a fool.” – Proverbs 10:18
Cross-References
Psalm 109:2 – “For people who are wicked and deceitful have opened their mouths against me; they have spoken against me with lying tongues.”
Proverbs 14:5 – “An honest witness does not deceive, but a false witness pours out lies.”
Jeremiah 9:4 – “Beware of your friends; do not trust anyone in your clan. For every one of them is a deceiver, and every friend a slanderer.”
23. Zechariah 8:16 – Truthful Speech
“These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts.” – Zechariah 8:16
Cross-References
Ephesians 4:25 – “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.”
Proverbs 12:22 – “The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.”
1 John 3:18 – “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”
24. Proverbs 25:18 – A False Witness
“Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow is one who gives false testimony against a neighbor.” – Proverbs 25:18
Cross-References
Proverbs 14:25 – “A truthful witness saves lives, but a false witness is deceitful.”
Psalm 52:2 – “You who practice deceit, your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor.”
1 Kings 21:13 – “Then two scoundrels came and sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth before the people, saying, ‘Naboth has cursed both God and the king.’ So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death.”
25. Proverbs 6:16-19 – Things the Lord Hates
“There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.” – Proverbs 6:16-19
26. Psalm 120:2 – Preserved from Deceit
“Save me, Lord, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues.” – Psalm 120:2
Cross-References
Psalm 52:4 – “You love every harmful word, you deceitful tongue!”
27. Psalm 31:18 – Silence for Arrogant Lips
“Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous.” – Psalm 31:18
28. Jeremiah 9:4 – Caution with Friends
“Beware of your friends; do not trust anyone in your clan. For every one of them is a deceiver, and every friend a slanderer.” – Jeremiah 9:4
Cross-References
Micah 7:5 – “Do not trust a neighbor; put no confidence in a friend. Even with the woman who lies in your embrace guard the words of your lips.”
Proverbs 17:4 – “A wicked person listens to deceitful lips; a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.”
Psalm 41:9 – “Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me.”
29. Micah 6:12 – Dealing with Deception
“Your rich people are violent; your inhabitants are liars and their tongues speak deceitfully.” – Micah 6:12
Cross-References
Isaiah 59:3 – “For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken falsely, and your tongue mutters wicked things.”
Psalm 52:3 – “You love evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking the truth.”
30. 2 Timothy 3:1-3 – Description of the Last Days
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,” – 2 Timothy 3:1-3
Cross-References
Colossians 3:5 – “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.”
1 Peter 4:4 – “They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you.”
31. Isaiah 54:17 – Vindication for the Righteous
“No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the LORD. – Isaiah 54:17
Cross-References
Psalm 91:5 – “You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day.”
Romans 8:31 – “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”
32. Ecclesiastes 5:6 – Speech Leading to Sin
“Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, ‘My vow was a mistake.’ Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands?” – Ecclesiastes 5:6
Cross-References
Numbers 30:2 – “When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said.”
Proverbs 13:3 – “Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.”
Matthew 5:37 – “All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”
Final Thought
As we reflect on these Scriptures, it’s evident that the Bible offers ample admonition against the destructive power of slander and gossip. Words, once spoken, hold the power to build or destroy, construct or corrupt, heal or wound. Through these verses, believers are called to exercise wisdom, discretion, and kindness in their speech, avoiding the snares of slanderous and gossiping tongues. Living a life pleasing to God requires a heart-attuned to truth and love, fostering a community built on trust and unity. Our words should reflect the grace and truth exhibited by Christ, promoting harmony and edification.
By aligning our conversations with biblical principles, we contribute positively to the lives of those around us, encouraging and uplifting one another. Let us, therefore, endeavor to speak life, nurture peace, and exemplify the love of Christ in every word we utter, fully aware of the weight our words carry and the testimony they bear of our faith.