Accusation, False

Passages on this topic

From Nave’s Topical Bible (1896), a historical reference index. The groupings are Nave’s; the verses are shown in the text used across this site.

General scriptures concerning

• Exodus 23:1 “You shall not spread a false report. Do not join the wicked by being a malicious witness.
• Exodus 23:7 Stay far away from a false accusation. Do not kill the innocent or the just, for I will not acquit the guilty.
• Leviticus 19:16 You must not go about spreading slander among your people. You must not endanger the life of your neighbor. I am the LORD.
• Psalm 41:5–9 My enemies say with malice: “When will he die and be forgotten?” My visitor speaks falsehood; he gathers slander in his heart; he goes out and spreads it abroad. All who hate me whisper against me; they imagine the worst for me: “A vile disease has been poured into him; he will never get up from wh…
• Matthew 5:11 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
• Luke 3:14 Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” “Do not take money by force or false accusation,” he said. “Be content with your wages.”
• 2 Timothy 3:3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good,
• 1 Peter 4:14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

See Conspiracy

See Evidence

See FALSE WITNESS

See Persecution

See SPEAKING, EVIL

See Talebearer

Incidents Illustrative of

Against Joseph by Potiphar's wife

• Genesis 39:7–20 and after some time his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph and said, “Sleep with me.” But he refused. “Look,” he said to his master’s wife, “with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in his house, and he has entrusted everything he owns to my care. No one in this house is…

Against Joseph's brethren by Joseph

• Genesis 42:9–14 Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said, “You are spies! You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.” “Not so, my lord,” they replied. “Your servants have come to buy food. We are all sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies.” “No,” he told them. “You have come to see i…

Against Moses by Korah

• Numbers 16:3 They came together against Moses and Aaron and told them, “You have taken too much upon yourselves! For everyone in the entire congregation is holy, and the LORD is in their midst. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?”
• Numbers 16:13 Is it not enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness? Must you also appoint yourself as ruler over us?

Against the prophet Ahimelech by Saul

• 1 Samuel 22:11–16 Then the king sent messengers to summon Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and his father’s whole family, who were priests at Nob. And all of them came to the king. “Listen now, son of Ahitub,” said Saul. “Here I am, my lord,” he replied. And Saul asked him, “Why have you and the son of Jesse…

Against Abner by Joab

• 2 Samuel 3:24–27 So Joab went to the king and said, “What have you done? Look, Abner came to you. Why did you dismiss him? Now he is getting away! Surely you realize that Abner son of Ner came to deceive you and to track your movements and all that you are doing.” As soon as Joab had left David, he sent messengers…

Against David by the princes of Ammon

• 2 Samuel 10:3 the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun their lord, “Just because David has sent you comforters, do you really believe he is showing respect for your father? Has not David instead sent his servants to explore the city, spy it out, and overthrow it?”

Against Elijah by Ahab

• 1 Kings 18:17–18 When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?” “I have not troubled Israel,” Elijah replied, “but you and your father’s house have, for you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals.

Against Naboth by Jezebel

• 1 Kings 21:10 But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify, ‘You have cursed both God and the king!’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”
• 1 Kings 21:13 And the two scoundrels came in and sat opposite Naboth, and these men testified against him before the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed both God and the king!” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death.

Against Jews, returned under Ezra

• Ezra 4:6–16 At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes, an accusation was lodged against the people of Judah and Jerusalem. And in the days of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his associates wrote a letter to Artaxerxes. It was written in Aramaic and then translated. Rehum t…
• Nehemiah 6:6–8 that read: “It is reported among the nations— and Geshem agrees— that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and this is why you are building the wall. According to these reports, you are to become their king, and you have even appointed prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim on your behalf: ‘There is…

Against Jeremiah

• Jeremiah 26:8 and as soon as he had finished telling all the people everything the LORD had commanded him to say, the priests and prophets and all the people seized him, shouting, “You must surely die!
• Jeremiah 26:11 Then the priests and prophets said to the officials and all the people, “This man is worthy of death, for he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears!”
• Jeremiah 37:13–14 But when he reached the Gate of Benjamin, the captain of the guard, whose name was Irijah son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah, seized him and said, “You are deserting to the Chaldeans!” “That is a lie,” Jeremiah replied. “I am not deserting to the Chaldeans!” But Irijah would not listen to him; i…
• Jeremiah 43:2–3 Azariah son of Hoshaiah, Johanan son of Kareah, and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, “You are lying! The LORD our God has not sent you to say, ‘You must not go to Egypt to reside there.’ Rather, Baruch son of Neriah is inciting you against us to deliver us into the hands of the Chaldeans, so…

Against Amos

• Amos 7:10–11 Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent word to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land cannot bear all his words, for this is what Amos has said: ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will surely go into exile, away from t…

Against Mary

• Matthew 1:19 Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and was unwilling to disgrace her publicly, he resolved to divorce her quietly.

Against Jesus

• Matthew 9:34 But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that He drives out demons.”
• Matthew 10:25 It is enough for a disciple to be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!
• Matthew 12:2–14 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.” Jesus replied, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread, which was not l…
• Matthew 26:59–61 Now the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were seeking false testimony against Jesus in order to put Him to death. But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two came forward and declared, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it i…
• Mark 3:22 And the scribes who had come down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and, “By the prince of the demons He drives out demons.”
• Mark 14:53–65 They led Jesus away to the high priest, and all the chief priests, elders, and scribes assembled. Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he sat with the officers and warmed himself by the fire. Now the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were seeking te…
• Luke 23:2 And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this man subverting our nation, forbidding payment of taxes to Caesar, and proclaiming Himself to be Christ, a King.”
• John 18:30 “If He were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed Him over to you.”

Against Stephen

• Acts 6:11 Then they prompted some men to say, “We heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God.”
• Acts 6:13 where they presented false witnesses who said, “This man never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law.

Against Paul

• Acts 17:7 and Jason has welcomed them into his home. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, named Jesus!”
• Acts 21:28 crying out, “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and against our law and against this place. Furthermore, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.”
• Acts 24:5–6 We have found this man to be a pestilence, stirring up dissension among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes, and he even tried to desecrate the temple; so we seized him.
• Acts 24:13 Nor can they prove to you any of their charges against me.
• Acts 25:2 where the chief priests and Jewish leaders presented their case against Paul. They urged Festus
• Acts 25:7 When Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges that they could not prove.
• Romans 3:8 Why not say, as some slanderously claim that we say, “Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is deserved!

Against Paul and Silas

• Acts 16:20–21 They brought them to the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews and are throwing our city into turmoil by promoting customs that are unlawful for us Romans to adopt or practice.”

Satan falsely accuses Job

• Job 1:9–10 Satan answered the LORD, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not placed a hedge on every side around him and his household and all that he owns? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.
• Job 2:4–5 “Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give up all he owns in exchange for his life. But stretch out Your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse You to Your face.”