Bible Dictionary
SLANDER
Slander is malicious speech or accusation intended to damage another person’s reputation. Scripture repeatedly condemns talebearing, false witness, evil-speaking, and hostile accusations, presenting truthful and gracious speech as a mark of godly character.
Definition
Slander is an accusation maliciously spoken with the purpose or effect of damaging another person’s reputation. It is ordinarily false, though even a true matter may become slander when circulated insidiously and with hostile intent.
Biblical Usage
Scripture repeatedly condemns talebearing, whispering, evil-speaking, false witness, and malicious accusation. Slander is incompatible with godly citizenship and Christian fellowship. Jesus, the apostles, and Paul were themselves subjected to slander, while the devil is portrayed as the great accuser.
Historical Background
Slander could occur privately, between individuals, or in legal settings as false witness. Scripture also speaks of slandering a wife, a servant, or even a land.
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>slan'-der (substantive, dibbah, "slander"; diabolos, "slanderer"; verb raghal, "to slink about" as a talebearer, lashan, "to use the tongue," "to slander"; diaballo, "to calumniate," "to slander"; and other words): Slander (etymologically a doublet of "scandal," from OFr. esclandre, Latin scandalum, "stumblingblock") is an accusation maliciously uttered, with the purpose or effect of damaging the reputation of another. As a rule it is a false charge (compare Mt 5:11); but it may be a truth circulated insidiously and with a hostile purpose (e.g. Da 3:8, "brought accusation against," where Septuagint has diaballo, "slander"; Lu 16:1, the same Greek word). Warnings, condemnations and complaints in reference to this sin are very frequent, both in the Old Testament and New Testament. Mischievous "tale-bearing" or "whispering" is condemned (Le 19:16; Eze 22:9). There are repeated warnings against evil-speaking (as in Ps 34:13; Pr 15:28; Eph 4:31; Col 3:8; Jas 4:11; 1Pe 3:10), which is the cause of so much strife between man and man (Pr 16:27-30), and which recoils on the speaker himself to his destruction (Ps 101:5; 140:11). Especially is false witness, which is "slander carried into a court of justice," to be condemned and punished (Ex 20:16; De 19:16-21; compare Pr 12:17; 14:5,25; 19:5; 21:28; 24:28). Special cases of slander more than usually mean are when a wife's chastity is falsely impeached by her husband (De 22:13-19), and when one slanders a servant to his master (Pr 30:10). Even a land may be slandered as well as persons (Nu 14:36). Slanderers and backbiters are mentioned in some of Paul's darkest catalogues of evildoers (Ro 1:29,30; 2Co 12:20; 2Ti 3:3). To refrain from slander is an important qualification for citizenship in theocracy (Ps 15:1,3; 24:3,4) and for a place in the Christian church (1Ti 3:11; Tit 2:3). Jesus Himself was the victim of slanders (Mt 11:19) and of false testimony (Mt 27:63). The apostles, too, came in for a full share of it (e.g. Ac 24:5 f; 28:22; 2Co 6:8). In the case of Paul, even his central doctrine of justification was "slanderously reported" as if it encouraged immorality (Ro 3:8). The devil (= "the calumniator") is represented as the great accuser of God's people (Re 12:10), the slanderer paragraph excellence (compare Job 1:9-11; Zec 3:1).</p><p>See also CRIMES; PUNISHMENTS.</p><p>D. Miall Edwards</p>