What does the Bible say about false accusations?

from the old testament

• In the Ten Commandments, God commanded: "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor" (Exodus 20:16).
• A few chapters later, this same commandment is expounded upon: "You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness" (Exodus 23:1).
• In Deuteronomy, specific instructions are given to the Israelites about how to handle false accusations: "The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother. So you shall purge the evil from your midst" (Deuteronomy 19:18–19). If a person falsely accused another intentionally and their falsehood was proven, they themself would have to bear the punishment they sought for the other.
• False accusations are the opposite of peace. They stir up chaos: "For they do not speak peace, but against those who are quiet in the land they devise words of deceit" (Psalm 35:20).
• In the story of Haman and Mordecai, Haman was second in command to King Ahasuerus, and he sought revenge over Mordecai because Mordecai had refused to bow down to him. Haman formulated an evil plot to kill the Jews. But in the meantime, when again provoked by Mordecai’s refusal to bow, Haman built a gallows on which to hang Mordecai. He planned to tell the king to have Mordecai killed on it. Perhaps this plan hinged on false accusation. Haman's evil scheme was exposed, however, and in the end, he instead was the one who was hung from the gallows intended for Mordecai (Esther 5:9–14; 6:4).
• Isaiah prophesied this about the Messiah: "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth" (Isaiah 53:7).

from the new testament

• Throughout His ministry, Jesus faced false accusations from the Pharisees, who questioned His authority, misrepresented His actions, and sought to trap Him in His words. They accused Him of blasphemy for forgiving sins (Mark 2:7), breaking the Sabbath by healing (John 5:16), and even casting out demons by the power of Satan (Matthew 12:24). These false accusations followed Jesus to His trial and crucifixion.
• When Jesus was tried before the Sanhedrin, “the chief priests and the whole council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree” (Mark 14:55–56). Finally the high priest asked if He was “the Christ, the Son of the Blessed” (Mark 14:61), which Jesus affirmed. They thus accused Jesus of blasphemy and pronounced Him worthy of death.
• The religious leaders delivered Jesus to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, in order to accuse Jesus according to Roman law so as to execute the death sentence. Even Pilate knew Jesus was innocent, but he gave into the Jew's false accusations because he didn't want them to riot (Matthew 27:22–26).
• Under Mosaic law, the people who falsely accused Jesus should have been crucified instead of Him, but Jesus showed them mercy instead when He said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34).
• Jesus' sacrifice fulfilled the Mosaic law and made a new law of mercy and forgiveness for all who put their faith in Jesus as Lord: "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" (John 1:17; cf. 3:16–18).
• In John 8:44 we learn that Satan "is a liar and the father of lies."
• First Peter 2:1 instructs, "So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander."
• Ephesians 4:25 says, "Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another."
• Revelation 21:8 includes liars in a list of those who will be cast into the lake of fire.

implications for today

Throughout our lives, we will have people falsely accuse us, but instead of acting in any sort of violent retaliation, we can rest in the fact that God knows the truth. Peter instructs us to behave in such an upright way that it puts our accusers to shame: "Having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame" (1 Peter 3:16). Jesus actually said that we are blessed when this happens to us for His sake: "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matthew 5:11–12). It is not up to us to avenge ourselves (Romans 12:19). We should seek wisdom from the Word so that in all circumstances we may honor God (Psalm 119:69–70).

Stay strong; God sees and knows the truth. We can be encouraged by David’s prayer in Psalm 43: “Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause against an ungodly people, from the deceitful and unjust man deliver me! … Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God (Psalm 43:1, 5; also see Psalm 27:2; Romans 8; 12:19; 1 Timothy 5:24–25).