Commentaries:
Foolishness is never a joke when deceit is involved. A person who does such things is as insane as a person who randomly shoots into a crowd. His actions may have serious consequences, even death, though it is not his intention. God considers it no excuse to say, "I didn't mean it."
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Ninth Commandment (1997)
These two verses begin a section largely devoted to illustrating the fruits of lying. They might be better translated as, "A man who deceives his neighbor and disguises his deception as a joke is as dangerous as a madman shooting arrows at a crowd. Someone will surely get hurt." Lying is never a joke, and someone always gets hurt, even though it may not be immediately apparent. Lying is sin and sin brings death. Do we believe this in the actual practice of life? Though the lie, when discovered, may cause laughter, a reputation has been stained and trust diminishes.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Ninth Commandment
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