Definition:
To defame is to damage the reputation, character, or good name of someone through false or malicious statements. In a biblical context, defamation is often associated with slander, gossip, and bearing false witness, all of which are condemned in Scripture.

Biblical References:

1. Prohibition Against Slander and False Witness:
The Bible explicitly warns against defaming others through slander and false testimony. In the Ten Commandments, God commands, "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor" (Exodus 20:16). This commandment underscores the importance of truthfulness and integrity in speech.

2. Consequences of Defamation:
The Scriptures highlight the destructive power of the tongue. Proverbs 11:9 states, "With his mouth the ungodly man destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge the righteous are rescued" . This verse illustrates how defamation can lead to the ruin of relationships and communities.

3. Call to Righteous Speech:
Believers are called to use their words to build up rather than tear down. Ephesians 4:29 instructs, "Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen" . This directive encourages Christians to speak truthfully and lovingly.

4. Jesus' Teaching on the Heart and Speech:
Jesus taught that the words we speak are a reflection of our hearts. In Matthew 12:34-35, He says, "For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of his good treasure, and the evil man brings evil things out of his evil treasure" . This teaching emphasizes the importance of cultivating a pure heart to avoid defaming others.

5. James on the Power of the Tongue:
The Epistle of James provides a vivid description of the tongue's potential for harm. James 3:5-6 warns, "So too the tongue is a small part of the body, but it boasts of great things. Consider how small a spark sets a great forest ablaze. The tongue also is a fire, a world of wickedness among the parts of the body" . This passage serves as a caution against the careless use of words.

6. Restoration and Forgiveness:
While defamation is a serious offense, the Bible also offers a path to restoration and forgiveness. In Matthew 18:15, Jesus advises, "If your brother sins against you, go and confront him privately. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over" . This approach encourages reconciliation and healing within the community of believers.

Theological Implications:

Defamation is not merely a social or legal issue but a spiritual one. It reflects a heart that is not aligned with God's will for truth and love. The Bible calls believers to be mindful of their speech, recognizing that words have the power to harm or heal. By adhering to biblical principles, Christians are encouraged to foster environments of trust, respect, and love, reflecting the character of Christ in their interactions with others.7451a. ra -- bad, evil
... Word Origin from the same as roa Definition bad, evil NASB Word Usage bad (23),
bad* (2), badly (1), deadly (1), defamed* (1), defames* (1), defect* (1 ...
/hebrew/7451a.htm - 6k

8034. shem -- a name
... Word Origin of uncertain derivation Definition a name NASB Word Usage byword (1),
defamed* (1), defames* (1), fame (8), famous (3), famous* (1), memorial (1 ...
/hebrew/8034.htm - 6k

3318. yatsa -- to go or come out
... 5), clear (1), come (53), come forth (14), come forward (1), comes (17), comes forth
(4), coming (12), coming forth (2), defamed* (1), defames* (1), depart (3 ...
/hebrew/3318.htm - 8k

When He was Living at Rome He Wrote a Treatise on the Preservation ...
... their charge. First, he defames the virgins themselves of whose virtue he
professed to be writing, speaking of them in these words: 5 ...
/.../5 when he was living.htm

Letter of Martin Luther to Pope Leo X.
... Paul, too, charges the sorcerer with being a child of the devil, full of all subtlety
and all malice; and defames certain persons as evil workers, dogs, and ...
/.../luther/concerning christian liberty/letter of martin luther to.htm

Dedicatory
... Paul too charges the sorcerer with being a child of the devil, full of all subtlety
and all malice; and defames certain persons as evil workers, dogs, and ...
/.../luther/first principles of the reformation/dedicatory.htm

But all These Things, they Say, are the Fictions of Poets...
... by the evidence supplied against you on privately reviewing your life; [4247] but
that wounds very keenly which brands the innocent, and defames a man's ...
/.../the seven books of arnobius against the heathen/32 but all these things.htm

Whether Flattery is a Sin?
... Because flattery seeks to please the person flattered, whereas the detractor seeks
not the displeasure of the person defamed, since at times he defames him in ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether flattery is a sin.htm

Against Men who Embellish Themselves.
... Nay, it defames, say I. No one who entertains right sentiments would wish to appear
a fornicator, were he not the victim of that vice, and study to defame the ...
/.../clement/the instructor paedagogus/chapter iii against men who embellish.htm

The Epistle of St. James
... iv. ^11 Do not defame one another, brothers; he who defames or judges his brother
defames and judges the Law; and if you judge the Law, you pass sentence on it ...
/.../moffat/the general epistles james peter and judas/the epistle of st james.htm

Face to Face with Shams
... led to the all but universal adoption of a custom unseemly, nay, dangerous, nay,
disgraceful, a custom which naturally and necessarily defames you, sometimes ...
/.../chapter xxiii face to face.htm

The Captions of the Arabic Canons Attributed to the Council of ...
... But if anyone falsely defames his wife charging her with adultery, so that he turns
her out of doors, the matter must be diligently examined; and if the ...
/.../schaff/the seven ecumenical councils/the captions of the arabic.htm

Epistle i. To Donatus.
... The opponent makes his charge, the false accuser attacks, the witness defames, on
all sides the venal impudence of hired voices sets about the falsification of ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/cyprian/the epistles of cyprian/epistle i to donatus.htm

Defames (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Defames (1 Occurrence). Deuteronomy 22:14 and
accuses her of shameful things, and brings up an evil name ...
/d/defames.htm - 6k

Defaming (3 Occurrences)

/d/defaming.htm - 8k

Defamed (4 Occurrences)

/d/defamed.htm - 7k

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