Skull, place of a

See Golgotha. SLANDER or EVIL-SPEAKING (noun ny\, from i-'ii] 'glide'; verbs [i?'^], lit. 'use the tongue'; ^y~i, lit. 'slink about,' and other roots. Greek p\a(T<prip.4u, 'speak injuriously'; adj. and subst. fSXdaipiji^os ; subst. f}\a<T(pTip.ia ; Sta^dWu, ' throw over,' ' slander' ; 5id}io\os, adj., and subst. 6 Sio^oXos = ;2i;n). — This sin, of which the tongue is the organ (Pr 18-', Ja 3®"), springs from the heart, as the seat of inner life (Mt l^^^- ^ 15i», Mk 7-', Lk 6«).

As a rule, its mental feature is falsehood (Pr 10" 12" 14=- 25) and its emotional hate (1 P 2') ; but even truth may be circulated from motives of malice, and falsehood may be told simply from a perverse pleasure in lying. Hence all tale-bearing, whether false and ill-tempered or not, is blameworthy and injurious (Lv 19", Pr 11'^ 26™ 18», Ezk 22").

Against slander and evil, speaking, from which arises much strife (Pr 16-'''^ 30'°), warnings abound in the OT (Ps 34'^ Pr 15=« 302= 24=^) as in the NT (Eph 431, Col 3s, Ja 4", 1 P 3"), and threats of punishment are not wanting, alike from God (Pa 50'», 2 109-'» 140", Pr S'^ 21-") and from man (Ps lOP, Pr 19' ; cf. Ro 3). Slander is a sign of moral corruption (Jer &^ 9, 2 Ti 3^).

As angels abstain from all reviling (2 P 2", Jude ), so proneness to slander is regarded as disqualifying for citizenship in the Hebrew commonwealth (Ps 15^ 24^) and for membership or office in the Christian Church (Tit2^ 1 Ti 3"). Instances of slander are recorded (2 S 19", Dn 3^ Neh 6", Ezr 4'') against persons, and even against a land (Nu 13^- 14').

Among other forms of persecution to which the pious in Israel were exposed was slander (Ps 31'^ 41' 27" 35", Jer 20'°), from which also the members of the Christian Church (1 P 2" 4''), and especially the apostles, suffered (Ac 19" 24' 28", 2 Co 6), even aa Christ Himself did (Lk 2*, Mk 9'\ Mt 11"'), and as He foretold tliat they would (Mt 5'|, Lk 6, ).

Christians are Avarncd to give no occasion for it (Tit 2» 3=, 1 P 3"), as thereby they may bring discredit on the gospel and the Church (Ro 14'* ; cf. Ro 2^, 2 P 2-, Tit 2», 1 Ti G'). Among charges later brought against them falsely were cannibal- ism, incest, atheism, hatred of human race, licen- tious orgies. When sufl'ering from such slander innocently, they are urged to bear with patience (1 P 3"; cf. 1 Co 4'2) even as Christ did (1 P 2^; cf.

Mt 27", Mk 15, Jn 9-"), and even to rejoice therein (1 P 4"). False witness is but slander carried into a court of justice, and against this sin the ninth command- SLAVE, SLAVERY SMYKXA 653 ment is directed (Ex 20" ; cf. 23', Dt 5»). Its pruvaleiice in the Kast (Ezr 4", Lk 3" 19) necessi- tated great severity in punishing it, and in tlie IVntateucU the law of retaliation is literally enforced regarding it (Dt 19'*"'").

To avoid mis- carriage of justice, the testimony of one person was nut accepted as auflicieiit by the Jewish law (Nu 35', Dt IT'' 19"), and this rule was adopte<l in the Christian Church (2 Co 13', 1 Ti 5" ; cf. Mt IS'"). When the charge involved a death sentence, the witnesses liad to be first in carrying it out (Dt 17' ; cf. Ac 7"). Yet false witnesses could be found (l)n 6«, 1 K 21'°), as against Jesus (Mt 2f)»»- «», Mk I4»-"), Stephen (Ac 6'^), and Paul (Ac 24'^).

The heinousness of slander is shown by the use of the same lir. word in NT for sins of specc li against God and man (Mt 27^, Lk 23^» 22<», Ac 13" 18" 20", 1 Ti 1-=", Tit 3-, Ja 2") ; by our Lords warning about the unpardonable sin (Mt 12-", Mk 3", Lk 12'") ; and by the name 6 5id/3o\os, given to the spirit of evil, who is represented as playing the part of slanderer against .fob (Job 1°'"), Josliua the high priest (Zee 3'), and Christians (Kev 12'"). A. E. Garvie.