Responding To False Accusations From Children Biblically
Responding to false accusations from children biblically involves understanding the nature of childhood, the importance of truth, and the parental role in instruction and discipline. The Bible acknowledges that children can speak "vanity" and "falsehood" [1], and it also categorizes some as "children of the wicked one" or "children of disobedience" [2]. However, children are also seen as gifts from God, capable of glorifying Him, and are to be brought to Christ and instructed in His ways [3].
Parents are commanded to train their children in God's word and to judiciously train them [3, 5]. This instruction includes teaching them to obey God, fear Him, and attend to parental teaching [3]. The Babylonian Talmud emphasizes that parents should not teach children to lie by making promises they do not keep [8, 9, 10]. This highlights the importance of modeling truthfulness.
When a child makes a false accusation, it is important to consider the child's capacity for understanding and truthfulness. Maimonides notes that while a minor is generally not an acceptable witness, statements made by a child in conversation that indicate truth can be considered evidence [7]. This suggests a nuanced approach to children's statements, recognizing that they may reflect truth even if their formal testimony is not always reliable.
God Himself gives reproof to His own children and to the wicked, often on account of impenitence, lack of understanding, or unbelief [4]. This divine example suggests that reproof, when necessary, should be given with love [4]. Parents are to provide for their children and rule them well [5]. In cases of false accusation, this may involve careful investigation, gentle correction, and teaching the child about the seriousness of false witness, which is forbidden and hateful to God [6]. The goal is to guide the child toward truth and righteousness, recognizing that children are capable of learning and growing in their understanding of right and wrong [3].
Sources
- King James Version “[KJV] Psalms 144:11 — Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood:”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Titles and Names of the Wicked — Adversaries of the Lord -- 1Sa 2:10. Children of Belial -- De 13:13; 2Ch 13:7. Children of the devil -- Ac 13:10; 1Jo 3:10. Children of the wicked one -- Mt 13:38. Children of hell -- Mt 23:15. Children of base men -- Job 30:8. Children of fools -- Job 30:8. Children of strangers -- Isa 2:6. Children of transgression -- Isa 57:4. Children of disobedience -- Eph 2:2; Col 3:6. Children in whom is no faith -- De 32:20. Children of the flesh -- Ro 9:8. Children of iniquity -- Ho 10:9. Children that will not hear the law of the Lord -- Isa”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Children — Christ was an example to -- Lu 2:51; Joh 19:26,27. Are a gift from God -- Ge 33:5; Ps 127:3. Are capable of glorifying God -- Ps 8:2; 148:12,13; Mt 21:15,16. Should be Brought to Christ. -- Mr 10:13-16. Brought early to the house of God. -- 1Sa 1:24. Instructed in the ways of God. -- De 31:12,13; Pr 22:6. Judiciously trained. -- Pr 22:15; 29:17; Eph 6:4. Should Obey God. -- De 30:2. Fear God. -- Pr 24:21. Remember God. -- Ec 12:1. Attend to parental teaching. -- Pr 1:8,9. Honour parents. -- Ex 20:12; Heb 12:9. Fear parents. -- Le 19:3. Obey parents. -- Pr ”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Reproof — God gives reproof to his own children -- 2Sa 7:14; Job 5:17; Ps 94:12; 119:67,71,75; Heb 12:6,7. God gives, to the wicked -- Ps 50:21; Isa 51:20. Christ sent to give -- Isa 2:4; 11:3. The Holy Spirit gives -- Joh 16:7,8. Christ gives, in love -- Re 3:19. On account of Impenitence. -- Mt 11:20-24. Not understanding. -- Mt 16:9,11; Mr 7:18; Lu 24:25; Joh 8:43; 13:7,8. Hardness of heart. -- Mr 8:17; 16:14. Fearfulness. -- Mr 4:40; Lu 24:37,38. Unbelief. -- Mt 17:17,20; Mr 16:14. Vain boasting. -- Lu 22:34. Hypocrisy. -- Mt 15:7; 23:13. Reviling Christ. -- Lu 2”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Parents — Receive their children from God -- Ge 33:5; 1Sa 1:27; Ps 127:3. Their duty to their children is To love them. -- Tit 2:4. To bring them to Christ. -- Mt 19:13,14. To train them up for God. -- Pr 22:6; Eph 6:4. To instruct them in God's word. -- De 4:9; 11:19; Isa 38:19. To tell them of God's judgments. -- Joe 1:3. To tell them of the miraculous works of God. -- Ex 10:2; Ps 78:4. To command them to obey God. -- De 32:46; 1Ch 28:9. To bless them. -- Ge 48:15; Heb 11:20. To pity them. -- Ps 103:13. To provide for them. -- Job 42:15; 2Co 12:14; 1Ti 5:8. To rule”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Swearing Falsely — Forbidden -- Le 19:12; Nu 30:2; Mt 5:33. Hateful to God -- Zec 8:17. We should not love -- Zec 8:17. Fraud often leads to -- Le 6:2,3. Saints abstain from -- Jos 9:20; Ps 15:4. Blessedness of abstaining from -- Ps 24:4,5. The wicked Addicted to. -- Jer 5:2; Ho 10:4. Plead excuses for. -- Jer 7:9,10. Shall be judged on account of. -- Mal 3:5. Shall be cut off for. -- Zec 5:3. Shall have a curse upon their houses for. -- Zec 5:4. False witnesses guilty of -- De 19:16,18. Exemplified Saul. -- 1Sa 19:6,10. Shimei. -- 1Ki 2:41-43. Jews. -- Eze 16:59. Ze”
- Mishneh Torah (Maimonides) (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Mishneh Torah (Maimonides), Mishneh Torah%2C Forbidden Intercourse 18:18: Similarly, a minor who states [that a woman was not touched by her captors] in the course of conversation. 70 A minor is not acceptable as a witness. Nevertheless, if he makes statements in the course of his conversation which indicate that a woman - his mother or any other woman - was not molested by her captors, those statements can serve as evidence to grant the woman license to marry a priest. The rationale is that these statements are considered to reflect the truth. We suspect that the child is telling us a represe”
- Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Sukkah 46b.10: And Rabbi Zeira said: A person should not say to a child: I will give you something, and then not give it to him, because he thereby comes to teach him about lying, as it is stated: “They have taught their tongues to speak lies” (Jeremiah 9:4). One must not accustom a child to fail to honor commitments.”
- Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Sukkah 113a.92:10: And Rabbi Zeira said: A person should not say to a child: I will give you something, and then not give it to him, because he thereby comes to teach him about lying, as it is stated: “They have taught their tongues to speak lies” (Jeremiah 9:4). One must not accustom a child to fail to honor commitments.”
- Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Sukkah 113b.92:10: And Rabbi Zeira said: A person should not say to a child: I will give you something, and then not give it to him, because he thereby comes to teach him about lying, as it is stated: “They have taught their tongues to speak lies” (Jeremiah 9:4). One must not accustom a child to fail to honor commitments.”