Decline the Option

(Pro 12:17 KJV)  He that speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit.

What is the difference between a “false” (8267) “witness” (5707) and a liar?  In the Hebrew they are usually different words.  In the Ten Commandments it is the same phrase as here.  Obviously both are sins.

I am considering that lying is a character trait.  It is something that flows naturally out of some people.  It may be natural, but it is still a sin.  I am thinking that perhaps a “false witness” is more by design.  It might be a deliberate distortion to discredit or destroy.  Perhaps lying could be in common life but the other would be in legal or business situations.

So?  Either way, truth is truth and the righteous are agents of truth.  Make your words and the sense that they convey correlate with reality.  It is one of those things that is not an option.