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The truth will set you free

biblical adage

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Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionSep 25, 2026
Entity authorityQ7921396 ↗
Source-derived summary

"The truth will set you free" (Latin: Vēritās līberābit vōs (biblical) or Vēritās vōs līberābit (common), Greek: ἡ ἀλήθεια ἐλευθερώσει ὑμᾶς, transl. hē alḗtheia eleutherṓsei hūmâs) is a statement found in John 8:32—"And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free" (KJV)—in which Jesus Christ addressed a group of Jews who believed that he was the messiah.

Usage

Higher education

The phrase, in English or Latin, is used as the motto of many universities, colleges, and schools: Saint Vincent's College, Yonsei University, Caltech, Johns Hopkins University, University of Freiburg, Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College, Canterbury Christ Church University, Adelphi University, University of Portland, Idaho State University, Ottawa University, St. Augustine's University, Southern Methodist University, University of Tennessee, Lafayette College, Lutheran University of Brazil, St Thomas College, Thrissur, Mar Ivanios College, Andhra Christian College, Catholic University of Uruguay, Catholic University of Cordoba, University of San Martín de Porres, Doshisha University, Victoria University, City College of San Francisco, and the University of Guanajuato.

As examples, the verse itself, "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free", is inscribed on the Main Building at the University of Texas at Austin, on the Parks Library at Iowa State University and split into two sections above the entrances to the Knight Library at the University of Oregon. "The truth shall make you free" is also inscribed on "Old Vic", the Victoria College building at Victoria University in the University of Toronto as well as the main hall of McCain Library at Agnes Scott College.

The phrase in Greek is the official motto of Lenoir-Rhyne University.

The phrase in German, Die Wahrheit wird euch frei machen (lit. "The truth will make you free"), is the motto of the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg.

Politics

The verse from the King James Version is carved in stone in the Original Headquarters Building (OHB) of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Editorial summary

This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “The truth will set you free” as biblical adage. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.

Editorial reviewA dependable orientation record for establishing vocabulary, names and a first evidence trail. The current 319-word lead offers orientation but no explicit four-digit date, so chronology should not be assumed. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. The account is most persuasive where truth, will and free can be independently traced.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as biblical adage. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.

Evidence profile

The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 25, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7921396. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.

Critical limits

Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.

Best used for
  • Subject orientation
  • Search vocabulary
  • Locating named sources
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The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.

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  2. Expand the search: follow The truth will set you free primary sources, The truth will set you free archive and truth research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “The truth will set you free”?
  2. Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
  3. What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “The truth will set you free” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.