Difference between revisions of "Lie"

<div> '''A — 1: ψεῦδος ''' (Strong'S #5579 — Noun Neuter — pseudos — psyoo'-dos ) </div> <p> "a falsehood, lie" (see also under LIAR), is translated "lie" in &nbsp;John 8:44 (lit., "the lie"); &nbsp; Romans 1:25 , where it stands by metonymy for an idol, as, e.g., in &nbsp;Isaiah 44:20; &nbsp;Jeremiah 10:14; &nbsp;13:25; &nbsp;Amos 2:4 (plural); &nbsp; 2 Thessalonians 2:11 , with special reference to the lie of &nbsp;2 Thessalonians 2:4 , that man is God (cp. &nbsp;Genesis 3:5 ); &nbsp;1 John 2:21,27; &nbsp;Revelation 21:27; &nbsp;22:15; in &nbsp;Ephesians 4:25 , AV "lying," RV, "falsehood," the practice; in &nbsp;Revelation 14:5 , RV, "lie." (some mss. have dolos, "guile," AV); &nbsp;2 Thessalonians 2:9 , where "lying wonders" is, lit., "wonders of falsehood," i.e., wonders calculated to deceive (cp. &nbsp;Revelation 13:13-15 ), the purpose being to deceive people into the acknowledgement of the spurious claim to deity on the part of the Man of Sin. </p> &nbsp;Romans 1:25&nbsp; 1 John 2:21,22&nbsp; 2 Thessalonians 2:11 <div> '''A — 2: ψεῦσμα ''' (Strong'S #5582 — Noun Neuter — pseusma — psyoos'-mah ) </div> <p> "a falsehood," or "an acted lie," &nbsp;Romans 3:7 , where "my lie" is not idolatry, but either the universal false attitude of man toward God or that with which his detractors charged the Apostle; the former seems to be the meaning. </p> <div> '''B — 1: ψευδολόγος ''' (Strong'S #5573 — Adjective — pseudologos — psyoo-dol-og'-os ) </div> <p> denotes "speaking falsely" (pseudes, "false," logos, "a word") in &nbsp;1 Timothy 4:2 , where the adjective is translated "that speak lies," RV (AV, "speaking lies") and is applied to "demons," the actual utterances being by their human agents. </p> <div> '''B — 2: ἀψευδής ''' (Strong'S #893 — Adjective — apseudes — aps-yoo-dace' ) </div> <p> denotes "free from falsehood" (a, negative, pseudes, "false"), truthful, &nbsp;Titus 1:2 , of God, "who cannot lie." </p> <div> '''C — 1: ψεύδομαι ''' (Strong'S #5574 — Verb — pseudo — psyoo'-dom-ahee ) </div> <p> "to deceive by lies" (always in the Middle Voice in the NT), is used (a) absolutely, in &nbsp;Matthew 5:11 , "falsely," lit., "lying" (AV, marg.); &nbsp;Romans 9:1; &nbsp;2 Corinthians 11:31; &nbsp;Galatians 1:20; &nbsp;Colossians 3:9 (where the verb is followed by the preposition eis, "to"); &nbsp; 1 Timothy 2:7; &nbsp;Hebrews 6:18; &nbsp;James 3:14 (where it is followed by the preposition kata, "against"); &nbsp; 1 John 1:6; &nbsp;Revelation 3:9; (b) transitively, with a direct object (without a preposition following), &nbsp;Acts 5:3 (with the accusative case), "to lie to (the [[Holy]] Ghost)," RV marg., "deceive;" &nbsp; Acts 5:4 (with the dative case) "thou hast (not) lied (unto men, but unto God)." </p>

<p> '''A. Verb. ''' </p> <p> <em> Shâkab </em> (שָׁכַב, Strong'S #7901), “to lie down, lie, have sexual intercourse with.” This word also occurs in Ugaritic, Akkadian, Ethiopic, post-biblical Aramaic, and post-biblical Hebrew. Biblical [[Hebrew]] attests it about 160 times and in all periods. </p> <p> Basically this verb signifies a person’s lying down—though in Job 30:17 and Eccl. 2:23 it refers to something other than a human being. <em> Shâkab </em> is used of the state of reclining as opposed to sitting: “And every thing that she lieth upon in her [menstruation] shall be unclean: every thing also that she sitteth upon …” (Lev. 15:20). This general sense appears in several nuances. First, there is the meaning “to lie down to rest.” [[Elisha]] “came thither, and he turned into the chamber [which the [[Shunammite]] had prepared for his use], and lay there” (2 Kings 4:11). Job remarks that his gnawing pains “take no rest” (Job 30:17; cf. Eccl. 2:23). </p> <p> <em> Shâkab </em> can also be used of lying down on a bed, for example, when one is sick. [[Jonadab]] told Amnon: “Lay thee down on thy bed, and make thyself [pretend to be] sick …” (2 Sam. 13:5). The word can be used as an equivalent of the phrase “to go to bed”: “But before they [Lot’s visitors] lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round …” (Gen. 19:4—the first occurrence of the verb). <em> Shâkab </em> also signifies “lying down asleep.” The Lord told Jacob: “… The land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed” (Gen. 28:13). </p> <p> In Exod. 22:26-27 the verb denotes the act of sleeping more than the lying down: “If thou at all take thy neighbor’s raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that the sun goeth down … [In what else] shall he sleep?” </p> <p> <em> Shâkab </em> can also be used to mean “lodge” and thus refers to sleeping and eating. Israel’s spies lodged with Rahab: “And they went, and came into a harlot’s house, named Rahab, and lodged there” (Josh. 2:1; cf. 2 Kings 4:11). </p> <p> This verb can mean “to lie down” in a figurative sense of to be humbled or to be robbed of power. The trees of [[Lebanon]] are personified and say concerning the king of Babylon: “Since thou art laid down, no feller [tree cutter] is come up against us” (Isa. 14:8). </p> <p> Used reflexively, <em> shâkab </em> means “to humble oneself, to submit oneself”: “We lie down in our shame …” (Jer. 3:25). </p> <p> Another special nuance is “to put something on its side”: “Who can number the clouds in wisdom? Or who can [tip] the bottles of heaven, when the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?” (Job 38:37-38). </p> <p> A second emphasis of <em> shâkab </em> is “to die,” to lie down in death. Jacob instructed his sons as follows: “But I will lie with my fathers, and thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their burying place” (Gen. 47:30). This phrase (“lie down with one’s fathers”) does not necessarily refer to being buried or to dying an honorable death (cf. 1 Kings 22:40) but is a synonym for a human’s dying. (It is never used of animals or inanimate things.) The idea is that when one dies he no longer stands upright. Therefore, to “lie with one’s fathers” parallels the concept of “lying down” in death. <em> Shâkab </em> , as 1 Kings 22:40 suggests, can refer to the state of being dead (“so [[Ahab]] slept with his fathers”), since v. 37 already reports that he had died and was buried in Samaria. The verb used by itself may mean “to die,” or “to lie dead”; cf. “At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay [dead]: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead” (Judg. 5:27). </p> <p> A third major use of <em> shâkab </em> is “to have sexual relations with.” The first occurrence of this use is in Gen. 19:32, where Lot’s daughters say: “Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.” Even when a physical “lying down” is not necessarily in view, the word is used of having sexual relations: “Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely be put to death” (Exod. 22:19). The word is also used of homosexual activities (Lev. 18:22). </p> <p> '''B. Nouns. ''' </p> <p> <em> Mishkâb </em> (מִשְׁכָּב, Strong'S #4904), “place to lie; couch; bed; act of lying.” This noun appears 46 times in the Old Testament. In Gen. 49:4 <em> mishkâb </em> is used to mean a “place to lie” or “bed”: “… because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed.…” The word refers to the “act of lying” in Num. 31:17: “… kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.” <em> Shekabah </em> means “layer of dew.” In one of its 9 appearances, <em> sekabah </em> refers to a “layer of dew”: “… and in the morning the dew lay round about the host” (Exod. 16:13). <em> Shekobet </em> refers to “copulation.” This noun occurs rarely (4 times), as in Lev. 18:20: “Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbor’s wife, to defile thyself with her.” </p>

<p> (prop. כָּזָב '', Ψεῦδος),'' an intentional violation of truth. In [[Scripture]] we find the word used to designate all the ways in which mankind denies or alters truth in word or deed, as also evil in general. In general the good is in it designated as the truth, evil as its opposite, or lie, and consequently the devil (being the contrary to God) as the father of lies, and liars or impious persons as children of the devil. Hence the [[Scriptures]] most expressly condemn lies (&nbsp;John 8:44; &nbsp;1 Timothy 1:9-10; &nbsp;Revelation 21:27; &nbsp;Revelation 22:15). When, in &nbsp;Romans 3:4, it is said that all men are liars, it is synonymous with saying that all are bad. The Bible nowhere admits of permitted, praiseworthy, or pious lies, yet it recommends not to [[Proclaim]] the truth when its proclamation might prove injurious. Hence Christ commands (&nbsp;Matthew 7:6) not to present the truth of the [[Gospel]] to those who are unworthy when he recommends, "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine." In &nbsp;John 16:12 we see that he could not tell his disciples all that he would have wished to tell them on account of their weakness. He did not answer the inquiries of [[Pilate]] (&nbsp;John 19:9), nor of [[Caiaphas]] (&nbsp;Matthew 26:63). But we nowhere find that either in levity, or to do others good, or to glorify God, Christ ever spoke an untruth. Peter, on the contrary, denied both Christ by word in the moment of danger (&nbsp;Matthew 26:69 sq.; &nbsp;Mark 14:66 sq.; &nbsp;Luke 22:56 sq.; &nbsp;John 18:17 sq.) and the evangelical truth by his actions (&nbsp;Galatians 2:12; &nbsp;Galatians 2:14). </p> <p> But Paul, in &nbsp;Acts 23:5, made use of an implication to clear himself, or, at any rate, concealed part of the truth in order to create dissension between the [[Pharisees]] and the Sadducees, and thus save himself. [[Strict]] truthfulness requires that we should never alter the truth, either in words or actions, so as to deceive others, whether it be for pleasure, or to benefit others or ourselves, or even for the best cause. Yet, although there can, absolutely considered, be no injurious truth. it is not expedient to tell all truth to those who are not able to receive or comprehend it. Thus evil might result from telling everything to children, fools, mischief-makers, spies, etc. But this does not imply that we I may tell them that which is not true, only that we are to remain silent when we perceive that the truth would be useless, or might result in inflicting injury on ourselves or others. This, of course, does not apply to perjury, as this is positive lying, and indeed, by its calling on God, becomes diabolical lying, the Father of truth being invoked to confirm a lie, and the highest attribute of man, his consciousness of God, is made use of to deceive others, and to gain an advantage. (See [[Oath]]). </p> <p> But there are varieties of untruthfulness which do not belong to the domain of ethics, but to aesthetics. Such are parables, jests in word or deed, tales and fables, the usual formulas of politeness, mimicry ''('' ὑπόχρισις), etc., which are not calculated to deceive. But the aesthetic untruthfulness or suppression of the truth can also be abused. In morals, however, all depends on the improvement of conscience, and a correct, firm consciousness of God's presence and knowledge. These cannot be obtained by mere commandments or moral formulas, but by strengthening the moral sense, fortifying the will — in fact, by awakening and strengthening the moral power. [[Morality]] is an inner life; those only call be called liars who willfully oppose the truth by word or deed, or by conscious untruthfulness seek to lead others into error or sin; in short, to injure them physically or spiritually. As regards so-called "necessary" lies, they also are condemned by the God of all truth; nor even in this world of imperfection, where there are so many ingenious illusions, is there any just occasion for their use. That truthfulness is a limited duty must necessarily be conceded, since the non-expression of the truth is in itself a limitation of it. The Bible mentions instances of lies in good men, but without approving them, as that of [[Abraham]] (&nbsp;Genesis 12:12; &nbsp;Genesis 20:2), Isaac (Genesis 26), Jacob (Genesis 27), the Hebrew midwives (&nbsp;Exodus 1:15-19), [[Michal]] (&nbsp;1 Samuel 19:14 sq.), David (1 Samuel 20), etc. — Krehl, Neutest. Wosrterbuch. </p> <p> There are various kinds of lies. </p> <p> '''1.''' The pernicious lie, uttered for the hurt or disadvantage of our neighbor. </p> <p> '''2.''' The officious lie, uttered for our own or our neighbor's advantage. </p> <p> '''3.''' The ludicrous and jocose lie, uttered by way of jest, and only for mirth's sake in common converse. </p> <p> '''4.''' [[Pious]] frauds, as they are improperly called, pretended inspirations, forged books, counterfeit miracles, are species of lies. '''5.''' Lies of the conduct, for a lie may be told in gestures as well as in words; as when a tradesman shuts up his windows to induce his creditors to believe that he is abroad. </p> <p> '''6.''' Lies of omission, as when an author wilfully omits what ought to be related; and may we not add, </p> <p> '''7.''' That all equivocation and mental reservation come under the guilt of lying? </p> <p> The evil and injustice of lying appear, </p> <p> '''1.''' From its being a breach of the natural and universal right of mankind to truth in the intercourse of speech. </p> <p> '''2.''' From its being a violation of God's sacred law (&nbsp;Philippians 4:8; &nbsp;Leviticus 19:11; &nbsp;Colossians 3:9). </p> <p> '''3.''' The faculty of speech was bestowed as an instrument of knowledge, not of deceit; to communicate our thoughts, not to hide them. </p> <p> '''4.''' It is esteemed a reproach of so heinous and hateful a nature for a man to be called a liar that sometimes the life and blood of the slanderer have paid for it. </p> <p> '''5.''' It has a tendency to dissolve all society, and to indispose the mind to religious impressions. </p> <p> '''6.''' The punishment of it is very severe, the loss of credit, the hatred of those whom we have deceived, and an eternal separation from God in the world to come (&nbsp;Revelation 21:8; &nbsp;Revelation 22:15 : &nbsp;Psalms 101:7). </p> <p> See Grove's [[Moral]] Philos. volume 1, chapter 11; Paley's Moral Philos. volume 1, chapter 15; Doddridge's Lect. lect. 68; Watts's Sermons, volume 1, serm. 22; Evans's Serm. volume 2, serm. 13; South's Serm. volume 1, serm. 12; Dr. Lamont's Serm. volume 1, serm. 11 and 12. (See Truth). </p>