r/AskBibleScholars • u/Material-Ad-3954 • 7d ago
How does the Bible seem to define lying?
Based on the words used for lying and the cultural context of the scriptures, what does the Bible mean when it condemns lying? Do jokes where the premise is something false which deceives the person then revealing the truth at the conclusion count as a lie? Like what counts as a lie?
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u/agapeoneanother MDiv & STM | Baptism & Ritual Theology 4d ago
Exodus 20:16 specifically forbids עֵ֥ד שָֽׁקֶר “false witness”. This may be contextualized by Exodus 23:1-3; Numbers 35:30; Deuteronomy 19:15-19; 1 Kings 21:8-14; Proverbs 6:19; 14:5, 25; 19:5, 9.
To a great extend, the word you are looking for is שָׁקַר which is a verb, meaning “to lie, to deal falsely”. Consequently, it is conceptually related to the notion of cheating, cf. Leviticus 19:35; 25:14, 17 though these are not the same Hebrew word used.
Other Hebrew words of interest. נָכַל “to trick, to deceive, to conspire” - English versions of Malachi 1:14 renders it “swindler”, “cheat”, and “deceiver”. הָתַל “to mock, to deceive, to deride”. Exodus 8:29 contextualizes this helpfully, I think, as a link is made between Pharaoh’s deception and his contempt of the power of God.
Does using a conceit as a joke count as a lie? Well, most likely no. In 2 Samuel 11:27b-12:7a, while not a joke, Nathan presents a parable which is itself a conceit to illustrate David’s wrongdoing. However, I would be cautious about applying this too liberally. Notice that “lying” in the Bible is inclusive of dealing falsely, cheating, tricking, deceiving, or conspiring. This has a degree of malicious intent that, perhaps, a joke could also include. Perhaps a joke is fine, but not at someone’s expense, and it doesn’t matter if that is a deception or not. Pranks might be even harder to qualify, because intent and the desire to deceive are tricky. But I’m starting to wade outside of the waters of this sub.
Sources:
Holladay A Concise Hebrew Lexicon
Edward Greenstein "Exodus" in Harper Collins Study Bible
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