ψεύδομαι
pseudomai
to lie
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredThe Greek word ψεύδομαι (pseudomai) is defined as "to lie." Its 12 occurrences in the Bible reveal a range of usage, from outright deception to a more nuanced sense of speaking falsely or misleading others. In its most straightforward sense, ψεύδομαι connotes a deliberate attempt to deceive or mislead, often with malicious intent. However, the word's usage also suggests a broader sense of dishonesty or insincerity. In some cases, ψεύδομαι may imply a more subtle form of deception, where the speaker is not necessarily lying outright but is still being untruthful or misleading. This range of usage highlights the complexity of dishonesty and the various ways in which it can manifest in human communication. The significance of ψεύδομαι lies in its association with the semantic domain of Sin & Righteousness. As a word related to dishonesty and deception, ψεύδομαι is often used in contexts where truth and integrity are paramount. Its occurrences in the Bible serve as a reminder of the importance of honesty and authenticity in human relationships and communication.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
12 total occurrences across the text
“Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Acts 5:3But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the price of the land?
Acts 5:4While you kept it, didn’t it remain your own? After it was sold, wasn’t it in your power? How is it that you have conceived this thing in your heart? You haven’t lied to men, but to God.”
Romans 9:1I tell the truth in Christ. I am not lying, my conscience testifying with me in the Holy Spirit
2 Corinthians 11:31The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, he who is blessed forever more, knows that I don’t lie.
Galatians 1:20Now about the things which I write to you, behold, before God, I’m not lying.
Colossians 3:9Don’t lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his doings,
1 Timothy 2:7to which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am telling the truth in Christ, not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
Hebrews 6:18that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to take hold of the hope set before us.
James 3:14But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t boast and don’t lie against the truth.
1 John 1:6If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and don’t tell the truth.
Revelation 3:9Behold, I give some of the synagogue of Satan, of those who say they are Jews, and they are not, but lie—behold, I will make them to come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.