Lie (Falsehood: Noun and Verb)

New Testament

Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words

Definition

A-1pseudosNounG5579

"a falsehood, lie" (see also under LIAR), is translated "lie" in Joh 8:44 (lit., "the lie"); Rom 1:25, where it stands by metonymy for an idol, as, e.g., in Isa 44:20, Jer 10:14, Jer 13:25, Amo 2:4 (plural); 2Th 2:11, with special reference to the lie of 2Th 2:4, that man is God (cp. Gen 3:5); 1Jo 2:21, 1Jo 2:27, Rev 21:27, Rev 22:15; in Eph 4:25, AV "lying," RV, "falsehood," the practice; in Rev 14:5, RV, "lie." (some mss. have dolos, "guile," AV); 2Th 2:9, where "lying wonders" is, lit., "wonders of falsehood," i.e., wonders calculated to deceive (cp. Rev 1:13-15), the purpose being to deceive people into the acknowledgement of the spurious claim to deity on the part of the Man of Sin.

Note: In Rom 1:25 the "lie" or idol is the outcome of pagan religion; in 1Jo 1:2-22 the "lie" is the denial that Jesus is the Christ; in 2Th 2:11 the "lie" is the claim of the Man of Sin.

A-2pseusmaNounG5582

"a falsehood," or "an acted lie," Rom 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.

B-1pseudologosAdjectiveG5573

denotes "speaking falsely" (pseudes, "false," logos, "a word") in 1Ti 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.

B-2apseudesAdjectiveG893

denotes "free from falsehood" (a, negative, pseudes, "false"), truthful, Tit 1:2, of God, "who cannot lie."

C-1pseudoVerbG5574

"to deceive by lies" (always in the Middle Voice in the NT), is used (a) absolutely, in Mat 5:11, "falsely," lit., "lying" (AV, marg.); Rom 9:1, 2Co 11:31, Gal 1:20, Col 3:9 (where the verb is followed by the preposition eis, "to"); 1Ti 2:7, Heb 6:18, Jam 3:14 (where it is followed by the preposition kata, "against"); 1Jo 1:6, Rev 3:9; (b) transitively, with a direct object (without a preposition following), Act 5:3 (with the accusative case), "to lie to (the Holy Ghost)," RV marg., "deceive;" Act 5:4 (with the dative case) "thou hast (not) lied (unto men, but unto God)."