What does the Bible say about lying?
The Origin of Lying — Satan, the Father of Lies
Scripture traces every lie back to a single source. In John 8:44, the Lord Jesus told the religious leaders of His day that the devil "was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him." Hamilton Smith draws out the full force of this:
Hamilton Smith"The Lord then draws a formal contrast between Himself and those who reject His words. He was the Son revealing the Father, as speaking of that which He had seen in His eternal existence with the Father. In spite of their claim that they had no father but Abraham, they, as indeed all men, prove their true origin by their works. On the one hand, they sought to kill the Lord; on the other they oppose the truth. These are the two great characteristics of Satan, murder and absence of the truth, and prove that the Jews, whilst children of Abraham according to the flesh, were morally children of the devil." — `authors/smith/HS_Gospel_John.html`
F. B. Hole reinforces this connection between hatred and lying:
F. B. Hole"Cain had shown that spirit, and he was 'of that wicked one, and slew his brother' (1 John 3:12); so, too, they were doing the deeds of their father, and thus manifesting themselves to be of their father the devil, who was a murderer from the beginning and had no truth in him. Hatred and lying are both fathered by the devil, and those characterized by these two things thereby betray their spiritual origin." — `authors/hole/NT/JOHN.html`
Morrish's Bible Dictionary summarises the same truth simply:
Morrish's Bible Dictionary"The Bible also reveals the character of Satan since his fall, as being a liar and murderer; he is the great enemy of the Lord Jesus and of man, and he deceived our mother Eve." — `dictionary/107_131.html`
Lying, then, is not merely a bad habit — it is the native language of the devil himself. Every falsehood bears his signature.
What God Hates — Lying as Abomination
If lying originates with Satan, it is no surprise that God regards it with special abhorrence. Proverbs 6:16–19 lists "a lying tongue" and "a false witness who speaks lies" among the seven things the Lord hates. Leslie M. Grant comments:
Leslie M. Grant"Though this is not a complete list of all those things the Lord hates, yet it is evident that many other evils stem from these, and if so, then of course the Lord hates them too. ... 'A lying tongue' practically always indicates hypocrisy, a desire to misrepresent facts as they are, usually for some personal advantage. This is so common that people think lightly of it, but not God!" — `authors/grantlm/Proverbs.html`
And of the false witness specifically:
"'A false witness who speaks lies' can only expect God's hatred. It is not that God singles out the individual to hate him, but since God absolutely hates falsehood, then one who chooses falsehood is placing himself on the side of falsehood, thereby coming under the same dreadful hatred." — `authors/grantlm/Proverbs.html`
Grant also observes from Proverbs 10:18 that hidden hatred and lying lips go hand in hand:
"Those who hide hatred have lying lips, that is, they like to hide the hatred that energizes them. This cannot continue long before it is evident to everyone. Such lips too will be guilty of spreading slander, thus bearing further witness to their own folly." — `authors/grantlm/Proverbs.html`
The Nature of Lying — It Can Weaponize True Facts
One of the subtlest points Scripture makes is that a falsehood need not consist of invented facts. In Psalm 52, David calls Doeg the Edomite a liar — yet Doeg had reported true events to Saul. Samuel Ridout explains:
Samuel Ridout"Whatever would weaken the kingdom of Israel would be pleasing to an Edomite. According to his representation, Ahimelech was in the conspiracy to enthrone David. He had inquired of the Lord for him, had given him food and the sword of Goliath — but even the statements which were correct were given a wrong interpretation by Doeg, and so his whole narrative was false witness, which had a most disastrous result for the priestly house." — `authors/S_Ridout/SR_Saul16.html`
Leslie Grant adds from his Psalms commentary:
"His tongue is his most powerful weapon, able to twist truth so that it appears to be commending falsehood. ... his tongue devises destruction, like a sharp razor, cutting deceitful hatred." — `authors/grantlm/Psalms_LMG.html`
Doeg's lie was not in the bare facts he reported, but in the malicious interpretation he placed upon them. Technically accurate words weaponized to produce a false accusation — this is itself a form of "false witness."
The Enduring Lip of Truth versus the Lying Tongue
Proverbs 12:17–22 draws a sharp contrast between truth and lies — and their very different outcomes. Leslie Grant writes:
"How perfectly true it was of the Lord Jesus, that He always spoke truth and thus plainly declared the righteousness of God, in great contrast to those who sought to trap Him in His words by their contemptible deceit. Such people knew how to speak like the piercings of a sword, with the object of harming others. The Lord knew how to turn such attacks against the attacker, and by his own words to promote health for all who would receive them." — `authors/grantlm/Proverbs.html`
And of the eternal consequence:
"His truthful lip has been therefore established forever, working wonderful benefits to the millions who have believed Him, and for eternity. On the other hand, those who have been so foolish as to accept the evil of a lying tongue may find a moment's pleasure turned into eternal torment! ... one who is inclined to the evil of lying lips ought to discern quickly that he is taking a downward course to judgment. Yet not only the fear of judgment should animate him, but the fact of lies being an abomination to the Lord." — `authors/grantlm/Proverbs.html`
Lying to God — The Solemn Case of Ananias and Sapphira
Acts 5 records a case where lying brought immediate divine judgment. Ananias and Sapphira pretended to give the full price of their property to the church while secretly keeping back part. F. B. Hole writes:
F. B. Hole"What lay behind the lie in this case were the twin evils of covetousness and vainglory. Ananias wanted to keep part of the money for himself, and yet gain the reputation of having devoted all to the Lord, as Barnabas had done. Such is the mind of the flesh, even in a saint. ... in this case Satan had been at work, and by the unhappy couple he issued a direct challenge to the Holy Ghost present in the church. The Holy Ghost accepted the challenge, and demonstrated His presence in this drastic and unmistakable fashion." — `authors/hole/NT/ACTS.html`
Morrish's Bible Dictionary notes the gravity:
Morrish's Bible Dictionary"Ananias was charged with lying to the Holy Spirit, by whom God was then dwelling in the church." — `dictionary/001_028.html`
The lie was not merely social deception — it was a direct challenge to the presence of God Himself in the church.
The Christian Calling — "Put Away Lying"
The New Testament does not merely condemn lying; it calls the believer to a new life characterized by truth. In Ephesians 4:25, Paul writes: "Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another." Hamilton Smith comments:
Hamilton Smith"We are to put away the deeds of the old man, and put on the character of the new man. We are to put away lying and speak truth, remembering that we are members one of another. This being so, it has been truly said, 'If I lie to my brother it is as if I deceived myself.' We see, too, how the great truth that believers are members of one body has a practical bearing on the smallest details of life." — `authors/smith/EPHESIAN.html`
F. B. Hole brings out the underlying principle:
F. B. Hole"He begins with lying which is to be put off in favour of truth. ... Not lying, but truth. Not stealing, but toiling so as to have the wherewithal to give to others. Not corrupt talk, but words of grace and edification. And all this in view of the grace which God has shown us for Christ's sake, and in view of the indwelling of the Spirit of God." — `authors/hole/NT/EPHESIAN.html`
The same truth appears in Colossians 3:9–10. A. J. Pollock draws out the moral logic:
A. J. Pollock"'But now ye also put off these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing ye have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new man, which is created in knowledge after the image of Him that created him' (Col. 3:8–10)." — `authors/pollock/magazines/Practical_Papers.html`
The Bible's teaching on lying is remarkably unified from beginning to end. Lying originates with the devil, who "abode not in the truth" (John 8:44). God hates it — it is listed among the seven abominations (Proverbs 6:16–19). It can take subtle forms, as when true facts are arranged to create a false impression (Psalm 52). When directed at God Himself, it meets with the severest judgment (Acts 5). And the believer, having "put off the old man," is called to put away lying entirely and to speak truth — not merely out of fear of consequences, but because truth belongs to the very nature of the new life in Christ.