Deceit in the Bible
Is falsehood
- Psalm 119:118 Thou hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes: for their deceit is falsehood.
⇒Bible Encyclopedia for DECEIT.
The tongue is an instrument of
- Romans 3:13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
Comes from the heart
- Mark 7:22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
Characteristic of the heart
- Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
God abhors
- Psalm 5:6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.
Forbidden
- Proverbs 24:28 Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not with thy lips.
- 1 Peter 3:10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:
Christ was perfectly free from
- Isaiah 53:9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
- 1 Peter 2:22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
Saints
Free from
- Psalm 24:4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
- Zephaniah 3:13 The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.
- Revelation 14:5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
Purpose against
- Job 27:4 My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.
Avoid
- Job 31:5 If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;
Shun those addicted to
- Psalm 101:7 He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.
Pray for deliverance from those who use
- Psalm 43:1 Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.
- Psalm 120:2 Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.
Delivered from those who use
- Psalm 72:14 He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.
Should beware of those who teach
- Ephesians 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
- Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
Should lay aside, in seeking truth
- 1 Peter 2:1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
Ministers should lay aside
- 2 Corinthians 4:2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
- 1 Thessalonians 2:3 For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile:
The wicked are full of
- Romans 1:29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
Devise
- Psalm 35:20 For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.
- Psalm 38:12 They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.
- Proverbs 12:5 The thoughts of the righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are deceit.
Utter
- Psalm 10:7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.
- Psalm 36:3 The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.
Work
- Proverbs 11:18 The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.
Increase in
- 2 Timothy 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
Use, to each other
- Jeremiah 9:5 And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity.
Use, to themselves
- Jeremiah 37:9 Thus saith the LORD; Deceive not yourselves, saying, The Chaldeans shall surely depart from us: for they shall not depart.
- Obadiah 3-7 The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? 4 Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD. 5 If thieves came to thee, if robbers by night, (how art thou cut off!) would they not have stolen till they had enough? if the grapegatherers came to thee, would they not leave some grapes? 6 How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things sought up! ...
Delight in
- Proverbs 20:17 Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.
False teachers are workers of
- 2 Corinthians 11:13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
Preach
- Jeremiah 14:14 Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.
- Jeremiah 23:26 How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart;
Impose on others by
- Romans 16:18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
- Ephesians 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Sport themselves with
- 2 Peter 2:13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;
Hypocrites devise
- Job 15:35 They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit.
Hypocrites practice
- Hosea 11:12 Ephraim compasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit: but Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful with the saints.
False witnesses use
- Proverbs 12:17 He that speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit.
A characteristic of antichrist
- 2 John 7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
Characteristic of the apostasy
- 2 Thessalonians 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
Evil of
Hinders knowledge of God
- Jeremiah 9:6 Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the LORD.
Keeps from turning to God
- Jeremiah 8:5 Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.
Leads
To pride and oppression
- Jeremiah 5:27-28 As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich. 28 They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.
To lying
- Proverbs 14:25 A true witness delivereth souls: but a deceitful witness speaketh lies.
Often accompanied by fraud and injustice
- Psalm 10:7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.
- Psalm 43:1 Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.
Hatred often concealed by
- Proverbs 26:24-26 He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him; 25 When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart. 26 Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be shewed before the whole congregation.
The folly of fools is
- Proverbs 14:8 The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.
The kisses of an enemy are
- Proverbs 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
Blessedness of being free from
- Psalm 24:4-5 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. 5 He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
- Psalm 32:2 Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.
Punishment of
- Psalm 55:23 But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.
- Jeremiah 9:7-9 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how shall I do for the daughter of my people? 8 Their tongue is as an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his wait. 9 Shall I not visit them for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
See DECEPTION
See FALSEHOOD
See FLATTERY
See HYPOCRISY
