The Righteous Lie? Understanding Truth, Deception, and Justice in Scripture

The Righteous Lie? Understanding Truth, Deception, and Justice in Scripture


“Thou shalt not lie.”


That’s what people often assume the Bible says. But look again—it doesn’t.


The Ninth Commandment says:


“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16)


That’s not a blanket prohibition against lying in every circumstance. It’s a specific command about false testimony meant to harm others—particularly in legal or covenantal contexts. That distinction matters. Because throughout Scripture, we see examples of people who lied to protect life, resisted evil, and were commended for doing so.


This post isn’t about promoting dishonesty, but about understanding how truth-telling functions in difficult circumstances—and how God’s justice is bigger than legalism.



1. The Hebrew Midwives vs. Pharaoh


(Exodus 1:15–21)


Pharaoh ordered the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, to kill all newborn Hebrew boys. They refused—and when questioned, they lied:


"The Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive." (Ex. 1:19)


Did God condemn them? No. In fact, Scripture says:


“So God was kind to the midwives… and because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.” (Ex. 1:20–21)




Their lie wasn't selfish—it was to protect innocent life from tyrannical power. That was righteousness in action.



2. Rahab and the Spies


(Joshua 2:1–6; Hebrews 11:31)


Rahab, a prostitute in Jericho, hid two Israelite spies and lied to the authorities who came looking for them:


"Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from… they left at dusk..." (Josh. 2:4–5)


In truth, she had hidden them on her roof. She deceived her own government to protect God’s people. Was she rebuked?


No.


"By faith Rahab… was not killed with those who were disobedient." (Hebrews 11:31)


"Was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did…?" (James 2:25)



Her deception was an act of faith. She sided with the kingdom of God over the corrupt regime of Jericho.



3. Corrie ten Boom and the Jews in Nazi Germany


Fast forward to the 20th century. In Nazi Germany, Christians like Corrie ten Boom and others hid Jews in their homes, lied to the Gestapo, and helped them escape. They violated the law of the land to obey a higher moral law.


Imagine if they had quoted, “God says not to lie,” and handed over innocent people to death. That would not be righteousness—that would be complicity with evil. Many of these brave souls were later recognized for their courage. And rightly so.



4. The Ninth Commandment in Context


“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” (Ex. 20:16)


This command is about justice, not mere technical accuracy. In ancient Israel, bearing false witness was a serious offense—especially in court—because it could result in someone’s death or loss of inheritance.


The command doesn’t forbid all lying. It forbids lying that harms, slanders, or destroys your neighbor. Jesus, who is the truth (John 14:6), never used truth as a weapon. His example teaches us that truth without love is not truth in God’s eyes—it’s cruelty.



5. Jesus’ Own Use of Strategic Silence


While not a lie, it’s worth noting that Jesus Himself didn’t always “tell all”. He often answered questions with questions, withheld truth from the unrepentant (Matt. 13:10–11), and even told His disciples not to reveal who He was at certain times (Mark 1:43–44). He practiced wisdom, not wooden literalism.



Conclusion


Telling the truth is a virtue—but not all truth-telling is righteous, and not all deception is evil. When a lie is told to protect the innocent, resist injustice, or preserve life, it’s not a violation of God’s character—it’s an expression of it. The Hebrew midwives, Rahab, and those who defied tyrants didn’t lie for personal gain. They lied to save lives. And in doing so, they aligned themselves with the God of justice, mercy, and truth—truth that protects, not truth that destroys.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Ezekiel 38-39 has been fulfilled in the book of Esther-Quick Reference

Ezekiel 40

A Preterist Postmillennial Commentary-Revelation 1-11 (PPC)