Is it ever right to lie?
GotQuestions Bible questions answered https://www.gotquestions.org/ All rights reserved-Published with permission The Bible nowhere presents an instance where lying is considered to be the right thing to do. The ninth commandment prohibits bearing false witness ( Exodus 20:16 ). Proverbs 6:16-19 lists “a lying tongue” and “a false witness who pours out lies” as two of the seven abominations to the Lord. Love “rejoices with the truth” ( 1 Corinthians 13:6 ). For other Scriptures that speak negatively of lying, see Psalm 119:29 , 163 ; 120:2 ; Proverbs 12:22 ; 13:5 ; Ephesians 4:25 ; Colossians 3:9 ; and Revelation 21:8 . There are many examples of liars in Scripture, from Jacob’s deceit in Genesis 27 to the pretense of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 . Time after time, we see that falsehood leads to misery, loss, and judgment. There are at least two instances in the Bible where lying produced a favorable result. For example, the lie the Hebrew midwives tell Pharaoh seems to result in