Topic

Deception

Passages from across the Bible

Passages on this topic

From Nave’s Topical Bible (1896), a historical reference index. The groupings are Nave’s; the verses are shown in the text used across this site.

Instances of

By Satan

Genesis 3:4 “You will not surely die,” the serpent told the woman.

Abraham, in stating that Sarah was his sister

Genesis 12:13 Please say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake, and on account of you my life will be spared.”
Genesis 20:2 Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar had Sarah brought to him.

Isaac, in stating that his wife was his sister

Genesis 26:7 But when the men of that place asked about his wife, he said, “She is my sister.” For he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” since he thought to himself, “The men of this place will kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is so beautiful.”

Jacob and Rebekah, in imposing Jacob on his father, and Jacob's impersonating Esau

Genesis 27:6–23 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Behold, I overheard your father saying to your brother Esau, ‘Bring me some game and prepare me a tasty dish to eat, so that I may bless you in the presence of the LORD before I die.’ Now, my son, listen to my voice and do exactly as I tell you. Go out to the flock a…

Jacob's sons, in entrapping the Shechemites

Genesis 34:13–31 But because Shechem had defiled their sister Dinah, Jacob’s sons answered him and his father Hamor deceitfully. “We cannot do such a thing,” they said. “To give our sister to an uncircumcised man would be a disgrace to us. We will consent to this on one condition, that you become circumcised like u…

In representing to their father that Joseph had been destroyed by wild beasts

Genesis 37:29–35 When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes, returned to his brothers, and said, “The boy is gone! What am I going to do?” Then they took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a young goat, and dipped the robe in its blood. They sent the robe of many colors to their…

Joseph, in his ruse with his brothers

Genesis 42 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?” “Look,” he added, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die.” So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egy… (whole chapter)
Genesis 43 Now the famine was still severe in the land. So when Jacob’s sons had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.” But Judah replied, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’ (whole chapter)
Genesis 44 Then Joseph instructed his steward: “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each one’s silver in the mouth of his sack. Put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the silver for his grain.” So the steward did as Joseph had instructed. (whole chapter)

The Gibeonites, in misrepresenting their habitat

Joshua 9:3–15 But the people of Gibeon, having heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, acted deceptively and set out as envoys, carrying on their donkeys worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. They put worn, patched sandals on their feet and threadbare clothing on their bodies, and their who…

Ehud deceives Eglon, and kills him

Judges 3:15–30 And again they cried out to the LORD, and He raised up Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed Benjamite, as their deliverer. So they sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Ehud had made for himself a double-edged sword a cubit long. He strapped it to his right thigh under his cloak and brought t…

Delilah deceives Samson

Judges 16:4–20 Some time later, Samson fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. The lords of the Philistines went to her and said, “Entice him and find out the source of his great strength and how we can overpower him to tie him up and subdue him. Then each one of us will give you…

David feigns madness

1 Samuel 21:10–15 That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath. But the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David, the king of the land? Did they not sing about him in their dances, saying: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’?” Now David took these words to heart…

Amnon deceives Tamar by feigning sickness

2 Samuel 13:6–14 So Amnon lay down and feigned illness. When the king came to see him, Amnon said, “Please let my sister Tamar come and make a couple of cakes in my sight, so that I may eat from her hand.” Then David sent word to Tamar at the palace: “Please go to the house of Amnon your brother and prepare a meal…

Hushai deceives Absalom

2 Samuel 16:15–19 Then Absalom and all the men of Israel came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel was with him. And David’s friend Hushai the Archite went to Absalom and said to him, “Long live the king! Long live the king!” “Is this the loyalty you show your friend?” Absalom replied. “Why did you not go with your friend?”

Sanballat tries to deceive Nehemiah

Nehemiah 6 When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left— though to that time I had not yet installed the doors in the gates— Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the pla… (whole chapter)

By Absalom

When he avenged his sister

2 Samuel 13:24–28 And he went to the king and said, “Your servant has just hired shearers. Will the king and his servants please come with me?” “No, my son,” the king replied, “we should not all go, or we would be a burden to you.” Although Absalom urged him, he was not willing to go, but gave him his blessing.

When he began his conspiracy

2 Samuel 15:7 After four years had passed, Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go to Hebron to fulfill a vow I have made to the LORD.

The old prophet

1 Kings 13:18 Then the prophet replied, “I too am a prophet like you, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, so that he may eat bread and drink water.’” The old prophet was lying to him,

Gehazi

2 Kings 5:20 Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “Look, my master has spared this Aramean, Naaman, by not accepting what he brought. As surely as the LORD lives, I will run after him and get something from him.”

Job's friends

Job 6:15 But my brothers are as faithless as wadis, as seasonal streams that overflow,

Doeg

Psalm 52:2 Your tongue devises destruction like a sharpened razor, O worker of deceit.

Herod

Matthew 2:8 And sending them to Bethlehem, he said: “Go and search carefully for the Child, and when you find Him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship Him.”

Pharisees

Matthew 22:16 They sent their disciples to Him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that You are honest and that You teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You seek favor from no one, because You pay no attention to external appearance.

Chief priests

Mark 14:1 Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were two days away, and the chief priests and scribes were looking for a covert way to arrest Jesus and kill Him.