Dishonesty

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From Nave’s Topical Bible (1896), a historical reference index.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.

General scriptures concerning

• Leviticus 6:2–7 “If someone sins and acts unfaithfully against the LORD by deceiving his neighbor in regard to a deposit or security entrusted to him or stolen, or if he extorts his neighbor or finds lost property and lies about it and swears falsely, or if he commits any such sin that a man might commit— once he…
• Leviticus 19:13 You must not defraud your neighbor or rob him. You must not withhold until morning the wages due a hired hand.
• Leviticus 19:35–36 You must not use dishonest measures of length, weight, or volume. You shall maintain honest scales and weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
• Deuteronomy 25:13–16 You shall not have two differing weights in your bag, one heavy and one light. You shall not have two differing measures in your house, one large and one small. You must maintain accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. Fo…
• Job 24:2–11 Men move boundary stones; they pasture stolen flocks. They drive away the donkey of the fatherless and take the widow’s ox in pledge. They push the needy off the road and force all the poor of the land into hiding. Indeed, like wild donkeys in the desert, the poor go to work foraging for food; the…
• Psalm 37:21 The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous are gracious and giving.
• Psalm 50:18 When you see a thief, you befriend him, and throw in your lot with adulterers.
• Psalm 62:10 Place no trust in extortion or false hope in stolen goods. If your riches increase, do not set your heart upon them.
• Proverbs 3:27–28 Do not withhold good from the deserving when it is within your power to act. Do not tell your neighbor, “Come back tomorrow and I will provide”— when you already have the means.
• Proverbs 11:1 Dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD, but an accurate weight is His delight.

Instances of

Abimelech's servants confiscate a well

• Genesis 21:25 But when Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well that Abimelech’s servants had seized,
• Genesis 26:15–22 So the Philistines took dirt and stopped up all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the days of his father Abraham. Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Depart from us, for you are much too powerful for us.” So Isaac left that place and encamped in the Valley of Gerar and settled there. Isaac…

Jacob obtains his brother's birthright by an unjust advantage

• Genesis 25:29–33 One day, while Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the field and was famished. He said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am famished.” (That is why he was also called Edom.) “First sell me your birthright,” Jacob replied. “Look,” said Esau, “I am about to die, so what go…

Jacob steals his father's blessing

• Genesis 27:6–29 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 gains from Laban's flocks by skillful manipulation

• Genesis 30:31–43 “What can I give you?” Laban asked. “You do not need to give me anything,” Jacob replied. “If you do this one thing for me, I will keep on shepherding and keeping your flocks. Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb, and…

Rebekah's craftiness in Jacob's behalf

• Genesis 27:6–17 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…

Laban's treatment of Jacob

• Genesis 29:21–30 Finally Jacob said to Laban, “Grant me my wife, for my time is complete, and I want to sleep with her.” So Laban invited all the men of that place and prepared a feast. But when evening came, Laban took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and he slept with her. And Laban gave his servant girl…
• Genesis 31:36–42 Then Jacob became incensed and challenged Laban. “What is my crime?” he said. “For what sin of mine have you so hotly pursued me? You have searched all my goods! Have you found anything that belongs to you? Put it here before my brothers and yours, that they may judge between the two of us. I have…

Rachel steals the household gods

• Genesis 31:19 Now while Laban was out shearing his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household idols.

Simeon and Levi deceive the Shechemites

• Genesis 34:15–31 We will consent to this on one condition, that you become circumcised like us — every one of your males. Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves. We will dwell among you and become one people. But if you will not agree to be circumcised, then we will take our siste…

Achan hides the wedge of gold and the Babylonian garment

• Joshua 7:11–26 Israel has sinned; they have transgressed My covenant that I commanded them, and they have taken some of what was devoted to destruction. Indeed, they have stolen and lied, and they have put these things with their own possessions. This is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies. They…

Micah steals one-thousand one-hundred pieces of silver

• Judges 17:2 said to his mother, “The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you and about which I heard you utter a curse— I have the silver here with me; I took it.” Then his mother said, “Blessed be my son by the LORD!”

Micah's priest steals his images

• Judges 18:14–21 Then the five men who had gone to spy out the land of Laish said to their brothers, “Did you know that one of these houses has an ephod, household gods, a graven image, and a molten idol? Now think about what you should do.” So they turned aside there and went to the home of the young Levite, the h…

Joab's guile in securing Absalom's return

• 2 Samuel 14:2–20 So Joab sent to Tekoa to bring a wise woman from there. He told her, “Please pretend to be a mourner; put on clothes for mourning and do not anoint yourself with oil. Act like a woman who has mourned for the dead a long time. Then go to the king and speak these words to him.” And Joab put the words…

Ahab confiscates Naboth's vineyard

• 1 Kings 21:2–16 So Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard to use as a vegetable garden, since it is next to my palace. I will give you a better vineyard in its place — or if you prefer, I will give you its value in silver.” But Naboth replied, “The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fath…

Judas' hypocritical sympathy for the poor

• John 12:6 Judas did not say this because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money bag, he used to take from what was put into it.

See Diplomacy

See Hypocrisy

See Injustice

See Treason