Word study
Lie
21 Hebrew and 3 Greek words behind this English word
The original-language words that the Berean Standard Bible translates with one of these: lie, lies, lied. English often uses one word where Hebrew or Greek has several, each with its own shade of meaning. Under each word are verses where it is translated this way; choose the word itself for its full study: every verse, how else it is translated, the forms it takes and what the dictionaries say.
At a glance
How often each original word is translated “lie” or one of its forms.
Compare the Hebrew words side by side Compare the Greek words side by side
Hebrew and Aramaic words (Old Testament)
- שָׁכַב shâkablie downtranslated this way 76 times of its 207 uses · Strong’s H7901Verb · Translated: lie 46, rested 35, lies 25, lay 21Full study and all 190 verses →
Genesis 28:13 And there at the top the LORD was standing and saying, “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you now lie.
Exodus 22:19 Whoever lies with an animal must surely be put to death.
- שֶׁקֶר sheqerdeception, disappointment, falsehoodtranslated this way 28 times of its 104 uses · Strong’s H8267Noun · Translated: lies 18, lying 16, false 12, falsely 10Full study and all 100 verses →
2 Kings 9:12 “That is a lie!” they said. “Tell us now!” So Jehu answered, “He talked to me about this and that, saying, ‘This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel.’”
Job 13:4 You, however, smear with lies; you are all worthless physicians.
- רָבַץ râbatsstretch oneself out, lie down, lie stretched outtranslated this way 17 times of its 29 uses · Strong’s H7257Verb · Translated: lie 13, lay 3, lies 2, rest 2Full study and all 29 verses →
Genesis 49:9 Judah is a young lion— my son, you return from the prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to rouse him?
Deuteronomy 33:13 Concerning Joseph he said: “May his land be blessed by the LORD with the precious dew from heaven above and the deep waters that lie beneath,
- כָּזָב kâzâblie, falsehood, deceptive thingtranslated this way 15 times of its 27 uses · Strong’s H3577Noun · Translated: lies 14, lying 4, speak lying 2Full study and all 27 verses →
Psalm 4:2 How long, O men, will my honor be maligned? How long will you love vanity and seek after lies? Selah
Proverbs 14:5 An honest witness does not deceive, but a dishonest witness pours forth lies.
- אָרַב ârablie in waittranslated this way 13 times of its 41 uses · Strong’s H693Verb · Translated: ambush 9, lie in wait 9, men in ambush 4, lay in wait 4Full study and all 39 verses →
Deuteronomy 19:11 If, however, a man hates his neighbor and lies in wait, attacks him and kills him, and then flees to one of these cities,
Joshua 8:4 with these orders: “Pay attention. You are to lie in ambush behind the city, not too far from it. All of you must be ready.
- הָיָה hâyâhfall out, come to pass, become, betranslated this way 8 times of its 2,848 uses · Strong’s H1961Verb · Translated: will be 206, become 178, came 169, was 151Full study and all 2,573 verses →
- כָּזַב kâzablie, be a liartranslated this way 8 times of its 16 uses · Strong’s H3576Verb · Translated: lie 6, lied 2Full study and all 16 verses →
Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?
2 Kings 4:16 And Elisha declared, “At this time next year, you will hold a son in your arms.” “No, my lord,” she said. “Do not lie to your maidservant, O man of God.”
- יָשַׁב yâshabsit, remain, dwelltranslated this way 6 times of its 1,049 uses · Strong’s H3427Verb · Translated: lived 103, dwell 89, live 84, sit 70Full study and all 960 verses →
- כַּחַשׁ kachashlyingtranslated this way 5 times of its 6 uses · Strong’s H3585Noun · Translated: lies 5, frailty 1Full study and all 6 verses →
Psalm 59:12 By the sins of their mouths and the words of their lips, let them be trapped in their pride, in the curses and lies they utter.
Hosea 7:3 They delight the king with their evil, and the princes with their lies.
- כָּחַשׁ kâchashbe disappointing, deceive, fail, grow leantranslated this way 4 times of its 22 uses · Strong’s H3584Verb · Translated: cower 4, denied 2, lied 2, deny 2Full study and all 22 verses →
Leviticus 6:3 or finds lost property and lies about it and swears falsely, or if he commits any such sin that a man might commit—
Joshua 7:11 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.
- שָׁמֵם shâmêmbe desoleted, appalledtranslated this way 4 times of its 85 uses · Strong’s H8074Verb · Translated: appalled 17, desolate 10, deserted 5, desolation 4Full study and all 81 verses →
Leviticus 26:22 I will send wild animals against you to rob you of your children, destroy your livestock, and reduce your numbers, until your roads lie desolate.
Lamentations 5:18 because of Mount Zion, which lies desolate, patrolled by foxes.
- נָתַן nâthangive, put, settranslated this way 3 times of its 1,957 uses · Strong’s H5414Verb · Translated: give 326, gave 206, given 187, put 135Full study and all 1,785 verses →
Leviticus 18:20 You must not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife and thus defile yourself with her.
Leviticus 18:23 You must not lie carnally with any animal, thus defiling yourself with it; a woman must not stand before an animal to mate with it; that is a perversion.
- חָרֵב chârêbdrytranslated this way 3 times of its 10 uses · Strong’s H2720Adjective · Translated: lies in ruins 3, dry 2Full study and all 10 verses →
Nehemiah 2:3 and replied to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should I not be sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”
Haggai 1:4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?”
- נָטַשׁ nâṭashleave, forsake, permittranslated this way 3 times of its 40 uses · Strong’s H5203Verb · Translated: forsake 6, abandoned 5, spread 5, forsaken 4Full study and all 39 verses →
Exodus 23:11 but in the seventh year you must let it rest and lie fallow, so that the poor among your people may eat from the field and the wild animals may consume what they leave. Do the same with your vineyard and olive grove.
Nehemiah 10:31 When the people of the land bring merchandise or any kind of grain to sell on the Sabbath day, we will not buy from them on a Sabbath or holy day. Every seventh year we will let the fields lie fallow and will cancel every debt.
- נָפַל nâphalfall, lietranslated this way 3 times of its 432 uses · Strong’s H5307Verb · Translated: fall 104, fell 77, fallen 54, falls 21Full study and all 403 verses →
Deuteronomy 25:2 If the guilty man deserves to be beaten, the judge shall have him lie down and be flogged in his presence with the number of lashes his crime warrants.
Psalm 36:12 There the evildoers lie fallen, thrown down and unable to rise.
- דָבַר dâbarspeaktranslated this way 3 times of its 1,113 uses · Strong’s H1696Verb · Translated: speak 209, said 157, spoken 142, spoke 110Full study and all 1,025 verses →
- חָלָל châlâlpiercedtranslated this way 2 times of its 93 uses · Strong’s H2491Noun · Translated: slain 53, dead 6, killed 6, wounded 5Full study and all 84 verses →
2 Samuel 1:19 “Your glory, O Israel, lies slain on your heights. How the mighty have fallen!
2 Samuel 1:25 How the mighty have fallen in the thick of battle! Jonathan lies slain on your heights.
- שָׁוְא shâveemptiness, vanitytranslated this way 2 times of its 52 uses · Strong’s H7723Noun · Translated: vain 12, false 8, falsehood 4, worthless 4Full study and all 47 verses →
Psalm 12:2 They lie to one another; they speak with flattering lips and a double heart.
Isaiah 59:4 No one calls for justice; no one pleads his case honestly. They rely on empty pleas; they tell lies; they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity.
- חָרַב chârabbe dry, dried uptranslated this way 2 times of its 38 uses · Strong’s H2717Verb · Translated: dried 7, laid waste 6, dry 4, Kill 2Full study and all 36 verses →
Isaiah 34:10 It will not be quenched— day or night. Its smoke will ascend forever. From generation to generation it will lie desolate; no one will ever again pass through it.
Ezekiel 26:2 “Son of man, because Tyre has said of Jerusalem, ‘Aha! The gate to the nations is broken; it has swung open to me; now that she lies in ruins I will be filled,’
- חָנָה chânâhdecline, bend down, encamptranslated this way 2 times of its 141 uses · Strong’s H2583Verb · Translated: camped 90, camp 18, encamped 11, laid siege 4Full study and all 135 verses →
Numbers 10:5 When you sound short blasts, the camps that lie on the east side are to set out.
Numbers 10:6 When you sound the short blasts a second time, the camps that lie on the south side are to set out. The blasts are to signal them to set out.
- שָׁקַד shâqadwatch, waketranslated this way 2 times of its 12 uses · Strong’s H8245Verb · Translated: watching 3Full study and all 11 verses →
Psalm 102:7 I lie awake; I am like a lone bird on a housetop.
Jeremiah 5:6 Therefore a lion from the forest will strike them down, a wolf from the desert will ravage them. A leopard will lie in wait near their cities, and everyone who ventures out will be torn to pieces. For their rebellious acts are many, and their unfaithful deeds are numerous.
Greek words (New Testament)
- ψεύδομαι pseúdomaiI lietranslated this way 6 times of its 12 uses · Strong’s G5574Verb · Translated: lie 5, lying 3, falsely 1, lied 1Full study and all 12 verses →
Acts 5:3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and withhold some of the proceeds from the land?
Galatians 1:20 I assure you before God that what I am writing to you is no lie.
- ψεῦδος pseûdosa lietranslated this way 5 times of its 9 uses · Strong’s G5579Noun · Translated: lie 5, falsehood 2, false 1, genuine 1Full study and all 9 verses →
Romans 1:25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is forever worthy of praise! Amen.
2 Thessalonians 2:11 For this reason God will send them a powerful delusion so that they believe the lie,
- κεῖμαι keîmaiI lie, recline, am laidtranslated this way 3 times of its 23 uses · Strong’s G2749Verb · Translated: lying 5, lies ready 2, appointed 2, laid 2Full study and all 23 verses →
Matthew 3:10 The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
Luke 3:9 The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
How to study a word well
- Start from the verse, not the dictionary. Find which Hebrew or Greek word stands in the verse you are studying. One English word often translates several different original words.
- Read every place the word is used. A word means what its writers used it to mean. The list of verses and the count by book show its range, and who uses it most.
- Look at how it is translated. A word rendered five different ways has a wider meaning than any one English word can carry.
- Notice the form. A command is not a statement, and a passive verb is something done to the subject. The form in your verse is part of the meaning.
- See what it keeps company with. The words that appear beside it again and again show how the Bible itself connects ideas.
- Then read the dictionaries. They give the considered view of scholars, with their evidence.
- Come back to the verse. Context decides. A word does not carry every one of its meanings into every verse, and where a word came from does not settle what it means in a sentence written centuries later.
Scripture text and translation counts: Berean Standard Bible. Full entry: Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906, public domain), in the digital edition Brown-Driver-Briggs Enhanced by unfoldingWord (Joel Ruark, J. de Joode), based on data by Eliran Wong and Stephen Ku; its additions are used under CC BY 4.0. Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project, CC BY 4.0. Hebrew-to-English verse numbering: original work of the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible available at https://github.com/openscriptures/morphhb, CC BY 4.0. We reformatted the data, linked the references to this site’s Bible text and left out words in other scripts that the source holds only as images. These are historical reference works; an entry gives its authors’ view, and a word’s meaning in any verse depends on how it is used there.