Most would agree that God detests lying lips, a truth clearly affirmed throughout Scripture. See Deuteronomy 25:16; Proverbs 6:16-19, 11:1, 12:22, 20:23; Ecclesiastes 5:4; Ezekiel 13:8-9; Zechariah 8:16-17
However, there are several biblical instances in which God appears to either permit, reward, or be associated with acts of deception. This entry seeks to examine and evaluate the implications of these cases.
To address / WIP:
- Rahab rewarded for lying about Joshua’s spies: Joshua 2, James 2
- David lying about being on the king’s business: 1 Samuel 21:2, 1 Kings 15:5
- Jesus lying about going to the feast: John 7:8-10
- God approves to send a deceiving spirit: 1 Kings 22:20-23
Hebrew midwives rewarded for lying to the Pharaoh
In Exodus 1:15-17, the Hebrew midwives disobeyed the Egypt king’s orders to kill the male babies of Hebrew women during childbirth. In Exodus 1:18-19, the midwives then responded to the king’s questioning their actions, saying “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive”. In Exodus 1:20, it appears that God have rewarded the midwives for lying to the king.
There are two main arguments that could explain why Exodus 1:15-20 is compatible with a God that hates lying lips.
The first argument is that it is possible that the midwives’ statement was technically true and strategically worded to misdirect Pharaoh without explicitly lying. Their explanation includes two claims:
- Hebrew women are vigorous.
- They give birth before the midwives arrive.
These statements could be factual. The Hebrew women may indeed have been stronger or more independent during childbirth. Additionally, the midwives may have deliberately delayed their arrival or coordinated with the Hebrew families to avoid participation in Pharaoh’s order.
However, this interpretation faces difficulty when considered alongside Exodus 1:17, which notes that “the midwives let the boys live.” This implies that they were present at the births and made a conscious choice to disobey Pharaoh’s command—suggesting intentional deception rather than mere avoidance.
The second argument is that God rewarded the midwives because they valued God’s law above Pharoah’s law, even if they had sinned by lying to the king. Exodus 1:21 add on that God gave the midwives families of their own because they feared God. God’s reward to the midwives is not an approval of the midwives’ lying to the king. God rewarded their motive and faithfulness, even if their actions involved moral imperfection
Therefore, in this instance, there is no implication to the idea that God hates lying lips.