Bible references

Key NT Scriptures

• Colossians 3:9-10

Key OT Scriptures

• Deuteronomy 5:17
  Jewish Commentary
• Deuteronomy 18:20
  Jewish Commentary
• Deuteronomy 19:14
  Jewish Commentary
• Deuteronomy 19:18-19
  Jewish Commentary
• Deuteronomy 25:13-16
  Jewish Commentary
• Exodus 20:13
  Jewish Commentary
• Leviticus 5:1
  Jewish Commentary
• Leviticus 5:21-24
  Jewish Commentary
• Leviticus 19:11-12
  Jewish Commentary
• Leviticus 19:14
  Jewish Commentary
• Leviticus 19:35-36
  Jewish Commentary
• Proverbs 6:16-19
  Jewish Commentary
• Proverbs 12:22
  Jewish Commentary
• Proverbs 13:5
  Jewish Commentary

Supportive NT Scriptures

• Ephesians 4:25
• Matthew 15:19-20
• Revelation 21:8

Supportive OT Scriptures

• Proverbs 14:5
  Jewish Commentary
• Proverbs 14:25
  Jewish Commentary
• Proverbs 19:9
  Jewish Commentary

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Commentary

Rabbi Michael Rudolph

It is clear from the foregoing Scriptures (and others not cited) that truth-telling is a commanded virtue, and that the opposite of truth-telling (lying) is a sin. We know that truth-telling is a godly attribute because in Numbers 23:19 , when under the influence of the Holy Spirit, Balaam said to Balak: God is not a human who lies or a mortal who changes his mind. When he says something, he will do it; when he makes a promise, he will fulfill it. In complete contrast to God who does not lie, John 8:44 quotes Yeshua (scolding a group of Judeans out to kill Him) as saying that Satan is the original liar; we read: You belong to your father, Satan, and you want to carry out your father's desires. From the start he was a murderer, and he has never stood by the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he is speaking in character; because he is a liar - indeed, the inventor of the lie! This appears to be a reference to Genesis 3:2-4 where Satan (in the form of a serpent) lies to Eve about eating from the tree " in the middle of the garden " and says to her: It is not true that you will surely die ... In my stating categorically that lying is a sin, I believe I should address the often-debated Scripture passages in which Abraham and Isaac were less than candid in admitting that Sarah and Rebecca respectively were their wives; they are: Genesis 20:2 Avraham was saying of Sarah his wife, "She is my sister"; so Avimelekh king of G'rar sent and took Sarah. and Genesis 26:7 The men of the place asked him about his wife, and out of fear he said, "She is my sister." He thought, "If I tell them she's my wife, they might kill me in order to take Rivkah. After all, she is a beautiful woman." Apologists for Abraham sometimes use Abraham's convoluted explanation in Genesis 20:12 to try to show that Abraham didn't lie because Sarah was not only Abraham's wife, but also his half-sister. The same explanation cannot, however, be made for Isaac and, the truth be told, both men lapsed in their faith, fearing for themselves and for their wives. Then there is the occasion where Rebecca and Jacob conspired to deceive Isaac into blessing Jacob instead of Esau. It is one of the unique aspects of the Scriptures, that God allows us to see the foibles of even the greatest of the patriarchs.

Classical commentators

Maimonides, Meir, and HaChinuch listed mitzvot on various aspects of honesty, but did not write one that generalizes that we must tell the truth and not lie. For example, Maimonides listed (1) not withholding evidence from a court; (2) not bearing false witness and punishing those who do; (3) not prophesying falsely; (4) not committing fraud by moving land boundaries; (5) not swearing falsely to avoid paying our debts; and (6) not using or keeping dishonest weights and measures. The closest that the classical commentators come to writing a general mitzvah on truth-telling is their use of Leviticus 19:14 to say that we must not cause anyone to stumble by giving misleading or wrong advice. Leviticus 19:14 actually speaks of not cursing a deaf person or placing an obstacle in the path of a blind person; therefore, in constructing their respective mitzvot , the commentators have not treated deafness and blindness as physical disabilities, but rather as conditions of lacking sufficient information to make safe and appropriate judgments.

Copyright © Michael Rudolph and Daniel C. Juster, The Law of Messiah, Torah from a New Covenant Perspective, Volume 1 & 2

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Based on The Law of Messiah - Torah from a New Covenant Perspective by Michael Rudolph and Daniel C. Juster.

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Disclaimer: the original content is authored by Rabbi Michael Rudolph and Rabbi Daniel Juster; additional notes or implementation details on this website are not part of their original work and do not represent their views.

Record source: The Law of Messiah - Torah from a New Covenant Perspective - Volume 1 & 2

Copyright note: Copyright © Michael Rudolph and Daniel C. Juster, The Law of Messiah, Torah from a New Covenant Perspective, Volume 1 & 2