Word Study for G5574 (ψεύδομαι)

pseúdomai /psyoo'-dom-ahee/ Ask about this word

Meaningmiddle voice of an apparently primary verb; to utter an untruth or attempt to deceive by falsehood

KJV usagefalsely, lie.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of pseúdomai — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word pseúdomai, represented by G5574, is used to mean to utter an untruth or attempt to deceive by falsehood. It appears 13 times across 12 unique verses in the Bible. The term specifically defines the act of lying or being intentionally false.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical usage, G5574 is presented in direct opposition to the nature of God, with Hebrews 6:18 stating it is "impossible for God to lie." The term is used to describe deception against God Himself, as when Ananias was questioned for choosing "to lie to the Holy Ghost" Acts 5:3. Lying is also framed as an action against the truth, with believers warned not to "lie not against the truth" James 3:14 when strife is in their hearts. It is also found in the context of false accusation, where followers are called blessed when others "falsely" say all manner of evil against them Matthew 5:11. The command for believers is direct: "Lie not one to another" Colossians 3:9.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words provide context for the act of lying:

G225 alḗtheia (truth): This word stands as the direct opposite of falsehood. It is often contrasted with G5574, as in 1 John 1:6, where those who walk in darkness lie and "do not the truth," and in Paul's assertions that he speaks the truth and does not lie (Romans 9:1; 1 Timothy 2:7).
G3004 légō (to "lay" forth, i.e. (figuratively) relate): This word for speaking is used to describe those who say they are Jews but "do lie" Revelation 3:9. It is also used by Paul when he affirms, "I say the truth in Christ, I lie not" Romans 9:1.
G3679 oneidízō (to defame, i.e. rail at, chide, taunt): This term is used alongside G5574 in Matthew 5:11, where being blessed includes enduring when people "revile you" and speak evil against you falsely.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G5574 is significant, highlighting a fundamental conflict between divine character and sinful action.

The Nature of God: Truthfulness is an immutable attribute of God. It is declared "impossible for God to lie" Hebrews 6:18, establishing a benchmark of perfect integrity. Paul repeatedly calls on God as a witness to his own truthfulness, stating that God knows "I lie not" (2 Corinthians 11:31; Galatians 1:20).
The Source of Falsehood: Lying is explicitly connected to Satan, who filled Ananias's heart "to lie to the Holy Ghost" Acts 5:3. Those who falsely claim an identity and "do lie" are identified as belonging to "the synagogue of Satan" Revelation 3:9.
The Believer and Truth: Honesty is a mark of the Christian life. To claim fellowship with God while living in darkness is to "lie" 1 John 1:6. The command to "Lie not one to another" is tied to putting off the old man and his deeds Colossians 3:9. Paul's apostolic authority is reinforced by his repeated claims to speak the truth and not lie (Romans 9:1; 1 Timothy 2:7).

Summary

In summary, G5574 is not merely about incorrect speech but is a term loaded with theological importance. It defines a core aspect of sin by contrasting it with the very nature of God, for whom it is impossible to lie. The use of this word illustrates the incompatibility of falsehood with a life of faith, framing lying as an act against God, against the truth, and against the community of believers.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a verb across 12 occurrences, inflected in 7 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Indicative 1st Singular 4×
Aorist Middle Deponent Infinitive 2×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Imperative 2nd Plural 2×
Aorist Middle Deponent Indicative 2nd Singular 1×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Indicative 1st Plural 1×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Indicative 3rd Plural 1×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Participle Nominative Plural Masculine 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
1st: First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
2nd: Second person — the one addressed ("you").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Present: Action in progress or repeated — happening now or continually.
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Middle: The subject acts on or for itself.
Passive: The subject is acted upon.
Middle Deponent: Middle in form but active in meaning.
Passive Deponent: Passive in form but active in meaning.
Middle Or Passive: Can be read as middle or passive; context decides.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Imperative: A command or entreaty.
Infinitive: The verb as a noun — "to do".
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 12 verses across 11 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Acts (2 verses); never once in the other 16.

Matthew

Acts

Romans

2 Corinthians

Galatians

Colossians

1 Timothy

Hebrews

James

1 John

Revelation

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.