What does ψεύδομαι (pseúdomai) mean in the Bible?
ψεύδομαι (pseúdomai): To lie or deceive; in NT always middle voice, emphasizing the liar's own deception rather than external deception
Greek · G5574
ψεύδομαι
To utter an untruth or attempt to deceive by falsehood
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ψεύδομαι G5574
Pronunciation pseúdomai
What does ψεύδομαι (pseúdomai) mean in the Bible?
ψεύδομαι (pseúdomai): To lie or deceive; in NT always middle voice, emphasizing the liar's own deception rather than external deception
Full entry for ψεύδομαι (G5574) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G5574?
The BSB source-word alignment has 12 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include I am not lying (2), to lie (2), deny (1), falsely (1), is no lie (1).
Where does ψεύδομαι (pseúdomai) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 5:11. Its strongest book concentrations include Acts (2), 1 John (1), 1 Timothy (1), 2 Corinthians (1).
Are there verse guides for ψεύδομαι (pseúdomai)?
This entry includes 1 verse guide that explain exact original-language forms in context.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It I am not lying 2× Romans 9:1, 2 Corinthians 11:31
to lie 2× Acts 5:3, Hebrews 6:18
deny 1× James 3:14
falsely 1× Matthew 5:11
is no lie 1× Galatians 1:20
liars 1× Revelation 3:9
lie 1× Colossians 3:9
lying [ about anything ] 1× 1 Timothy 2:7
we lie 1× 1 John 1:6
You have not lied 1× Acts 5:4
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 5:11 ψευδόμενοι to falsely Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Plural Acts 5:3 ψεύσασθαί to to lie Verb - Aorist Infinitive Middle Acts 5:4 ἐψεύσω to You have not lied Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 2nd Person Singular Romans 9:1 ψεύδομαι to I am not lying Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 1st Person Singular 2 Corinthians 11:31 ψεύδομαι to I am not lying Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 1st Person Singular Galatians 1:20 ψεύδομαι to is no lie Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 1st Person Singular Colossians 3:9 ψεύδεσθε to lie Verb - Present Imperative Middle - 2nd Person Plural 1 Timothy 2:7 ψεύδομαι to lying [ about anything ] Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 1st Person Singular Hebrews 6:18 ψεύσασθαι to to lie Verb - Aorist Infinitive Middle James 3:14 ψεύδεσθε to deny Verb - Present Imperative Middle - 2nd Person Plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Matthew 5:11
Aligned rows 12
Books represented 11
Matthew 1 Acts 2 Romans 1 2 Corinthians 1 Galatians 1 Colossians 1 1 Timothy 1 Hebrews 1 James 1 1 John 1 Revelation 1
Source forms
ψεύδομαι 4x pseudomai Romans 9:1, 2 Corinthians 11:31, Galatians 1:20, 1 Timothy 2:7
ψεύδεσθε 2x pseudesthe Colossians 3:9, James 3:14
ἐψεύσω 1x epseusō Acts 5:4
ψευδόμεθα 1x pseudometha 1 John 1:6
ψευδόμενοι 1x pseudomenoi Matthew 5:11
ψεύδονται 1x pseudontai Revelation 3:9
ψεύσασθαι 1x pseusasthai Hebrews 6:18
ψεύσασθαί 1x pseusasthai Acts 5:3
Parsing patterns
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 1st Person Singular 4x Romans 9:1, 2 Corinthians 11:31, Galatians 1:20, 1 Timothy 2:7
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Middle 2x Acts 5:3, Hebrews 6:18
Verb - Present Imperative Middle - 2nd Person Plural 2x Colossians 3:9, James 3:14
Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 2nd Person Singular 1x Acts 5:4
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 1st Person Plural 1x 1 John 1:6
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Plural 1x Revelation 3:9
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Plural 1x Matthew 5:11
Key Verse and Form Guides
Verse-level guides showing how this original-language form works in its specific context, including grammar, verse function, and guarded interpretation.
Evidence Summary
CovenantRevelation
Greek word. To lie or deceive; in NT always middle voice, emphasizing the liar's own deception rather than external deception
Source Gloss
to utter an untruth or attempt to deceive by falsehood
Extended definition Source: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
To lie or deceive; in NT always middle voice, emphasizing the liar's own deception rather than external deception
1absol., to lie: Heb.6:18, 1Jn.1:6, Rev.3:9; οὐ ψεύδομαι, Rom.9:1, 2Co.11:31, Gal.1:20, 1Ti.2:7 with dative of person(s) (Psa.18:45, Jhn.5:12, al.), Act.5:4; before εἰς, Col.3:9; κατά, Jas.3:14 (Hort, in l).
2Like act., with accusative, to deceive by lies (Æsch., al.): Act.5:3.
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
12 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
yeudomenoi
I lie
Read verse Acts 5:3 Verb Aorist Middle Deponent Infinitive
ψεύσασθαί yeusasqai
I lie
Read verse Acts 5:4 Verb Second Person Singular Aorist Middle Deponent Indicative
ἐψεύσω eyeusw
I lie
Read verse Romans 9:1 Verb First Person Singular Present Middle or Passive Deponent Indicative
ψεύδομαι, yeudomai
I lie
Read verse 2 Corinthians 11:31 Verb First Person Singular Present Middle or Passive Deponent Indicative
ψεύδομαι. yeudomai
I lie
Read verse Galatians 1:20 Verb First Person Singular Present Middle or Passive Deponent Indicative
ψεύδομαι. yeudomai
I lie
Read verse Colossians 3:9 Verb Second Person Plural Present Middle or Passive Deponent Imperative
ψεύδεσθε yeudesqe
I lie
Read verse 1 Timothy 2:7 Verb First Person Singular Present Middle or Passive Deponent Indicative
ψεύδομαι), yeudomai
I lie
Read verse Hebrews 6:18 Verb Aorist Middle Deponent Infinitive
ψεύσασθαι yeusasqai
I lie
Read verse James 3:14 Verb Second Person Plural Present Middle or Passive Deponent Imperative
ψεύδεσθε yeudesqe
I lie
Read verse 1 John 1:6 Verb First Person Plural Present Middle or Passive Deponent Indicative
ψευδόμεθα, yeudomeqa
I lie
Read verse Revelation 3:9 Verb Third Person Plural Present Middle or Passive Deponent Indicative
ψεύδονται· yeudontai
I lie
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 4 Aligned forms 12 Tenses Present, Aorist Voices Middle
Tenses
Voices
Indicative states a fact or reality 7×
Present Middle Rom 9:1 · 2 Cor 11:31 · Gal 1:20 · 1 Tim 2:7 · 1 John 1:6 · Rev 3:9 6×
Aorist Middle Acts 5:4 1×
Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 2×
Aorist Middle Acts 5:3 · Heb 6:18 2×
Imperative command or strong request 2×
Present Middle Col 3:9 · Jas 3:14 2×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 1×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 12 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
present 9 aorist 3
Voice
middle 12
Mood
indicative 7 infinitive 2 imperative 2 participle 1
NT Occurrences
Matthew 5:11 ψευδόμενοι present middle participle participle Acts 5:3 ψεύσασθαί aorist middle infinitive infinitive Acts 5:4 ἐψεύσω aorist middle indicative completed Romans 9:1 ψεύδομαι present middle indicative ongoing 2 Corinthians 11:31 ψεύδομαι present middle indicative ongoing Galatians 1:20 ψεύδομαι present middle indicative ongoing Colossians 3:9 ψεύδεσθε present middle imperative imperative 1 Timothy 2:7 ψεύδομαι present middle indicative ongoing Hebrews 6:18 ψεύσασθαι aorist middle infinitive infinitive James 3:14 ψεύδεσθε present middle imperative imperative 1 John 1:6 ψευδόμεθα present middle indicative ongoing Revelation 3:9 ψεύδονται present middle indicative ongoing
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
New Testament Witnesses
To speak falsely or deceive.
Showing 1 selected witness from 12 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
ψεύδομαι is a primary verb - no further derivation.
Why This Word Matters
The central sin is deliberate deception within the covenant community. Acts 5:1-11
Canonical Themes
Covenant Revelation
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain