[Footnote 2: 2 Chron. 20: 7; Isa. 41: 8; Jas. 2: 23.]
[Footnote 3: Gen. 16: 1-6.]
[Footnote 4: Gen. 12: 10-19.]
[Footnote 5: Gen. 26: 6-10.]
[Footnote 6: Gen. 27: 6-29.]
[Footnote 7: 1 Sam. 11: 1-27]
[Footnote 8: 1 Sam. 21: 1,2.]
[Footnote 9: 2 Sam. 11: 1-27.]
[Footnote 10: Acts 5: 1-11.]
The whole sweep of Bible teaching is opposed to lying; and the specific injunctions against that sin, as well as the calls to the duty of truth-speaking, are illustrative of that sweep. "Ye shall not steal; neither shall ye deal falsely, nor lie one to another,"[1] says the Lord, in holding up the right standard before his children. "A lying tongue" is said to be "an abomination" before the Lord.[2] "A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness breatheth out lies,"[3] says Solomon, in marking the one all-dividing line of character; and as to the results of lying he says, "He that breatheth out lies shall not escape,"[4] and "he that breatheth out lies shall perish."[5] And he adds the conclusion of wisdom, in view of the supposed profit of lying, "A poor man is better than a liar;"[6] that is, a truth-telling poor man is better than a rich liar.