5571. pseudés

Lexical Summary

pseudés: False, lying, deceitful

Original Word: ψευδής
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: pseudés
Pronunciation: psyoo-dace'
Phonetic Spelling: (psyoo-dace')
KJV: false, liar
NASB: false , liars
Word Origin: [from G5574 (ψεύδομαι - lie)]

1. false, untrue
2. (by extension) erroneous, deceitful, wicked

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

false, lying

From pseudomai; untrue, i.e. Erroneous, deceitful, wicked -- false, liar.

see GREEK pseudomai

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from pseudomai
Definition
lying, false
NASB Translation
false (2), liars (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 5571: ψευδής

ψευδής, ψευδές (ψεύδομαι), from Homer, Iliad4, 235 down, lying, deceitful, false: Revelation 2:2; μάρτυρες, Acts 6:13; substantively οἱ ψευδεῖς (A. V. liars), Revelation 21:8 (here Lachmann ψεύστης, which see).

Topical Lexicon

Definition and Conceptual Range

The term designates that which is contrary to fact, characterizing persons or statements that distort reality. Scripture consistently links the idea to moral evil, covenant unfaithfulness, and rebellion against the God who “cannot lie” (Titus 1:2). Thus, the word functions not merely as an ethical descriptor but as a spiritual diagnostic: wherever it appears, it exposes the presence of darkness set against divine truth.

Occurrences in the New Testament

1. Acts 6:13—The accusers of Stephen are called “false witnesses,” highlighting the judicial gravity of deceit in Israel’s courts and paralleling the earlier trial of Jesus Christ.
2. Revelation 2:2—The risen Lord commends the Ephesian church for unmasking men who “claim to be apostles… and have found them false.” The term underscores the importance of doctrinal testing inside the congregation.
3. Revelation 21:8—“All liars” are grouped with the flagrantly immoral and are consigned to the lake of fire. Falsehood is thus treated not as a lesser social flaw but as evidence of persistent unbelief.

Historical Background

First–century Judaism took false testimony with utmost seriousness, requiring two or three witnesses for legal judgments (Deuteronomy 19:15). Yet both Jesus and Stephen faced orchestrated perjury, showing how religious systems can be subverted by deceit. In the Greco-Roman world, itinerant teachers often sought patronage through persuasive speech; the apostolic church soon confronted pretenders who peddled spurious revelations. The Apocalypse frames this conflict as part of a larger cosmic struggle between the “faithful and true” Word (Revelation 19:11) and the “father of lies” (John 8:44).

Theological Significance

1. Truth as God’s self-revelation: Scripture equates truth with the very nature of God (John 14:6). To persist in falsehood is, therefore, to reject His character.
2. Falsehood as idolatry: When words deny reality, they fashion an alternate world in which humans, not God, define truth. Revelation places “liars” alongside idolaters, stressing the connection.
3. Eschatological separation: Revelation 21:8 shows that the new creation is reserved for those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life; unrepentant deceivers are excluded.

Related Biblical Themes

• Ninth Commandment—The prohibition against bearing false witness grounds community life in honesty (Exodus 20:16).
• Prophetic critique—False prophets speak “from their own hearts” (Jeremiah 23:16), contrasting with the Spirit-inspired speech of true messengers.
• Apostolic exhortations—Paul commands believers to “speak the truth each one to his neighbor” (Ephesians 4:25), rooting congregational unity in transparent speech.
• Satanic strategy—The devil’s primary weapon is deceit (Genesis 3:4), making truth-telling a form of spiritual warfare.

Practical Ministry Implications

1. Discernment: Churches must evaluate teachers by their doctrine and conduct, following the model of Ephesus (Revelation 2:2).
2. Leadership qualifications: Elders are required to be “above reproach” and “holding to the faithful word” (Titus 1:6-9); habitual lying disqualifies.
3. Evangelism: Gospel proclamation exposes false worldviews, calling sinners from darkness into the truth (2 Corinthians 4:2-6).
4. Pastoral care: Confession and repentance break the power of deceit in the believer’s life (1 John 1:9).
5. Church discipline: Persistent, unrepentant lying invites corrective action, lest leaven spread through the body (Acts 5:1-11; Galatians 6:1).

Messianic and Eschatological Dimensions

Jesus Christ embodies absolute truth; His followers are set apart “in the truth” (John 17:17). End-time prophecy portrays a culture of deception climaxing in the “man of lawlessness” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10), yet the Lamb ultimately triumphs, consigning every manifestation of ψευδής to final judgment.

Summary

Strong’s Greek 5571 confronts the reader with a stark binary: truth aligns with God and leads to life; falsehood aligns with Satan and leads to condemnation. Its three New Testament appearances trace that trajectory—from courtroom perjury, through ecclesial testing, to eschatological sentencing—urging believers to walk “in the light, as He is in the light” (1 John 1:7).

Forms and Transliterations

ψευδεί ψευδεις ψευδείς ψευδεῖς ψευδές ψευδέσι ψευδεσιν ψευδέσιν ψεύδεσιν ψευδή ψευδής ψευδούς ψεύδους ψευδών pseudeis pseudeîs pseudesin pseudésin

Englishman's Concordance

Acts 6:13 Adj-AMP
GRK: τε μάρτυρας ψευδεῖς λέγοντας Ὁ
NAS: They put forward false witnesses
KJV: set up false witnesses,
INT: and witnesses false saying the

Revelation 2:2 Adj-AMP
GRK: εὗρες αὐτοὺς ψευδεῖς
NAS: and they are not, and you found them [to be] FALSE;
KJV: hast found them liars:
INT: did find them liars

Revelation 21:8 Adj-DMP
GRK: πᾶσιν τοῖς ψευδέσιν τὸ μέρος
NAS: and all liars, their part
KJV: and all liars, shall have their part
INT: all liars the part

Strong's Greek 5571
3 Occurrences

ψευδεῖς — 2 Occ.
ψευδέσιν — 1 Occ.