H3576 H3576
To lie, deceive, or prove false; in various stems: tell lies (Piel), be shown a liar (Nifal), convict of falsehood (Hifil), or fail/disappoint (of things).
A verb centered on falsehood in speech and reality. In the Piel stem it describes active, deliberate lying — as when Israel flattered God with their lips but 'lied to him with their tongues' (Ps 78:36). The Nifal conveys being exposed as false, while the Hifil means to prove someone a liar. Strikingly, it can also describe things that 'lie' — streams that fail the thirsty traveler (Isa 58:11) — a metaphor the Arabic cognate kadhaba shares. Balaam's declaration that God is 'not a man that he should lie' (Num 23:19) anchors the word's theological weight.
Senses
1. lie, tell lies (Piel) — Active verbal deception in the Piel stem: to speak what is untrue, to tell lies deliberately. This is the primary and most frequent use, covering both absolute lying (Num 23:19, Job 6:28) and lying directed at someone (Ps 78:36, Ezek 13:19). Spanish 'mentir' and French 'mentir' capture the straightforward sense, while the English glosses range from 'I lie' to 'by your lying.' Proverbs 14:5 contrasts the faithful witness with one who 'breathes out lies,' using this same Piel form. 11×
AR["أَكذِبُ","أَكْذِبُ","بِكَذِبِكُنَّ","تَكذِبُ","تَكْذِبِينَ","تَكْذِبْ","فَ-يَكْذِبَ","كَذَبُوا-","يَكْذِبُ"]·ben["আমি-মিথ্যা-বলি","তারা-মিথ্যা-বলেছিল-","তুমি-মিথ্যা-বল","তোমাদের-মিথ্যায়","প্রতারণা-করত","প্রতারণা-করো","মিথ্যা-বলবে","মিথ্যা-বলি","মিথ্যা-হবে","যে-মিথ্যা-বলবেন"]·DE["[אכזב]","[בכזבכם]","[יכזב]","[כזב]","[תכזבי]","deceive","ich-wird-lagern","jenes-er-sollte-liegen","sie-lied"]·EN["I-lie","I-will-lie","by-lying-of-you","deceive","it-will-lie","lies","shall-I-lie","that-he-should-lie","they-lied","you-lied"]·FR["[תכזבי]","ce-il-should-se-coucher","mentir","trompe"]·heb["אכזב","ב-כזבכם","ו-יכזב","יכזב","יכזבו-","כיזב","תכזב","תכזבי"]·HI["कपट-का","कि-झूठ-बोले","झूठ","झूठ-बोलते-थे-","झूठ-बोलेगा","झूठा-ठहराया-जाऊँ","तू-झूठ-बोलती-है","में-तुम्हारे-झूठ-से","मैं-झूठ-बोलता-हूँ","मैं-झूठूँ","वह-झूठ-बोलेगा"]·ID["Aku-berdusta","aku berdusta","aku-berbohong","berbohong","berbohong-","berdusta","berdusta;","dan-berbohong","dengan-dusta-dustamu","engkau-berdusta"]·IT["[בכזבכם]","[יכזב]","[תכזבי]","inganna","menti'","mentire","menzogna","quello-egli-dovrebbe-giacere"]·jav["Kula-badhé-goroh","goroh","kawula-goroh","kula-goroh","lan-badhe-goroh","mawi-goroh-panjenengan-sedaya","ngapusi","panjenengan-goroh","tiyang-tiyang-goroh-"]·KO["거짓말하여","거짓말하였나이다","거짓말한다","거짓이","거짓하리이까","그리고-거짓말하는","내가-거짓말하겠느냐","내가-거짓말하리오","너희의-거짓으로-","네가-거짓말하고","속이지-마소서"]·PT["e-mentirá","mente","mentiam","mentir","mentirei","mentirá","mentisse","mentiste","mintas","por-vossas-mentiras"]·RU["-обманывай","лгали","лжецом-окажусь","лжёт","ложью-вашей","обманет","солгала-ты","солгу","солгу-я","солжёт","чтобы-лгать"]·ES["con-mentir-de-vosotras","engañes","le-mentían-","mentirá","mentiré","mentiste","miente","miento","y-mentirá"]·SW["akadanganya","akidanganya","hadanganyi","hayatadanganya","kwa-uongo-wenu","mdanganye","ningedanganya","nitadanganya","nitasema-uongo","unasema-uongo","walimdanganya"]·TR["değil","ve-yalan-söylesin","yalan-mı-söyleyeyim","yalan-soyledin","yalan-soyleme","yalan-söyler","yalan-söylerim","yalan-söylerlerdi","yalan-söyleyeceksem","yalanla-söyleyerek"]·urd["اور-جھوٹ-بولے","تمہارے-جھوٹ-بولنے-سے","جھوٹ-بولتی-ہے","جھوٹ-بولتے-رہے","جھوٹ-بولنا","جھوٹ-بولوں","جھوٹ-بولے","جھوٹ-بولے-گا","جھوٹا-بولوں","میں جھوٹا بولوں"]
2. lies (noun) — Substantival use where the participle or verbal form functions as a noun meaning 'lies' or 'falsehoods' — the content produced by lying. Both occurrences appear in Judges 16, where Delilah accuses Samson: 'you have told me lies' (Judg 16:10, 13). The Spanish 'mentiras' and German 'liegt' reflect this nominal shift from the act of lying to its product. 2×
AR["كَذِبًا"]·ben["মিথ্যা"]·DE["liegt"]·EN["lies"]·FR["se-couche"]·heb["כזבים"]·HI["झूठ"]·ID["kebohongan"]·IT["lies"]·jav["goroh"]·KO["거짓말들을"]·PT["mentiras"]·RU["ложь"]·ES["mentiras"]·SW["uongo"]·TR["yalanlar"]·urd["جھوٹ"]
3. be found false (Nifal) — The Nifal (passive/reflexive) stem meaning to be found false, proved a liar, or shown to be deceptive. In Job 41:9 it describes hope that 'is proved vain,' and in Proverbs 30:6 it warns against adding to God's words 'lest you be found a liar.' The Spanish 'seas hallado mentiroso' precisely captures this passive exposure of falsehood. 2×
AR["كَاذِبٌ","وَ-تُكَذَّبَ"]·ben["এবং-তুমি-মিথ্যাবাদী-হবে","মিথ্যা"]·DE["[ונכזבת]","[נכזבה]"]·EN["and-you-be-found-a-liar","is-vain"]·FR["et-mentir","mentir"]·heb["ו-ניכזבת","נכזבה"]·HI["और-झूठा-ठहरे।","झूठी-है"]·ID["dan-engkau-terbukti-pendusta","didustakan"]·IT["e-mentire","mentire"]·jav["dados-goroh;","lan-dipungorèhaken"]·KO["거짓이다","그리하면-네가-거짓말쟁이로-드러나리라"]·PT["e-sejas-achado-mentiroso","é-vã;"]·RU["и-окажешься-лжецом","обманчива"]·ES["es-falsa","y-seas-hallado-mentiroso"]·SW["na-ukawa-mwongo","ni-la-uongo"]·TR["ve-yalancı-çıkarsın","yalan-çıktı"]·urd["اور-جھوٹا-ٹھہرے","جھوٹی-ہے"]
4. fail, prove false (Piel) — An extended Piel sense applied to things rather than persons: to fail, disappoint, or prove deceptive. In Isaiah 58:11 it describes waters that 'do not fail' — springs whose flow never deceives the thirsty. This metaphorical extension from personal lying to impersonal failing is paralleled in Arabic and Aramaic cognates. The Spanish 'faltan' (they fail) captures the semantic shift from deception to disappointment. 1×
AR["تَكْذِبُ"]·ben["মিথ্যা-বলে"]·DE["[יכזבו]"]·EN["fail"]·FR["[יכזבו]"]·heb["יכזבו"]·HI["झूठ-बोलते-हैं"]·ID["mengecewakan"]·IT["[יכזבו]"]·jav["goroh"]·KO["속이리라"]·PT["enganam"]·RU["обманывают"]·ES["faltan"]·SW["hayakauki"]·TR["yalan-soyleyen"]·urd["جھوٹے-گا"]
5. prove someone a liar (Hifil) — The Hifil causative: to prove someone a liar, to convict of falsehood. Job 24:25 asks 'who will prove me a liar?' — challenging opponents to demonstrate his words are false. This is the only Hifil occurrence, and the Spanish 'me desmentira' (will disprove me) neatly renders the causative force of making someone's falsehood publicly evident. 1×
AR["يُكَذِّبُنِي"]·ben["আমাকে-মিথ্যা-বলবে?"]·DE["[יכזיבני]"]·EN["will-prove-me-a-liar"]·FR["mentir-moi"]·heb["יכזיבני"]·HI["मुझे-झूठा-ठहराएगा"]·ID["membuat-aku-pembohong"]·IT["mentire-mio"]·jav["mbuktèkaken-kawula-goroh"]·KO["거짓말하게-하겠느냐"]·PT["me-desmentirá"]·RU["уличит-меня-во-лжи"]·ES["me-desmentirá"]·SW["atakayenishuhudia-kuwa-mwongo"]·TR["yalanlar-beni"]·urd["جھٹلائے گا-مجھے"]
6. liar (Qal participle) — The Qal active participle used as a substantive: 'a liar,' describing a person's settled character. Psalm 116:11 declares 'all mankind is a liar' (kol ha-adam kozev), a sweeping indictment. The participle functions as a predicate noun, and the Spanish 'mentiroso' and English 'is a liar' both reflect this characterizing use. 1×
AR["كاذِب"]·ben["মিথ্যাবাদী"]·DE["ist-ein-liar"]·EN["is-a-liar"]·FR["mensonge"]·heb["כוזב"]·HI["झूठा"]·ID["pendusta"]·IT["menti'"]·jav["goroh"]·KO["거짓되도다"]·PT["é-mentiroso"]·RU["лжец"]·ES["mentiroso"]·SW["ni-mdanganyifu"]·TR["yalancı"]·urd["جھوٹا-ہے"]
Related Senses
H5921a 1. upon, on, over (spatial) (5443×)H0413 1. directional: to, toward (5366×)H1121a 1. son, male offspring, descendant (4914×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H4428 1. king, human ruler (2518×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)H6440 1. before, in front of (spatial) (1870×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H3027 1. physical hand (body part) (1596×)H1697 1. word, speech, utterance (1235×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
��� [כָּזַב] vb. lie, be a liar (Arabic كَذَبَ Aramaic כְּדַב ܟܕܰܒ id. chiefly Pa.; NH כָּזַב)— Qal Pt. כָּל־הָאָדָם כֹּזֵב ψ 116:11 (cf. כָּזָב 62:10). Niph. Pf. 3 fs. תֹּחַלְתּוֹ נִכְזָ֑בָה Jb 41:1 his hope has been made deceptive, i.e. been shewn to be so; 2 ms. consec. וְנִכְזָ֑בְתָּ Pr 30:6 lest he convict thee and thou be proved a liar. Pi. Pf. 3 ms. כִּזֵּב Mi 2:11; Impf. 3 ms. יְכַזֵּב Hb…