King James Bible Dictionary

FALSE, adjective [Latin falsus, from fallo, to deceive. See Fall and Fail.]

1. Not true; not conformable to fact; expressing what is contrary to that which exists, is done, said or thought. A false report communicates what is not done or said. A false accusation imputes to a person what he has not done or said. A false witness testifies what is not true. A false opinion is not according to truth or fact. The word is applicable to any subject, physical or moral.

2. Not well founded; as a false claim.

3. Not true; not according to the lawful standard; as a false weight or measure.

4. Substituted for another; succedaneous; supposititious; as a false bottom.

5. Counterfeit; forged; not genuine; as false coin; a false bill or note.

6. Not solid or sound; deceiving expectations; as a false foundation

FALSE and slippery ground.

7. Not agreeable to rule or propriety; as false construction in language.

8. Not honest or just; not fair; as false play.

9. Not faithful or loyal; treacherous; perfidious; deceitful. The king's subjects may prove false to him. So we say, a false heart.

10. Unfaithful; inconstant; as a false friend; a false lover; false to promises and vows.

The husband and wife proved false to each other.

11. Deceitful; treacherous; betraying secrets.

12. Counterfeit; not genuine or real; as a false diamond.

13. Hypocritical; feigned; made or assumed for the purpose of deception; as false tears; false modesty. The man appears in false colors. The advocate gave the subject a false coloring.

FALSE fire, a blue flame, made by the burning of certain combustibles, in a wooden tube; used as a signal during the night.

FALSE imprisonment, the arrest and imprisonment of a person without warrant or cause, or contrary to law; or the unlawful detaining of a person in custody.

FALSE, adverb Not truly; not honestly; falsely.

FALSE, verb transitive

1. To violate by failure of veracity; to deceive. obsolete

2. To defeat; to balk; to evade. obsolete

See Accusation, False
Accusation, False

In self
Deuteronomy 29:19; 1 Kings 20:11; Proverbs 3:5; Proverbs 23:4; Proverbs 26:12; Proverbs 28:26; Isaiah 5:21; Romans 12:16; 2 Corinthians 1:9

In outward resources
Psalms 20:7; Psalms 33:17; Psalms 44:6; Psalms 49:6; Proverbs 11:28; Isaiah 22:11; Isaiah 31:1-3; Jeremiah 48:7; Zech 4:6; Mark 10:24

In man
Psalms 33:16; Psalms 62:9; Psalms 118:8; Psalms 146:3-4; Isaiah 2:22; Jeremiah 17:5; Hosea 5:13; Hosea 7:11

Instances of:

At Babel
Genesis 11:4

Sennacherib, in the siege of Jerusalem
2 Kings 19:23

Asa, in relying on Syria rather than on God
2 Chronicles 16:7-9

Hezekiah, in the defenses of Jerusalem
Isaiah 22:11

Peter, in asserting his devotion to Jesus
Matthew 26:35; Luke 22:33-34; John 13:37-38
Confidence, False

See Teachers, False
Teachers, False

General references
Exodus 20:16; Deuteronomy 5:20; Matthew 19:18; Luke 18:20; Romans 13:9; Exodus 23:1; Leviticus 6:3; Leviticus 19:11-12; Leviticus 19:16; Deuteronomy 19:16-20; Psalms 27:12; Psalms 35:11; Proverbs 6:16-19; Proverbs 12:17; Proverbs 14:5; Proverbs 14:8; Proverbs 14:25; Proverbs 18:5; Proverbs 19:9; Proverbs 19:22; Proverbs 19:28; Proverbs 21:28; Proverbs 24:28; Proverbs 25:18; Zech 5:3-4; Matthew 15:19; Luke 3:14; 1 Timothy 1:9-10
Perjury; Falsehood; Evidence, Laws Concerning; Witness

Instances of:

Witnesses against Naboth
1 Kings 21:13

Witnesses against Jesus
Matthew 26:59-61; Mark 14:54-59

Witnesses against Stephen
Acts 6:11; Acts 6:13

Witnesses against Paul
Acts 16:20-21; Acts 17:5-7; Acts 24:5; Acts 25:7-8

FALSE-HEART,

FALSE-HEARTED, adjective Hollow; treacherous; deceitful; perfidious. [The former is not used.]

FALSE-HEARTEDNESS, noun Perfidiousness; treachery.

General references
Exodus 23:1; Leviticus 6:2-7; Leviticus 19:11-12; Leviticus 19:16; Exodus 20:16; Job 13:4; Job 21:34; Job 27:4; Job 31:5-6; Job 31:33; Job 36:4; Psalms 5:6; Psalms 5:9; Psalms 10:7; Psalms 12:2-3; Psalms 28:3; Psalms 31:18; Psalms 34:13; 1 Peter 3:10; Psalms 36:3; Psalms 50:19-20; Psalms 52:2-5; Psalms 55:21; Psalms 55:23; Psalms 58:3; Psalms 59:12; Psalms 62:4; Psalms 63:11; Psalms 101:5; Psalms 101:7; Psalms 109:2; Psalms 116:11; Psalms 119:29; Psalms 119:69; Psalms 119:163; Psalms 120:2-4; Psalms 144:8; Psalms 144:11; Proverbs 2:12-15; Proverbs 3:3; Proverbs 6:12-13; Proverbs 6:16-19; Proverbs 10:9-10; Proverbs 10:18; Proverbs 10:31; Proverbs 11:9; Proverbs 12:17; Proverbs 12:19-20; Proverbs 12:22; Proverbs 13:5; Proverbs 14:5; Proverbs 14:8; Proverbs 14:25; Proverbs 17:4; Proverbs 17:7; Proverbs 19:5; Proverbs 19:9; Proverbs 19:22; Proverbs 19:28; Proverbs 20:17; Proverbs 21:6; Proverbs 26:18-19; Proverbs 26:24-26; Proverbs 26:28; Proverbs 27:14; Ecclesiastes 5:6; Isaiah 28:15; Isaiah 32:7; Isaiah 57:11; Isaiah 59:3-4; Isaiah 59:12-13; Isaiah 63:8; Jeremiah 7:8; Jeremiah 7:28; Jeremiah 9:3; Jeremiah 9:5-6; Jeremiah 9:8; Jeremiah 12:6; Jeremiah 50:36; Ezekiel 22:9; Hosea 4:1-2; Obadiah 1:7; Micah 6:12; Nahum 3:1; Zephaniah 3:13; Matthew 25:44-46; John 8:44-45; Ephesians 4:25; Ephesians 4:29; Colossians 3:9; 1 Timothy 1:9-10; 1 Timothy 4:2; 1 Peter 3:16; Revelation 21:8; Revelation 21:27; Revelation 22:15
Accusation, False; Conspiracy; Deceit; Deception; False Witness; Flattery; Hypocrisy; Perjury; Teachers, False

Instances of:

Satan:

In deceiving Eve
Genesis 3:4-5

In impugning Job's motives for being righteous
Job 1:9-10; Job 2:4-5

In his false pretensions to Jesus
Matthew 4:8-9; Luke 4:6-7

Adam and Eve, in attempting to evade responsibility
Genesis 3:12-13

Cain, in denying knowledge of his brother
Genesis 4:9

Abraham, in denying that Sarah was his wife
Genesis 12:11-19; Genesis 20:2

Sarah:

To the angels, denying her derisive laugh of unbelief
Genesis 18:15

In denying to the king of Gerar, that she was Abraham's wife
Genesis 20:5; Genesis 20:16

Isaac, denying that Rebekah was his wife
Genesis 26:7-10

Rebekah and Isaac, in the conspiracy against Esau
Genesis 27:6-24; Genesis 27:46

Jacob's sons, in the scheme to destroy the Shechemites by first having them circumcised
Genesis 1:34

Joseph's brethren, in deceiving their father into a belief that Joseph was killed by wild beasts
Genesis 37:29-35

Potiphar's wife, in falsely accusing Joseph
Genesis 39:14-17

Joseph, in the deception he carried on with his brethren
Genesis 1:42

Pharaoh, in dealing deceitfully with the Israelites
Genesis 2:7

Aaron, in attempting to shift responsibility for the making of the golden calf
Exodus 32:1-24

Rahab, in denying that the spies were in her house
Joshua 2:4-6

The Gibeonites, ambassadors, in the deception they perpetrated upon Joshua and the elders of Israel in leading them to believe that they came from a distant region, when in fact they dwelt in the immediate vicinity
Joshua 6:9

Ehud, in pretending to bear secret messages to Eglon, king of Moab, while his object was to assassinate him
Judges 3:16-23

Sisera, who instructed Jael to mislead his pursuers
Judges 4:20

Saul:

In professing to Samuel to have obeyed the commandment to destroy all spoils of the Amalekites, when in fact he had not obeyed
1 Samuel 15:1-26

In accusing Ahimelech of conspiring with David against himself
1 Samuel 22:11-16

David:

Lied to Ahimelech, professing to have a mission from the king, in order that he might obtain provisions and armor
1 Samuel 21:1-15

In feigning madness
1 Samuel 21:13-15

Other deceits with the Philistines
1 Samuel 27:8-12

The falsehood he put in the mouth of Hushai, of friendship to Absalom
2 Samuel 15:34-37

Michal, in the false statement that David was sick, in order to save him from Saul's violence
1 Samuel 19:12-17

The Amalekite who claimed to have slain Saul
2 Samuel 1:10-12

Hushai:

In false professions to Absalom
2 Samuel 16:16-19

In his deceitful counsel to Absalom
2 Samuel 17:7-14

The wife of the Bahurimite who saved the lives of Hushai's messengers, sent to apprise David of the movements of Absalom's army
2 Samuel 17:15-22

The murder, under false pretense:

Of Adonijah
1 Kings 2:23

Of Shimei
1 Kings 2:42-43

Of Jeroboam's wife
1 Kings 14:2

The old prophet of Beth-El who misguided the prophet of Judah
1 Kings 13:11-22

Jeroboam's wife, feigning herself another woman
1 Kings 14:5-7

The conspirators against Naboth
1 Kings 21:7-13

Gehazi, when he ran after Naaman, and misrepresented that Elisha wanted a talent of silver and two changes of raiment
2 Kings 5:20-24

Hazael, servant of the king of Syria, lied to the king in misstating the prophet Elisha's message in regard to the king's recovery
2 Kings 8:7-15

Jehu lied to the worshipers of Baal in order to gain advantage over them, and destroy them
2 Kings 10:18-28

Zedekiah, in violating his oath of allegiance to Nebuchadnezzer
2 Chronicles 36:13; Ezekiel 16:59; Ezekiel 17:15-20

Samaritans, in their efforts to hinder the rebuilding of the temple at Jerusalem
Ezekiel 15:4

Sanballat, in trying to obstruct the rebuilding of Jerusalem
Ezekiel 16:6

Haman, in his conspiracy against the Jews
Esther 3:8

Jeremiah's adversaries, in accusing him of joining the Chaldeans
Jeremiah 37:13-15

Princes of Israel, when they went to Jeremiah for a vision from the Lord
Jeremiah 42:20

Herod, to the wise men, in professing to desire to worship Jesus
Matthew 2:8

Jews:

In falsely accusing Jesus of being gluttonous and a winebibber
Matthew 11:19

In refusing to bear truthful testimony concerning John the Baptist
Matthew 21:24-27

Falsely accusing Jesus of blasphemy, when he remitted sin
Matthew 9:2-6; Mark 2:7; Luke 5:21

Falsely accusing Jesus of blasphemy, when he announced that he was the Son of God
Matthew 26:65; Mark 14:64; John 10:33-38

Peter, in denying Jesus
Matthew 26:69-75; Mark 14:68-71; Luke 22:56-62; John 18:25-27

The Roman soldiers, who said the disciples stole the body of Jesus
Matthew 28:13; Matthew 28:15

The disobedient son, who promised to work in the vineyard, but did not
Matthew 21:30

Ananias and Sapphira falsely state that they had sold their land for a given sum
Acts 5:1-10

Stephen's accusers, who falsely accused him of blaspheming Moses and God
Acts 6:11-14

Paul's traducers, falsely accusing him of treason to Caesar
Acts 16:20-21; Acts 17:5-7; Acts 24:5; Acts 25:7-8

The Cretians are always liars, evil beasts, slow bellies
Titus 1:12
Accusation, False; Conspiracy; False Witness; Hypocrisy; Perjury; Teachers, False

FALSEHOOD, noun fols'hood. [false and hood.]

1. Contrariety or inconformity to fact or truth; as the falsehood of a report.

2. Want of truth or veracity; a lie; an untrue assertion.

3. Want of honesty; treachery; deceitfulness; perfidy.

But falsehood is properly applied to things only. [See falseness.]

4. Counterfeit; false appearance; imposture.

FALSELY, adverb fols'ly.

1. In a manner contrary to truth and fact; not truly; as, to speak or swear falsely; to testify falsely

2. Treacherously; perfidiously.

Swear to me - that thou wilt not deal falsely with me.

Genesis 21:23.

3. Erroneously; by mistake.

FALSENESS, noun fols'ness.

1. Want of integrity and veracity, either in principle or in act; as the falseness of a man's heart, or his falseness to his word.

2. Duplicity; deceit; double-dealing.

3. Unfaithfulness; treachery; perfidy; traitorousness.

The prince is in no danger of being betrayed by the falseness or cheated by the avarice of such a servant.

FALS'ER, noun A deceiver.

FALSET'TO, noun A feigned voice.