From the time of my youth I have heard teachers, preachers and other Bible students speak of Abraham’s “lie” regarding his relationship with Sarah. In recent years, however, I have found it difficult to harmonize the totality of Scripture with that view. As “food for thought,” allow me to offer the following:

The Facts

On at least two occasions during their sojourning (Gen. 12:10-20; 20:1-18), Abraham and Sarah carry out a plan in which they would not volunteer information about their marriage. Abraham explained their plan this way,

When God caused me to wander from my father’s house, I said to [Sarah], ‘This is the kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, say of me, “He is my brother”’ (Gen. 20:13).

The patriarch and his wife carried out this plan to keep those who did not fear God from killing him and taking Sarah for themselves (Gen. 12:11-13; 20:11). In order to determine whether or not to characterize Abraham and Sarah as “liars,” we must adequately deal with the following issues.

The Dilemmas

Is a “half-sister” a “sister?” In Abraham’s explanation of his actions to Abimelech, he said, “She is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother” (Gen. 20:12). If it is acceptable to refer to a half-sister as a sister, then we cannot charge Abraham with having spoken an untruth— a false statement. I submit that it is not a lie to refer to a half-sister as a sister. In John 7:1-5, John twice refers to the half-brothers of Jesus as “his brothers.” If one is guilty of stating an untruth by referring to a half-sister as a sister, then why is not the Holy Spirit guilty of lying when he inspired John to refer to the half-brothers of Jesus as “his brothers?”

Are we always obligated to tell everything we know? 1 Samuel 16:1-5 records the incident in which Samuel is told by God to anoint one of Jesse’s sons as King, for he has rejected Saul. Concerned for his life, Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” To that objection, God told Samuel to take a heifer with him for a sacrifice and instead of telling anyone about anointing a new king, Samuel was to tell them that he had come to sacrifice to God.

Here is an important question: Did God instruct Samuel to lie? Of course not. He simply instructed Samuel not to divulge every reason he had for coming to the hometown of Jesse. Did Samuel go to Bethlehem to sacrifice to God? Yes. He also came to anoint a new king, but he was under no obligation to reveal that information.

Now back to Abraham. Was he divinely obligated to tell everyone he met that he and Sarah were married? I know of no such law. What, then, is the difference between what Abraham did with regard to Sarah and what Samuel did?

Let me quickly add this, lest anyone misunderstand: had Abraham said, “Sarah is not my wife,” he would have been guilty of lying. Had Samuel said, “I am not here to anoint a new king,” he would have lied. Yet neither man denied any truth nor uttered any falsehoods.  And in Samuel’s case, what he did was at the direct command of God!

Consider this parallel: when I met with the Brown Trail elders in 2002 regarding the possibility of moving to the Fort Worth area to work with them, I was at the time working with the Lord’s church in Tyler, Texas. On one occasion, my family and I traveled to the area and stayed with my wife’s parents for a couple of days, during which time I met with the Brown Trail elders and discussed future plans. Before we left Tyler to come this direction for that visit, I was asked by a number of people, “Where are you going?” My reply was, “We’re going to Fort Worth to visit Mary’s folks for a couple of days.” Did I lie? If I did, then so did Samuel. The truth is, no falsehood was spoken. We did exactly what I said we would do. Was I under divine obligation to divulge every reason for our travel? I do not believe that I was.

Who was punished? Is it not interesting that in the two instances in which Abraham referred to Sarah as his sister that the only two people who were punished were Pharaoh and Abimelech? “The Lord afflicted Pharaoh…” (12:17). “The Lord had closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech” (20:18).

Is it not also interesting that in the case of Abimelech, God sent him to Abraham so that Abraham could intercede for him? Note God’s words to Abimelech, “Return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you and you shall live” (20:7). “Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they bore children” (20:17). If Abraham was carrying around the guilt of lying, wouldn’t someone need to intercede for him?

But where was Abraham’s rebuke from God? True, both Pharaoh and Abimelech were none too pleased with what Abraham did. But where is God’s censure of the patriarch? Instead of receiving rebuke, Abraham, per God’s directive, acted as intercessor for Abimelech — a role that would seem very out of place for the one who’s “lie” brought about Abimelech’s woes.

Concluding Thoughts

When I have presented this information in the past, some have questioned whether or not I support lying under certain circumstances. I do not! Lest there by any misunderstanding, let me state as clearly as I know how: it is never right, in any situation, to lie — that is, to state things that are untrue or to deny things that are true (Rev. 21:8; Prov. 6:16-17; Col. 3:9).

I simply submit that we have been inaccurate in characterizing Abraham’s actions as “lying.”

Eddie Parrish