ψευδομαρτυρία (G5577) — Greek Lexicon

ψευδομαρτυρία

pseudomartyría

G5577 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Act of giving false testimony; the state, practice, or instance of offering untrue or fraudulent evidence or declaration, especially in a legal or formal context. Also used to signify misrepresentation of facts or deliberate deceit in bearing witness.

Semantic Range

false testimony, perjury, untrue declaration in court or legal setting, fraudulent evidence, false accusation, misrepresentation of facts in official settings

Root / Etymology

From ψευδομαρτυρέω (‘to bear false witness’), itself a compound of ψευδής (‘false, lying’) and μαρτυρέω (‘to witness, testify’), ultimately from ψευδο- (‘false’) + μάρτυς (‘witness’). Thus, the word directly denotes ‘false testimony’ or ‘false witnessing.’

Historical & Contextual Notes

ψευδομαρτυρία appears in Koine Greek legal and narrative contexts, especially in the Septuagint as a rendering of the Hebrew עֵדוּת שָׁקֶר (‘lying testimony’). In both the LXX and the New Testament, it refers specifically to the act or content of bearing witness to something untrue, frequently in judicial settings (e.g., giving evidence before a court or assembly). The concept directly relates to the prohibition in the Decalogue (‘You shall not bear false witness’). In secular Greek, the term retains its legal or forensic application, denoting formal testimony that is contrary to the truth. English translations commonly render it ‘false witness’ or ‘false testimony,’ but the Greek term often retains a specifically judicial or forensic nuance which may be broader than the more restricted idea of merely lying. ψευδομαρτυρία is distinct from simple lying (ψεῦδος) in that it is specifically about formal testimony rather than general speech or conduct.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from ψευδομάρτυρ; untrue testimony:--false witness.

Root Family

ψευδομαρτυρία (pseudomartyria) — false testimony, perjury, fraudulent witness, false accusation

Root ψευδομαρτυρ- to bear false witness, testify untruthfully

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G5577-02`	ψευδομαρτυρίαν	pseudomarturian	`N ACC F SG`	false testimony	false testimony	false testimony	1
`G5577-01`	ψευδομαρτυρίαι	pseudomarturiai	`N NOM F PL`	false witness	false testimonies	false testimonies	1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G5577-01`	Matthew 15:19	ψευδομαρτυρίαι	pseudomarturiai	`N NOM F PL`	false witness	false testimonies	false testimonies
`G5577-02`	Matthew 26:59	ψευδομαρτυρίαν	pseudomarturian	`N ACC F SG`	false testimony	false testimony	false testimony

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