Why, since the ninth commandment forbids giving false testimony (Ex. 20:16), was Rahab praised for lying to the soldiers of Jericho.  This refers to the episode when Joshua sent spies to Jericho, who his in the house of Rahab the prostitute.  The King of Jericho learned of their presence, but when the soldiers came to her house she told them that the spies had departed the city.  This was not true.  In fact, she had hidden the spies and helped them to escape by climbing out her window on a rope (Jos. 2:1-15).  Because of this, Rahab and her family were spared when Jericho fell to the Israelites.  Reporting on this incident, Hebrews 11:31 praises Rahab for her great faith.  James 2:25 specifically praises her for deceiving the soldiers who came in pursuit of the spies.

How could Rahab be rewarded and praised for lying?  Does this call into question the Bible’s consistency or the validity of the Ten Commandments?  The answer is No.  The reason Rahab is not accused under the ninth commandment is that she did not violate it.  Exodus 20:16 says, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”  The term “false witness" deals specifically of the law court and in like situations when it is our duty to speak truthfully.  It adds that truth is owed to “our neighbor.”  There are people and situations where neither of these apply.

This means that there are times when it is our duty not to speak the truth.  One example is in warfare.  It is a soldier’s duty to deceive his enemy.  This is the category into which Rahab’s action fits.  The King of Jericho was the enemy ruler at war with God’s people; as such, it was the duty of the godly to oppose him – including the use of deceit.  Another example occurs in 2 Kings 6:19, when Elisha’s prayer blinded the enemy army, after which the prophet deceived them into following him into captivity.  In both these cases, God’s holy war against his enemies called for deception.  Today, God’s holy war takes the form of spiritual warfare, so that Satan is the antitype of the King of Jericho, whom Rahab rightly deceived.

Another circumstance in which we are right to deceive is when people are committing a crime.  This was the case when Pharaoh ordered the murder of all the Israelite baby boys.  The midwives “feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them” (Ex. 2:17).  When Pharaoh demanded an explanation for this, the midwives lied and said that Israelite women all had their babies too quickly for the midwives to arrive (Ex. 2:19).  We are explicitly told that God blessed the midwives for this (Ex. 2:21).  Why?  Because a murderer does not have the right to be told the truth in pursuit of his crime.  He is not a “neighbor” but a proper enemy, who is to be treated as such.  In fact, to lie to such a criminal is an application of God’s command to love our neighbor.

Does this open the door to situational ethics, which says that morality all depends on the situation?  The answer is No.  The classic situational ethics example is that of a man who enters your home, pulls out a gun, and demands to know where you wife and children are.  Is it a sin to lie?  The answer is no, not because morals are relative, but because a murderer seeking your family is not a neighbor and does not deserve the truth.

Doesn’t this give us an excuse to lie when we think it is convenient?  The answer is No, because the ninth commandment says that we must not lie to those who deserve from us the truth.  Courts of law are owed the truth.  You owe your spouse the truth.  If your boss is acting sinfully, you should confront him at the risk of your job rather than to lie to him, because your relationship with him places you under a duty not to bear false witness.  Moreover, when opposing villains today like abortionists and pornographers, the example of Rahab does not give Christians the right to lie to the media or to government officials, to whom we owe the truth.

It was faith that caused Rahab to lie to God’s enemy, and it was faith that led the midwives to lie to Pharaoh.  In both cases, it would have been easier and less risky for them to tell the truth.  If we are lying for personal gain or to avoid merely unpleasant situations, we can be sure that we are sinning.  Let us always love our neighbor as ourselves (Mt. 22:39), a general commandment that requires us to love and practice truth as much as possible.

Rev. Richard Phillips is the chair of the Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology and senior pastor at First Presbyterian Church Coral Springs, Margate, Florida.

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