Deceived: nasha, verb (Strong’s 5377)
Root: יַשִּׁ֥א
Deception is a tricky thing. I’m particularly frustrated with AI and their manipulation of photographs. I’m not entirely anti-AI, it has its helpful uses, but I am faced, daily, with images on social media that make me question their validity. Am I really looking at an authentic photo or has it been altered and distorted? False things are starting to look too authentic and that’s a deception that makes me very uncomfortable. I do not like to be deceived and I’m frustrated that I can’t trust my eyes to see the difference. The feeling of being duped makes me feel like a fool, and I hate it.
Being deceived damages our ability to trust and it can take a toll on our ability to be confident humans. It makes me have some compassion for Eve who was the first to be deceived by someone.
Genesis 3:13-15
Then YHWH God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me [hishiani הִשִּׁיאַ֖נִי], and I ate.”
Then YHWH said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you more than all the livestock, and more than any animal of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life; and I will make enemies of you and the woman, and of your offspring and her Descendant; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise Him on the heel.”
Notice that YHWH did not tell Eve that she should have known better. He heard her and then he cursed the deceiver and not the deceived. After addressing the root of the problem, YHWH then pointed out to Eve that there were, unfortunately, consequences to being deceived and that meant hardships ahead.
Misdirection and Deception
Deception is tricky. Sometimes people use psychological misdirection by crying “deception” when they are actually the deceivers. When the Assyrians came knocking on Judah’s door they tried to sway the people to give up, stating that Hezekiah’s promise to save them was a deception:
2 Kings 18:28-32
Then Rabshakeh stood up and shouted with a loud voice in Judean, saying, “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! This is what the king says: ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you [yashi יַשִּׁ֥יא], for he will not be able to save you from my hand. And do not let Hezekiah lead you to trust in YHWH by saying, ‘YHWH will certainly save us, and this city will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.’ Do not listen to Hezekiah, for this is what the king of Assyria says: ‘Make your peace with me and come out to me, and eat, each one, from his vine and each from his fig tree, and drink, each one, the waters of his own cistern, until I come and take you to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees producing oil, and of honey, so that you will live and not die.’ But do not listen to Hezekiah, because he misleads you by saying, “YHWH will save us.”
The Assyrians audaciously and deceptively stated that it wasn’t just Hezekiah out to deceive them, it was also YHWH who would deceive them:
2 Kings 19:9b-10 (see also Isaiah 36:14)
…he sent messengers again to Hezekiah, saying, “This is what you shall say to Hezekiah king of Judah: ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you [yashi’aka יַשִּׁאֲךָ֣] by saying, “Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.”
The Assyrians accused YHWH of being a deceiver. That’s pretty bold… and dangerous. In response Hezekiah prayed to YHWH, saying,
2 Kings 19:16-19 (see also Isaiah 37:10)
“Incline Your ear, YHWH, and hear; open Your eyes, YHWH, and see; and listen to the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to taunt the living God. It is true, YHWH; the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands, and have hurled their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but only the work of human hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them. But now, YHWH our God, please, save us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, YHWH, are God.”
YHWH’s reaction to Hezekiah’s prayer proved that the real deceivers were the Assyrians. YHWH did, indeed, save His people and Jerusalem was not handed over to the Assyrians.
Accusing YHWH of Deception
Sometimes, when circumstances seemed dire, even God’s own followers wondered if YHWH had deceived them. With the threat of imminent Babylonian attack, Jeremiah questioned YHWH’s earlier promises of peace:
Jeremiah 4:10
Then I said, “Oh, Lord YHWH! Surely You have utterly deceived (deceived deceived) [hashey hishey’ta הַשֵּׁ֨א הִשֵּׁ֜אתָ] this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘You will have peace’; yet a sword touches the throat.”
The phrase in English is “utterly deceived” but in Hebrew it is a double usage of the word to indicate emphatic expression. Hyper-literally Jeremiah was questioning YHWH, saying, “surely You have deceived-deceived this people.”
Was it justified to blame God of being a deceiver? YHWH never broke a promise. Eventually there would be peace; eventually the people would be saved. Even when the people felt like God had forgotten them, they were experiencing a deception:
Jeremiah 23:39–40
[YHWH:] “Therefore behold, I will certainly (deceivingly) [nasho נָשֹׁ֑א] forget you and thrust you away from My presence, along with the city which I gave you and your fathers. I will put an everlasting disgrace on you and an everlasting humiliation which will not be forgotten.”
Would YHWH entirely forget them? No. That was the deception. They would feel like YHWH had forgotten them; they would feel the disgrace that had been placed upon them, but they were not forgotten. The abandonment felt very real (that’s the deception) but YHWH was, and is, always merciful and always forgiving.
Power and Deception
Humans have a great capacity for deception, especially those who want to hold onto the power they have been given. The Edomites did everything they could to hold onto power and they deceived themselves into thinking that they were invincible:
Obadiah 1:1-7 (see also Jeremiah 49:16)
[YHWH to the Edomites:] “The arrogance of your heart has deceived you [hishi’eka הִשִּׁיאֶ֔ךָ], the one who lives in the clefts of the rock, on the height of his dwelling place, who says in his heart, ‘Who will bring me down to earth?’ Though you make your home high like the eagle, though you set your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down,” declares YHWH. If thieves came to you, if robbers by night— oh how you will be ruined!— would they not steal only until they had enough? If grape-pickers came to you, would they not leave some gleanings?
Oh how Esau will be searched, and his hidden treasures searched out! All the people allied with you will send you to the border, and the people at peace with you will deceive you [hishi’uka הִשִּׁיא֛וּךָ] and overpower you. They who eat your bread will set an ambush for you. (There is no understanding in him.)”
Those who relied on themselves, and thought they were safe by their own power, were deceiving themselves. They would fall at the hands of other deceivers because they had no regard for YHWH.
Deception & Denial
Deception wasn’t just a threat to the enemies of the Hebrew people. YHWH warned His people about deceiving prophets within their own communities:
Jeremiah 29:8-9
For this is what YHWH of armies, the God of Israel says: ‘Do not let your prophets who are in your midst or your diviners deceive you [yashi’u יַשִּׁ֧יאוּ], and do not listen to their interpretations of your dreams which you dream. For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them,’ declares YHWH.
The lesson? Do not be deceived by your leaders, but also, do not deceive yourselves:
Jeremiah 37:9-10
This is what YHWH says: ‘Do not deceive [al tashiu אַל־תַּשִּׁ֤אוּ] yourselves, saying, “The Chaldeans will certainly go away from us,” for they will not go. For even if you had defeated the entire army of Chaldeans who were fighting against you, and there were only wounded men left among them, each man in his tent, they would rise up and burn this city with fire.’”
YHWH was telling them not to live in denial. The Babylonians (Chaldeans) were on their doorstep, and this time, they weren’t going away. Telling yourself that everything is going to be fine (when clearly it is not) is a dangerous precedent. Living in oblivion is not facing reality and all the hard-earned lessons that go with it.
It’s not uncommon for people to deceive themselves, especially when they have been puffed up by fame or wealth or success.
Deception Warning Letters
The letters in the B’rit Chadashah (New Testament) also warn us not to deceive ourselves:
1 John 1:8
If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving [Gr: planōmen] ourselves and the truth is not in us.
1 Corinthians 3:18-19a
Take care that no one deceives [Gr: exapatatō] himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the sight of God.
Many of the letters also warned the people to beware of deception in others:
2 Timothy 3:13-15
But evil people and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived Gr: planōntes kai planōmenoi]. You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 6:7
Do not be deceived [Gr: planasthe], God is not mocked; for whatever a person sows, this he will also reap.
Ephesians 5:6-8
See that no one deceives [Gr: apatatō] you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light…
James 1:13-18
No one is to say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it has run its course, brings forth death. Do not be deceived [Gr: planasthe], my beloved brothers and sisters. Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. In the exercise of His will He gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.
1 John 3:7-8
Little children, make sure no one deceives [Greek: planato] you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.
2 John 1:7
For many deceivers [Greek: planoi] have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver [Gr: planos] and the antichrist.
Those who are anti-Messiah are the real deceivers, but the Messiah himself, Yeshua, was described by the religious elite as a deceiver. After Yeshua’s execution and burial the accusers feared that his powers of (so-called) deception would continue:
Matthew 27:63
Now on the next day, that is, the day which is after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate, and they said, “Sir, we remember that when that deceiver was still alive, He said, ‘After three days I am rising.’ Therefore, give orders for the tomb to be made secure until the third day; otherwise, His disciples may come and steal Him, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how.” And they went and made the tomb secure with the guard, sealing the stone.
However, there was no deception. Yeshua did rise up on the third day but these Pharisees and Sadducees were blind to the truth. Many Jews today still feel that Yeshua was some kind of grand deceiver and charlatan.
Yeshua was not, and is not, a deceiver, but He did warn His followers about humans who would make false and absolute claims:
Luke 21:8 (See also Mark 13:5, Matt 24:4-5)
Jesus answered, “See to it that you are not deceived [Gr: planēthēte]. For many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them.”
The biggest danger of deception is following those with personal agendas, false narratives, and time-sensitive declarations. Any time we put more faith in our fellow humans and less faith in God, our Creator, we’re in jeopardy of being deceived. Prayer and Biblical study are helpful antidotes to human deception; without them we are at great risk of being hoodwinked and misguided, and that’s difficult to recovery from.
Do not be deceived. Be on our guard and pray for discernment. And always remember, when you feel deceived and you fear that you can’t trust anyone, YHWH is there. You can trust YHWH! He will never leave you or deceive you:
Proverbs 3:5-8
Trust in YHWH with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear YHWH and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones.
Next week: Tidying up
Hebrew Word Lessons 