Swedenborg says that when people lie or speak falsely in the Bible, it represents “falsity of faith” and the resulting “evil of faith” — essentially taking limited information out of context and making assumptions about what it means, which will end up twisted into self-serving forms. An example used in Swedenborg is when people take an overly literal view of the Bible and develop ideas based on short passages taken out of context. The world offers many examples of churches doing terrible things based on originally well-intentioned attempts to interpret Scripture.
Passages from Swedenborg
Arcana Coelestia 8908
[3] Many times in the Word the expression ‘a lie’ is used, and wherever it occurs the falsity and evil of faith is meant in the internal sense. And ‘the witness of a lie’, who is also called ‘the witness of violence’, means confirming something false, whether before a judge, or before someone else, or before oneself by convincing oneself in one’s inner thinking, as in Exod. 23:1ff; Lev. 19:11, 12ff; Deut. 19:16-20. The fact that ‘a lie’ in the spiritual sense is the evil and falsity of faith is clear from the following places: In John,
You are from your father the devil, and the desires of your father you will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has not stood in the truth because the truth is not in him. When he speaks alie he speaks from the things that are his own, for he is the teller of a lie and the father of it. John 8:44.
Here ‘a lie’ stands for falsity of faith, for it refers to the unwillingness of the Jews to acknowledge the Lord. ‘The devil’ in the spiritual sense here is falsity, and ‘the father of it’ is evil; for falsity springs from evil like son from father. The falsity that is the devil’s is the falsity of faith, the evil that is his is the evil of self-love and love of the world.
[4] In Isaiah,
Moab is exceedingly proud; his haughtiness, and his pride, and his anger – his lies are not firm. Isa. 16:6.
‘Lies’ stands for falsities of faith, since ‘Moab’ is those who, ruled by the evil of self-love, therefore falsify truths, 2468, 8315. In the same prophet,
We have made a covenant with death, and with hell we have shaped a vision. We have put our trust in a lie, and we have hidden in falsity. Isa. 28:15.
In the same prophet,
They were a rebellious people, lying sons, sons who did not wish to hear the law of Jehovah. Isa. 30:9.
In Jeremiah,
They deceive one another,* and do not speak the truth. They have taught their tongue to speak a lie Jer. 9:5.
In the same prophet,
Behold, I am against those that prophesy lying dreams** and tell them in order that they may mislead My people by their lies. Jer. 23:32.
In the same prophet,
O sword, [be] against the liars, that they may become foolish. Jer. 50:36.
In Ezekiel,
They have seen vanity and lying divination,*** saying, Jehovah has said! when Jehovah has not sent them. Therefore thus has the Lord Jehovih said, Because you speak vanity and see a lie, therefore behold, I am against you. Ezek. 13:6-9.
In Nahum,
Woe to the city of blood!**** It is all full of lies and plunder. Nahum 3:1.
In Zephaniah,
The remnant of Israel will not do iniquity or speak any lie; nor will a fraudulent tongue be found in their mouth. They will feed and rest. Zeph. 3:13.
In John,
Outside are dogs, and sorcerers, and fornicators, and murderers, and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices a lie. Rev. 22:15.
In these as in many other places ‘a lie’ stands for the falsity and evil of faith.
* lit. They deceive, a man his companion
** lit. dreams of a lie
*** lit. divination of a lie
**** lit. bloods
AR 924
A lie symbolizes doctrinal falsity because that is what a spirituallie is. To create a lie, therefore, symbolically means to live in accordance with doctrinal falsities.
[2] That a lie in the Word symbolizes doctrinal falsity may be seen from the following passages:
We have made a covenant with death, and with hell we have produced a vision…. …we have made a lie our refuge, and in falsehood we have hidden ourselves. (Isaiah 28:15)
Everyone deceives his neighbor, and they do not speak the truth; they have taught their tongue to speak a lie. (Jeremiah 9:5)
…this is a rebellious people, lying children…, who will not hear the law of Jehovah. (Isaiah 30:9)
Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams…, and tell them in order to lead My people astray by their lies…. (Jeremiah 23:32)
The diviners see a lie, and speak false dreams. (Zechariah 10:2)
(The diviners) see vanity and a lying divination…. Therefore…, because you speak vanity and see a lie, behold, for that reason I am against you…, (so that) My hand is against the prophets who speak…a lie. (Ezekiel 13:6-9, cf. 21:29)
Woe to the bloody city! It is all full of lying and robbery. (Nahum 3:1)
In the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a shocking obstinacy, committing adultery and walking in lies. (Jeremiah 23:14)
From the prophet even to the priest, everyone devises lies. (Jeremiah 8:10)
(In Israel) they have devised lies. (Hosea 7:1)
You are of your father the devil…. He was a murderer from the beginning…, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks alie, he speaks on his own, for he is the speaker of a lie and the father of it. (John 8:44)
Here, too, a lie means falsity.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 9248
9248. ‘You shall not take up a report of vanity’ means not listening to false ideas. This is clear from the meaning of ‘taking up a report’ as hearing and doing, thus listening, for to express the idea of a report the original language uses a word that means hearing; and from the meaning of ‘vanity’ as falsity, in particular falsity in doctrine and religious practice, as becomes clear from the following places: In Ezekiel,
No more will there be any vision of vanity or flattering divination in the midst of the house of Israel. Ezek. 12:24.
‘A vision of vanity’ stands for a false revelation. In the same prophet,
They have seen vanity and lying divination.* Because you speak vanity and see a lie, therefore behold, I am against you, that My hand may be against the prophets who see vanity and divine a lie. Ezek. 13:6-9.
‘The prophets’, of whom it says here that they see vanity and divine a lie, means teachers, and in the abstract sense doctrinal teachings, 2534, 7269. Furthermore prophets are spoken of as seeing things, which also is why they were called ‘seers’ in ancient times, 1 Sam. 9:9; and they are spoken of as divining them too. [2] When ‘seeing’ or ‘vision’ is attributed to the prophets, revelation in regard to doctrine is meant in the internal sense; and when ‘divining’ or ‘divination’ is attributed to them, revelation in regard to life is meant. And since ‘vanity’ means falsity in doctrine and ‘a lie’ falsity in life, the words ‘they have seen vanity and lying divination’ are used. In the same prophet,
What they see for you is vanity, and what they divine for you is a lie. Ezek. 21:29.
In Zechariah,
The teraphim speak iniquity, and the diviners see a lie, and they speak dreams of vanity.** Zech. 10:2.
In Jeremiah,
The prophets have seen vanity. Lam. 2:14.
The fact that ‘vanity’ means falsity in doctrine and religious practice is also evident in Hosea,
They have become vanity; in Gilgal they sacrifice bulls. Hosea 12:11.
In Jeremiah,
My people have forgotten Me; they have burned incense to vanity. Jer. 18:15.
The like may be seen elsewhere, such as Isa. 5:18; 30:28; 59:4; Ps. 12:2; 119:37, 38; 144:7, 8.
* lit. divination of a lie
** i.e. they tell false dreams