Definition and Usage:
The term "feign" refers to the act of pretending or giving a false appearance. In biblical contexts, it often involves deceit or hypocrisy, where an individual or group presents themselves in a manner that is not genuine. The concept of feigning is frequently associated with moral and spiritual implications, as it contrasts with the biblical call for sincerity and truthfulness.

Biblical References:

1. Old Testament Instances:
· 1 Samuel 21:13 · "So he changed his behavior before them and feigned madness in their hands, scribbling on the doors of the gate and letting his saliva run down his beard." In this passage, David feigns madness to escape from the Philistine king Achish. This act of feigning is a strategic move for survival, highlighting the complexity of human actions in dire circumstances.
· Jeremiah 3:10 · "Yet in spite of all this, her treacherous sister Judah did not return to Me with all her heart, but only in pretense,” declares the LORD." Here, the prophet Jeremiah conveys God's message about Judah's insincere repentance. The feigned return to God is criticized as it lacks genuine commitment and heartfelt devotion.

2. New Testament Instances:
· Luke 20:20 · "So they watched Him closely and sent spies who pretended to be sincere. They hoped to catch Him in something He might say, so that they could hand Him over to the rule and authority of the governor." In this account, the religious leaders send spies to feign sincerity in order to trap Jesus. This act of deception underscores the malicious intent behind their actions.
· 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 · "For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their actions." The Apostle Paul warns against those who feign righteousness, drawing a parallel to Satan's own deceptive nature. This passage emphasizes the danger of false appearances within the church.

Theological Implications:

Feigning, as depicted in the Bible, is often associated with hypocrisy and deceit, which are condemned throughout Scripture. The act of pretending to be something one is not, especially in matters of faith and devotion, is seen as a serious moral failing. The Bible calls for authenticity and integrity, urging believers to align their outward actions with their inner convictions.

Moral and Ethical Considerations:

From a moral standpoint, feigning is viewed as a violation of the commandment against bearing false witness (Exodus 20:16). It undermines trust and can lead to harmful consequences both for the individual and the community. The biblical narrative encourages believers to pursue truth and sincerity, reflecting the character of God, who is described as a God of truth (Deuteronomy 32:4).

Practical Application:

In practical terms, Christians are encouraged to examine their own lives for areas where they might be feigning or presenting a false front. This involves a commitment to honesty in relationships, transparency in actions, and a genuine pursuit of holiness. The call to avoid feigning is a call to live authentically, in alignment with the teachings of Christ, who is the embodiment of truth (John 14:6).1. (v. t.) To pretend; to imagine; to invent; as, to feign an injury.

2. (v. t.) To represent by a false appearance of; to pretend; to counterfeit; as, to feign a sickness.

3. (v. t.) To dissemble; to conceal.

FEIGN

fan (badha, nakhar; plastos): Occurs

(1) in the sense of "to devise," "invent" as the translation of badha', "to form," "to fashion" (Nehemiah 6:8, "Thou feignest them out of thine own heart"; compare 1 Kings 12:33, English Versions of the Bible "devised of his own heart"); of plastos, "formed," "molded" (2 Peter 2:3, "with reigned words make merchandise of you");

(2) in the sense of "pretense," nakhar, "to be foreign," "strange" (1 Kings 14:5, "feign herself to be another woman," 1ki 14:6; compare Genesis 42:7 Proverbs 26:24); 'abhal, "to mourn," "to act as a mourner" (2 Samuel 14:2); halal, "to make a show," Hithpael, "to be mad," "to feign madness" (of David, 1 Samuel 21:13; compare Jeremiah 25:16; Jeremiah 50:38); hupokrinomai, "to give judgment, or act, under a mask" (Luke 20:20, "who feigned themselves to be righteous");

(3) in the sense of "deceit" "fraud," "insincerity," mirmah, "prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips" (Psalm 17:1); sheqer, "falsehood," "a lie," "Judah hath not returned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly" (Jeremiah 3:10; compare APC 2Esdras 8:28); kahash, "to lie," "to feign, or flatter" (2Sa 12:45; Psalm 18:44; 66:03:00; 81:15), where the text of the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American), "shall submit themselves," is rendered the margin (the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American)), "yield feigned obedience, Hebrew lie." the Revised Version (British and American) has "feign" for "make" (2 Samuel 13:5), and "feigned" for "made" (2 Samuel 13:6).

W. L. Walker

5271. hupokrinomai -- to answer, reply, to answer on a stage, to ...
... feign. Middle voice from hupo and krino; to decide (speak or act) under a false
part, ie (figuratively) dissemble (pretend) -- feign. see GREEK hupo. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5271.htm - 6k908. bada -- to devise, invent
... inventing (1). devise, feign. A primitive root; (figuratively) to invent --
devise, feign. 907, 908. bada. 909 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/908.htm - 5k

5234. nakar -- to regard, recognize
... acknowledge, could, deliver, discern, dissemble, estrange, feign self to
be another. A primitive root; properly, to scrutinize, ie ...
/hebrew/5234.htm - 6k

3584. kachash -- to disappoint, deceive, fail, grow lean
... A primitive root; to be untrue, in word (to lie, feign, disown) or deed (to disappoint,
fail, cringe) -- deceive, deny, dissemble, fail, deal falsely, be found ...
/hebrew/3584.htm - 6k

1984. halal -- to shine
... to celebrate; also to stultify -- (make) boast (self), celebrate, commend, (deal,
make), fool(- ish, -ly), glory, give (light), be (make, feign self) mad ...
/hebrew/1984.htm - 5k

Those Persons are Deceived who Feign Another God the Father ...
... Against Heresies: Book V Chapter IV."Those persons are deceived who feign another
God the Father besides the Creator of the world; for he must have been ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter iv those persons are deceived.htm

But we Merely, You Say, Flatter the Emperor, and Feign These ...
... Chapter XXXI. But we merely, you say, flatter the emperor, and feign these
prayers of ours to? But we merely, you say, flatter ...
//christianbookshelf.org/tertullian/apology/chapter xxxi but we merely.htm

Argument: Although the Heathens Acknowledge their Kings to be ...
... Chapter XXIII."Argument: Although the Heathens Acknowledge Their Kings to Be Mortal,
Yet They Feign that They are Gods Even Against Their Own Will, Not ...
/.../the octavius of minucius felix/chapter xxiii argument although the heathens.htm

Of Varro's Opinion, that it is Useful for Men to Feign Themselves ...
... Book III. Chapter 4."Of Varro's Opinion, that It is Useful for Men to
Feign Themselves the Offspring of the Gods. Some one will ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 4 of varros opinion that.htm

Heathen Arguments in Palliation of the Above: and -1 the Poets are ...
... the gods are.But perhaps, as to all this, the impious will appeal to the peculiar
style of poets, saying that it is the peculiarity of poets to feign what is ...
/.../select works and letters or athanasius/section 16 heathen arguments in.htm

Matt. xxvii. 62-64.
... so in this too they might have been able to say), that the soldiers, having given
up the body to be stolen, gave His disciples opportunity to feign the history ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of saint matthew/homily lxxxix matt xxvii 62-64.htm

Now Suppose that While You were Writing This, as You Tell us You ...
... of execration because of his strange doctrines; as to what you are writing about
mad dogs bringing feigned charges against him, you will yourself feign the same ...
/.../21 now suppose that while.htm

Third Part of the Book.
... you with temptations." Therefore, if thou must go out, for thine own profit or that
of others, colour not thy going with any false hue, to feign for thyself an ...
/.../the form of perfect living and other prose treatises/third part of the book.htm

That the Person who Comes for Catechetical Instruction is to be ...
... or hostility he is seriously afraid, that a man wishes to become a Christian, then
his wish to become one is not so earnest as his desire to feign one. ...
/.../on the catechising of the uninstructed/chapter 5 that the person who.htm

Jesus Christ Man in Truth, not in Semblance. ...
... Paul did not counterfeit an apostle, or feign himself to be Paul, but was
an apostle, was Paul. So, also, that which God the Word ...
/.../vincent/the commonitory of vincent of lerins/chapter xiv jesus christ man.htm

Feign (11 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (vt) To pretend; to imagine; to invent; as,
to feign an injury. ... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. FEIGN. ...
/f/feign.htm - 12k

Feigned (8 Occurrences)
... 1. (imp. & pp) of Feign. ... Psalms 66:3 Say to God, 'How fearful 'are' Thy works, By
the abundance of Thy strength, Thine enemies feign obedience to Thee. ...
/f/feigned.htm - 9k

Dissemble (2 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt) To disguise or conceal one's true nature; to hide under a false semblance
or seeming; to feign (something) not to be what it really is; to put an ...
/d/dissemble.htm - 7k

Pretend (9 Occurrences)
... to put forward, or offer, as true or real (something untrue or unreal); to show
hypocritically, or for the purpose of deceiving; to simulate; to feign; as, to ...
/p/pretend.htm - 10k

Sham (1 Occurrence)
... 6. (vt) To assume the manner and character of; to imitate; to ape; to feign. 7.
(vi) To make false pretenses; to deceive; to feign; to impose. ...
/s/sham.htm - 7k

Obedience (61 Occurrences)
... of rams. (DBY). 2 Samuel 22:45 Sons of a stranger feign obedience to me,
At the hearing of the ear they hearken to me. (YLT NAS). 1 ...
/o/obedience.htm - 43k

Feet (2931 Occurrences)

/f/feet.htm - 17k

Noon (30 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 18:29 and it cometh to pass, at the passing by of the noon, that they feign
themselves prophets till the going up of the present, and there is no voice ...
/n/noon.htm - 16k

Jeroboam's (7 Occurrences)
... inquire of thee concerning her son; for he is sick; thus and thus shalt thou say
unto her; for it will be, when she cometh in, that she will feign herself to ...
/j/jeroboam's.htm - 9k

Jon'adab (11 Occurrences)
... 2 Samuel 13:5 And Jonadab said unto him: 'Lay thee down on thy bed, and feign thyself
sick; and when thy father cometh to see thee, say unto him: Let my sister ...
/j/jon'adab.htm - 9k

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