Definition:
The term "suborn" refers to the act of secretly inducing someone to commit an unlawful act, particularly perjury. In a biblical context, suborning is often associated with deceit and false testimony, which are condemned throughout Scripture.

Biblical References and Context:
While the specific term "suborn" is not directly used in the Berean Standard Bible, the concept is evident in various passages that address false witness and deceit. The act of suborning is closely related to bearing false witness, which is explicitly prohibited in the Ten Commandments: "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor" (Exodus 20:16).

One of the most notable biblical examples of suborning is found in the account of Naboth's vineyard. King Ahab desired Naboth's vineyard, but Naboth refused to sell it. Jezebel, Ahab's wife, orchestrated a scheme to acquire the vineyard by suborning false witnesses. She wrote letters in Ahab's name, instructing the elders and nobles of Naboth's city to "seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify, ‘You have cursed both God and the king!’ Then take him out and stone him to death" (1 Kings 21:10). This act of suborning false testimony led to Naboth's unjust execution and is a clear example of the moral corruption associated with such deceit.

Another instance is found in the trial of Jesus Christ. The chief priests and the Sanhedrin sought false testimony against Jesus to justify putting Him to death. "But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward" (Matthew 26:60). This attempt to suborn false witnesses highlights the extent to which the religious leaders were willing to go to achieve their ends, even if it meant violating the commandment against bearing false witness.

Moral and Theological Implications:
Suborning is fundamentally opposed to the biblical principles of truth and justice. The Scriptures consistently uphold truthfulness as a reflection of God's character. Proverbs 12:22 states, "Lying lips are detestable to the LORD, but those who deal faithfully are His delight" . The act of suborning undermines justice and righteousness, which are central to God's law and His expectations for human conduct.

The New Testament further emphasizes the importance of truthfulness and integrity. In Ephesians 4:25, believers are instructed, "Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one another" . This call to honesty underscores the communal and relational aspects of truth, which are damaged by acts of suborning.

Conclusion:
While the Bible does not use the term "suborn," the concept is clearly addressed through its condemnation of false witness and deceit. The narratives of Naboth and Jesus illustrate the destructive power of suborning false testimony, serving as a warning against such practices. The biblical call to truth and justice remains a foundational ethical standard for believers.1. (v. t.) To procure or cause to take a false oath amounting to perjury, such oath being actually taken.

2. (v. t.) To procure privately, or by collusion; to procure by indirect means; to incite secretly; to instigate.

SUBORN

sub-orn' (hupoballo (Acts 6:11; only here in the New Testament)): The word means to introduce by collusion, to put one person in the place of another, to employ anyone in a secret manner and instruct such a one to act for and as though he were another person.

5260. hupoballo -- to throw or put under
... to throw or put under. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: hupoballo Phonetic
Spelling: (hoop-ob-al'-lo) Short Definition: I suborn, instruct privately ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5260.htm - 6k

On Daniel. vi. On Susannah.
... present time both the Gentiles and the Jews of the circumcision watch and busy
themselves with the dealings of the Church, desiring to suborn false witnesses ...
/.../the extant works and fragments of hippolytus/on daniel vi on susannah.htm

God's Attribute of Goodness Considered as Rational Marcion's God ...
... unjust, more dishonest, than so to benefit an alien slave as to take him away from
his master, claim him as the property of another, and suborn him against his ...
/.../the five books against marcion/chapter xxiii gods attribute of goodness.htm

Arius Having Returned to Alexandria with the Emperor's Consent ...
... These persons suborn by bribes certain of the Melitian heresy to fabricate various
charges against Athanasius; and first they accuse him through the Melitians ...
/.../chapter xxvii arius having returned to.htm

The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians an Absurd Erasure of ...
... will have it. In this case how happens it that he [5937] can suborn the
Creator's Christ to avenge his truth? But should he after ...
/.../tertullian/the five books against marcion/chapter xvi the second epistle to.htm

How a Great Many of the People Earnestly Endeavored to Desert to ...
... so were destroyed; others of them were charged with designs of betraying the city
to the Romans; but the readiest way of all was this, to suborn somebody to ...
/.../chapter 10 how a great.htm

God's Glory in Hiding Sin
... Perhaps there is an attempt made to get a certain important witness out of the way,
or to suborn another, or to suppress some testimony that might be brought ...
/.../spurgeon/sermons on proverbs/gods glory in hiding sin.htm

The Vengeance of Heaven
... How effectual it was in getting the votes of priests and bishops at Constantinople.
How it enabled us to suborn a throng of useful perjurers. ...
/.../chapter lx the vengeance of.htm

Of Uncharitable Truth.
... We take up with the most incompetent witnesses, nay, often suborn our own surmises
and jealousies, that we may be sure to cast the unhappy Criminal. ...
/.../allestree/the government of the tongue/section vi of uncharitable truth.htm

Suborn
... 2. (vt) To procure privately, or by collusion; to procure by indirect means; to
incite secretly; to instigate. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. SUBORN. ...
/s/suborn.htm - 7k

Subordinates (1 Occurrence)

/s/subordinates.htm - 6k

Suborned (2 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (imp. & pp) of Suborn. Multi-Version Concordance
Suborned (2 Occurrences). Luke 20:20 And having watched ...
/s/suborned.htm - 7k

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