Deuteronomy 19:15

“A single witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity or for any sin, in any sin that he commits; on the word of two witnesses or on the word of three witnesses a matter shall stand.”

Deuteronomy 19:15 · direct translation from the Hebrew
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15

Quotation · John 8:17

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Jesus sums up in indirect speech the rule of two witnesses (Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15).

Formula: ἐν τῷ νόμῳ δὲ τῷ ὑμετέρῳ γέγραπται ὅτι “in your law it is written that” (John 8:17)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: καὶ ἐν τῷ νόμῳ δὲ τῷ ὑμετέρῳ γέγραπται ὅτι δύο ἀνθρώπων ἡ μαρτυρία ἀληθής ἐστιν

Hebrew (Masoretic text): לֹא יָקוּם עֵד אֶחָד בְּאִישׁ לְכָל עָוֺן וּלְכָל חַטָּאת בְּכָל חֵטְא אֲשֶׁר יֶחֱטָא עַל פִּי שְׁנֵי עֵדִים אוֹ עַל פִּי שְׁלֹשָׁה עֵדִים יָקוּם דָּבָר

Septuagint (Deuteronomy 19:15 in the Septuagint numbering): Οὐκ ἐμμενεῖ μάρτυς εἷς μαρτυρῆσαι κατὰ ἀνθρώπου κατὰ πᾶσαν ἀδικίαν καὶ κατὰ πᾶν ἁμάρτημα καὶ κατὰ πᾶσαν ἁμαρτίαν ἣν ἂν ἁμάρτῃ· ἐπὶ στόματος δύο μαρτύρων καὶ ἐπὶ στόματος τριῶν μαρτύρων στήσεται πᾶν ῥῆμα.

In the Septuagint verse that most resembles it, no two consecutive words match the Greek of the NT. The transcription has reading errors, so a match may not show.

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Quotation · 2 Corinthians 13:1

Go to 2 Corinthians 13:1

Paul uses without a formula the rule of Deuteronomy 19:15 about the two or three witnesses.

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: Τρίτον τοῦτο ἔρχομαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐπὶ στόματος δύο μαρτύρων καὶ τριῶν σταθήσεται πᾶν ῥῆμα

Hebrew (Masoretic text): לֹא יָקוּם עֵד אֶחָד בְּאִישׁ לְכָל עָוֺן וּלְכָל חַטָּאת בְּכָל חֵטְא אֲשֶׁר יֶחֱטָא עַל פִּי שְׁנֵי עֵדִים אוֹ עַל פִּי שְׁלֹשָׁה עֵדִים יָקוּם דָּבָר

Septuagint (Deuteronomy 19:15 in the Septuagint numbering): Οὐκ ἐμμενεῖ μάρτυς εἷς μαρτυρῆσαι κατὰ ἀνθρώπου κατὰ πᾶσαν ἀδικίαν καὶ κατὰ πᾶν ἁμάρτημα καὶ κατὰ πᾶσαν ἁμαρτίαν ἣν ἂν ἁμάρτῃ· ἐπὶ στόματος δύο μαρτύρων καὶ ἐπὶ στόματος τριῶν μαρτύρων στήσεται πᾶν ῥῆμα.

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 5 consecutive words: “ἐπὶ στόματος δύο μαρτύρων καὶ.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Allusion · 1 Timothy 5:19

Go to 1 Timothy 5:19

Both texts require “two or three witnesses” to accept an accusation.

They share words that are rare in the original, without a quotation.

  • שְׁנֵיsheneH8147δύοdyoG1417“two”
  • שְׁלֹשָׁהsheloshaH7969τριῶνtriōnG5140“three”
  • עֵדedH5707μαρτύρωνmartyrōnG3144“witness”

Quotation · Matthew 18:16

Go to Matthew 18:16

Jesus uses without a formula the rule of Deuteronomy 19:15 about two or three witnesses.

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ἀκούσῃ παράλαβε μετὰ σοῦ ἔτι ἕνα ἢ δύο ἵνα ἐπὶ στόματος δύο μαρτύρων ἢ τριῶν σταθῇ πᾶν ῥῆμα

Hebrew (Masoretic text): לֹא יָקוּם עֵד אֶחָד בְּאִישׁ לְכָל עָוֺן וּלְכָל חַטָּאת בְּכָל חֵטְא אֲשֶׁר יֶחֱטָא עַל פִּי שְׁנֵי עֵדִים אוֹ עַל פִּי שְׁלֹשָׁה עֵדִים יָקוּם דָּבָר

Septuagint (Deuteronomy 19:15 in the Septuagint numbering): Οὐκ ἐμμενεῖ μάρτυς εἷς μαρτυρῆσαι κατὰ ἀνθρώπου κατὰ πᾶσαν ἀδικίαν καὶ κατὰ πᾶν ἁμάρτημα καὶ κατὰ πᾶσαν ἁμαρτίαν ἣν ἂν ἁμάρτῃ· ἐπὶ στόματος δύο μαρτύρων καὶ ἐπὶ στόματος τριῶν μαρτύρων στήσεται πᾶν ῥῆμα.

In the Septuagint verse that most resembles it, at most 4 consecutive words match the Greek of the NT. The transcription has reading errors, so a match may not show.

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Deuteronomy 19:15, word by word

A singleאֶחָדechad

one

The number one; just one and no more.

Where else “echad” appears
witnessעֵדed

witness

Someone who vouches for what he saw; YHWH is one too.

Where else “ed” appears
rise upיָקוּםyakum

arise

To come onto the scene, like a king or prophet.

Where else “yakum” appears
against a manאִישׁish

man

An adult male person; also each man of a people, a trade or a place.

Where else “ish” appears
iniquityעָוֺןavon

iniquity

A serious wrong.

Where else “avon” appears
sinחַטָּאתchatat

sin

Failing God, not doing what he asks.

Where else “chatat” appears
sinחֵטְאchet

offense, sin

Offense, sin; its penalty.

Where else “chet” appears
he commitsיֶחֱטָאyecheta

sin

To do wrong, fail God or another.

Where else “yecheta” appears
on the wordפִּיpi

command

Literally "the mouth": what someone says or decrees.

Where else “pi” appears
of twoשְׁנֵיshene

two

A pair, a quantity of two.

Where else “shene” appears
of threeשְׁלֹשָׁהshelosha

three

A quantity of three: three persons or things together.

Where else “shelosha” appears
a matterדָּבָרdavar

thing

A matter, a thing; with "not", nothing.

Where else “davar” appears

Translation note

Matthew 18:16, 2 Corinthians 13:1, and 1 Timothy 5:19 quote it.

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · John 8:17

Jesus sums up in indirect speech the rule of two witnesses (Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15).

See them side by side

Deuteronomy 19:15

15A single witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity or for any sin, in any sin that he commits; on the word of two witnesses or on the word of three witnesses a matter shall stand.

John 8:17

17And in your law it is written that the testimony of two people is true.

Quotation · 2 Corinthians 13:1

Paul uses without a formula the rule of Deuteronomy 19:15 about the two or three witnesses.

See them side by side

Deuteronomy 19:15

15A single witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity or for any sin, in any sin that he commits; on the word of two witnesses or on the word of three witnesses a matter shall stand.

2 Corinthians 13:1

1This is the third time I am coming to you. “By the mouth of two witnesses and of three every word will be established.”

Quotation · Matthew 18:16

Jesus uses without a formula the rule of Deuteronomy 19:15 about two or three witnesses.

See them side by side

Deuteronomy 19:15

15A single witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity or for any sin, in any sin that he commits; on the word of two witnesses or on the word of three witnesses a matter shall stand.

Matthew 18:16

16But if he does not listen, take with you one or two more, so that by the mouth of two witnesses or three every word may be established.

The context

14You shall not move the boundary of your neighbor, which the first generations have set in your inheritance that you will inherit in the land that YHWH your Elohim is giving you to possess it.

15 · This verse (above)

16If a violent witness rises up against a man to testify against him of turning aside,

Read all of Deuteronomy 19

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