God’s Image • Commandment 9: Do Not Bear False WitnessAn accusation has been made. People have heard it. Some may already believe it.
What must happen before the matter is treated as established?
Deuteronomy 19 places the requirement for witnesses alongside a requirement for careful inquiry. Both belong to the passage.
Witnesses and Examination
Verse 15 states that one witness is insufficient to establish an accusation of wrongdoing, and names two or three witnesses for establishing a matter.
The following verses address an unrighteous witness who accuses another person. Both parties are to stand before YHWH (יהוה), before the priests and judges. The judges must investigate. Read Deuteronomy 19:15–18, ASV.
The passage does not leave the accusation beyond examination merely because someone has presented it as testimony.
Inquire Thoroughly
Verse 18 includes the instruction:
“the judges shall make diligent inquisition”
— Deuteronomy 19:18, ASV, excerpt
The Hebrew uses דָּרַשׁ — dāraš (H1875), to seek or inquire. Here, הֵיטֵב — hêṭēḇ, from H3190, strengthens the instruction: the inquiry is to be conducted thoroughly. Examine Deuteronomy 19:18 in Hebrew.
Notice what is being examined: whether the witness has testified falsely against his brother.
The witness’s account is subject to scrutiny. The person accused is not the only person whose conduct matters.
The Harm Intended
If the testimony is found false, verse 19 directs that the false witness receive what he had intended for his brother. Read Deuteronomy 19:18–19.
That detail reveals the seriousness of the accusation. False testimony can be used to bring consequences upon another person.
As we examine our own speech, we should consider what our words invite others to do. Are we giving them a truthful account, or encouraging rejection on the strength of an unexamined claim?
Have We Investigated—or Gathered Agreement?
A careful examination asks questions such as:
What specific words or actions are being alleged?
Which details were witnessed directly?
Are several people giving independent accounts, or repeating the same report?
Has the accused person’s explanation been considered?
Are we willing to withdraw the accusation if it proves false?
Gathering people who agree with a conclusion is different from establishing that conclusion truthfully.
A Witness Can Be Examined
The requirement for witnesses must remain connected with the responsibility to examine testimony. We must not use one part of the passage while disregarding the other.
This also preserves our distinction between rebuke and false witness. Truthful correction requires an accurate account of what needs correcting.
The purpose of inquiry is to establish what is true, including when the truth overturns the accusation.
Threads to Follow
Testimony against Jesus: Examine Mark 14:55–59, including the failure of the witnesses’ accounts to agree.
The witness of God: Keep the distinctions in 1 John 5:6–9 available as we examine Scripture’s different uses of witness.
Hearing before judgment: Compare John 7:50–51 with the requirement for careful inquiry.
The books were opened…
🌿Studies by Maria Emilia ~ 🗺️Continue exploring: Visit Bible Books to find studies organized by book of the Bible, along with related studies and links.
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