Deuteronomy 19

Deuteronomy · Chapter 19

Deuteronomy 19:18

1When the LORD thy God hath cut off the nations, whose land the LORD thy God giveth thee, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their cities, and in their houses;2Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.3Thou shalt prepare thee a way, and divide the coasts of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every slayer may flee thither.4And this is the case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoso killeth his neighbour ignorantly, whom he hated not in time past;5As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live:6Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.7Wherefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt separate three cities for thee.8And if the LORD thy God enlarge thy coast, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, and give thee all the land which he promised to give unto thy fathers;9If thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day, to love the LORD thy God, and to walk ever in his ways; then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, beside these three:10That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee.11But if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities:12Then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.13Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.14Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour’s landmark, which they of old time have set in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land that the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.15One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.16If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong;17Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days;18And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother;19Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you.20And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you.21And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
18And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother;The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is proven to be a liar who has falsely accused his brother,and the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and have testified falsely against his brother;

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and they will investigateוְדָרְשׁ֥וּve-da-re-SHUH1875
to seek

דָּרַשׁ (da.rash) 1) to resort to, seek, seek with care, enquire, require 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to resort to, frequent (a place), (tread a place) 1a2) to consult, enquire of, seek 1a2a) of God 1a2b) of heathen gods, necromancers 1a3) to seek deity in prayer and worship 1a3a) God 1a3b) heathen deities 1a4) to seek (with a demand), demand, require 1a5) to investigate, enquire 1a6) to ask for, require, demand 1a7) to practice, study, follow, seek with application 1a8) to seek with care, care for 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to allow oneself to be enquired of, consulted (only of God) 1b2) to be sought, be sought out …

the judgesהַשֹּׁפְטִ֖יםha-sho-fe-TIMH8199
to judge

שָׁפַט (sha.phat) 1) to judge, govern, vindicate, punish 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to act as law-giver or judge or governor (of God, man) 1a1a) to rule, govern, judge 1a2) to decide controversy (of God, man) 1a3) to execute judgment 1a3a) discriminating (of man) 1a3b) vindicating 1a3c) condemning and punishing 1a3d) at theophanic advent for final judgment 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to enter into controversy, plead, have controversy together 1b2) to be judged 1c) (Poel) judge, opponent-at-law (participle)

thoroughly do wellהֵיטֵ֑בhei-TEVH3190
be good

טְאֵב (te.ev) (P'al) to be glad, be good Aramaic of ya.tav (יָטַב "be good" H3190)

and there!וְהִנֵּ֤הve-hi-NEHH2009
behold

הִנֵּה (hin.neh) behold, lo, see, if

[is] a witness ofעֵֽד־'ed-H5707
witness

עֵד (ed) 1) witness 1a) witness, testimony, evidence (of things) 1b) witness (of people)

falsehoodשֶׁ֙קֶר֙she-kerH8267
deception

שֶׁ֫קֶר (she.qer) 1) lie, deception, disappointment, falsehood 1a) deception (what deceives or disappoints or betrays one) 1b) deceit, fraud, wrong 1b1) fraudulently, wrongfully (as adverb) 1c) falsehood (injurious in testimony) 1c1) testify falsehood, false oath, swear falsely 1d) falsity (of false or self-deceived prophets) 1e) lie, falsehood (in general) 1e1) false tongue 1f) in vain

the witnessהָעֵ֔דha-'EDH5707
witness

עֵד (ed) 1) witness 1a) witness, testimony, evidence (of things) 1b) witness (of people)

falsehoodשֶׁ֖קֶרSHE-kerH8267
deception

שֶׁ֫קֶר (she.qer) 1) lie, deception, disappointment, falsehood 1a) deception (what deceives or disappoints or betrays one) 1b) deceit, fraud, wrong 1b1) fraudulently, wrongfully (as adverb) 1c) falsehood (injurious in testimony) 1c1) testify falsehood, false oath, swear falsely 1d) falsity (of false or self-deceived prophets) 1e) lie, falsehood (in general) 1e1) false tongue 1f) in vain

he has testifiedעָנָ֥ה'a-NAHH6030B
to answer

עָנָה (a.nah) 1) to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to answer, respond to 1a2) to testify, respond as a witness 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to make answer 1b2) to be answered, receive answer Aramaic equivalent: a.nah (עֲנָה "to answer" H6032)

against countryman hisבְאָחִֽיו׃ve-'a-CHIVH0251I
brother: male-sibling

אָח (ach) : male-sibling 1) brother 1a) brother of same parents 1b) half-brother (same father) 1c) relative, kinship, same tribe 1d) each to the other (reciprocal relationship) 1e) (fig.) of resemblance

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.