Deuteronomy 19:17

17 then the two men {to whom the legal dispute pertains} shall stand {before} Yahweh, {before} the priests and the judges who are [in office] in those days.

Deuteronomy 19:17 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 19:17

Then both the men between whom the controversy is
The man that bears the false witness, and the man against whom it is borne:

shall stand before the Lord;
as in the presence of him, the omniscient God, and as represented by judges and civil magistrates, whose vicegerents they are; so it seems to be explained in the next words, which are exegetical of these:

before the priests and the judges which shall be in those days;
which shall compose the sanhedrim, or court of judicature; and this seems to confirm it, that by priest and judge, in ( Deuteronomy 17:9 Deuteronomy 17:12 ) are meant priests and judges; Jarchi says, this Scripture speaks of witnesses, that is, of the false witness that testifies wrong against a man, and another that contradicts his testimony, and teaches that there is no witness by women; and so it is elsewhere said F1, an oath of witness is made by men, and not by women; on which it is observed F2 that a woman is not fit to bear witness, as it is written,

then both the men
men and not women; and the above writer remarks further, that it teaches that they ought to bear testimony standing.


FOOTNOTES:

F1 Misn. Shebuot, c. 4. sect. 1.
F2 Bartenora in ib.

Deuteronomy 19:17 In-Context

15 {The testimony of a single witness may not be used to convict} [with respect to] any crime and for any wrongdoing in any offense that a person committed; on the {evidence} of two witnesses or on the {evidence} of three witnesses {a charge shall be sustained}.
16 If {a malicious witness} gets up {to accuse} anyone to testify against him falsely,
17 then the two men {to whom the legal dispute pertains} shall stand {before} Yahweh, {before} the priests and the judges who are [in office] in those days.
18 Then judges shall make a thorough inquiry, and [if] it turns out that the witness is a false witness [and] he testified falsely against his brother,
19 then you shall do to him as he meant to do to his brother, and so you shall purge the evil from your midst.

Footnotes 3

  • [a]. Literally "who for them [are] the legal dispute"
  • [b]. Literally "to the face of"
  • [c]. Literally "to the face of"
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