To secure against injury to life or property through inadequate or false attestation, it is enacted that more than one witness must appear before anything can be established; and that, should a witness be found on trial to have testified falsely against his neighbor, he was to be punished by having done to him what he thought to have done to his neighbor (cf. Deuteronomy 17:6 ; Numbers 35:30 ). read more
Bulwark against perjury. "The tongue is an unruly member, and cannot easily be restrained." Private slander is base enough, but its basest utterance is when, in the sacred halls of justice, it swears away a man's reputation or his life. It is doubtful if a deed so black is done in hell. I. PERJURY IS SO COMMON AS TO NECESSITATE A PUBLIC STIGMA ON HUMANITY . "One witness shall not rise up against a man." If every man had been known as truthful, the testimony of one... read more
To testify against him that which is wrong ; literally, to testify against him defection , i . e . from the Law of God. The speaker has apparently in view here all such defections from the Law as would entail punishment on the convicted offender. In Deuteronomy 13:5 (6) , indeed, the crime described here as "that which is wrong" (margin, "falling away") is specially the crime of apostasy to idolatry; but the word ( סָרָה ), though usually expressing apostasy from Jehovah, has... read more
False witness. God's brand is here placed upon the crime of false witness. It was to be severely punished. Every one is interested in the suppression of such a crime-the parties whose interests are involved, society at large, the Church, the magistracy, God himself, of one of whose commandments (the ninth) it is the daring violation. The rules here apply primarily to false witness given in courts of justice, but the principles involved may be extended to all forms of the sin. I. FALSE... read more
Both the men , i . e . both parties at the bar, shall stand before the Lord ; i . e . shall come to the sanctuary where Jehovah had his dwelling-place in the midst of his people, and where the supreme judges, who were his delegates and representatives, held their court ( Deuteronomy 17:9 ). read more
Thought . The verb here used ( זָמַם ) means generally to meditate, to have in mind, to purpose; but it frequently has the subaudition of meditating evil (cf. Psalms 31:1-24 :37; Psalms 37:12 ; Proverbs 30:32 , etc.). read more
The lex talionis was in this case to be observed (cf. Exodus 21:23 ; Le 24:20). Practically, however, a pecuniary compensation might be accepted for the offence (cf. Josephus, 'Antiq.,' 4.8, 35). HOMILETICS read more
Testify against him that which is wrong - Margin, more literally, “a falling away.” The word is used Deuteronomy 13:5 to signify apostasy or revolt; here it is no doubt to be understood in the wider sense of any departure from the Law. read more
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The Pulpit Commentary - Deuteronomy 19:14-21
The law of retaliation. When we consider "retaliation," we find that it is the converse of the "golden rule." In fact, it is giving back to a person his breach of that rule to see how he likes it. It is just a rough method of teaching rude, selfish souls that there is retribution in all selfish practices; the gun may be fired maliciously, but it sooner or later lays the sportsman in the dust. Now, it is morally right that those who do to others as they do not wish others to do to them... read more