The Pulpit Commentary - Deuteronomy 19:16-21
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
The Pulpit Commentary - Deuteronomy 19:16
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