“If a malicious witness comes forward and accuses someone of a crime,
Parallel translations
- WEB If an unrighteous witness rises up against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing,
- KJV If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong;
- BSB If a false witness testifies against someone, accusing him of a crime,
- NKJV If a false witness rises against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing,
- NASB If a malicious witness rises up against a person to testify against him of wrongdoing,
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
If a malicious witness accuses someone of wrongdoing, the case must be examined. False testimony is treated as a serious threat to justice.
Overview
This verse introduces the situation of a hostile, lying witness rising to accuse another of a crime. Rather than accepting the charge at face value, the law requires investigation. It shows God's concern to protect the innocent and to expose and punish those who would pervert justice through falsehood.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Ps 27:12Don’t deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen up against me, such as breathe out cruelty.
- Ps 35:11Unrighteous witnesses rise up. They ask me about things that I don’t know about.
- Exod 23:1–7“You shall not spread a false report. Don’t join your hand with the wicked to be a malicious witness.
- Mark 14:55–59Now the chief priests and the whole council sought witnesses against Jesus to put him to death, and found none.
- Acts 6:13and set up false witnesses who said, “This man never stops speaking blasphemous words against this holy place and the law.
- 1 Kgs 21:10–13Set two men, base fellows, before him, and let them testify against him, saying, ‘You cursed God and the king!’ Then carry him out, and stone him to death.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Moses promised a Prophet like himself to whom Israel must listen (18:15); Jesus is that Prophet, the one who keeps the covenant we broke and becomes the curse for us by hanging on a tree (Gal 3:13).
How Deuteronomy 19:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.