The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is proven to be a liar who has falsely accused his brother,
Parallel translations
- WEB and the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness is a false witness, and has testified falsely against his brother;
- KJV And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother;
- NKJV And the judges shall make careful inquiry, and indeed, if the witness is a false witness, who has testified falsely against his brother,
- NASB And the judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is a false witness and he has testified against his brother falsely,
- NLT The judges must investigate the case thoroughly. If the accuser has brought false charges against his fellow Israelite,
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
The judges must investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is proven false, justice follows. Truth is to be diligently sought before any verdict.
Overview
Careful, painstaking inquiry was required to determine whether the accusation was false. God's justice is not hasty but demands diligence to uncover the truth. This safeguards against both wrongful conviction of the innocent and the success of malicious accusers.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Deut 17:4and if it is reported and you hear about it, you must investigate it thoroughly. If the report is true and such an abomination has happened in Israel,
- Deut 13:14then you must inquire, investigate, and interrogate thoroughly. And if it is established with certainty that this abomination has been committed among you,
- 2 Chr 19:6–7Then he said to the judges, “Consider carefully what you do, for you are not judging for man, but for the LORD, who is with you when you render judgment.
- Job 19:16I call for my servant, but he does not answer, though I implore him with my own mouth.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 19:18 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.