‘If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the testimony of witnesses, but no person shall be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.
Parallel translations
- WEB “‘Whoever kills any person, the murderer shall be slain at the mouth of witnesses; but one witness shall not testify against any person that he die.
- KJV Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die.
- BSB If anyone kills a person, the murderer is to be put to death on the testimony of the witnesses. But no one is to be put to death based on the testimony of a lone witness.
- NKJV Whoever kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the testimony of witnesses; but one witness is not sufficient testimony against a person for the death penalty.
- NLT “All murderers must be put to death, but only if evidence is presented by more than one witness. No one may be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.
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
A murderer may be executed only on the testimony of witnesses, never on a single witness. Justice requires reliable, corroborated evidence.
Overview
Capital sentences demand the testimony of more than one witness, guarding against false accusation and wrongful death. This safeguard reflects God's concern for truth and the protection of the innocent within His justice system. The same principle of multiple witnesses is later applied by Jesus and the apostles to church discipline and testimony to the truth (Matthew 18:16; 2 Corinthians 13:1).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Heb 10:28A man who disregards Moses’ law dies without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses.
- Deut 19:15One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sins. At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established.
- Matt 18:16But if he doesn’t listen, take one or two more with you, that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
- 2 Cor 13:1This is the third time I am coming to you. “At the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.”
- John 8:17–18It’s also written in your law that the testimony of two people is valid.
- 1 Tim 5:19Don’t receive an accusation against an elder, except at the word of two or three witnesses.
- John 7:51“Does our law judge a man, unless it first hears from him personally and knows what he does?”
- Rev 11:3I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”
- Deut 17:6–7At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, he who is to die shall be put to death. At the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.
- Num 35:16“‘But if he struck him with an instrument of iron, so that he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall surely be put to death.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
In the wilderness Christ is the water from the rock, the bronze serpent lifted up that the dying might look and live (John 3:14), and the star and scepter that Balaam saw rising out of Jacob.
How Numbers 35:30 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
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