Focused Passage

Deuteronomy 19:15-21

Cities of Refuge, Boundary Markers, and Faithful Witnesses

Cities of refuge protect the innocent slayer from wrongful death; the boundary statute guards every family's covenantal inheritance; the witness laws purge false accusation and ensure that the punishment the perjurer intended falls on himself instead.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

15A lone witness is not sufficient to establish any wrongdoing or sin against a man, regardless of what offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.

16If a false witness testifies against someone, accusing him of a crime,

17both parties to the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD, before the priests and judges who are in office at that time.

18The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is proven to be a liar who has falsely accused his brother,

19you must do to him as he intended to do to his brother. So you must purge the evil from among you.

20Then the rest of the people will hear and be afraid, and they will never again do anything so evil among you.

21You must show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 15

Original words

A loneאֶחָ֜דH259Number - masculine singularwitnessעֵ֨דH5707Noun - masculine singularis not sufficientלֹֽא־H3808Adverb - Negative particleto establishיָקוּם֩H6965Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularanyלְכָל־H3605Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular constructwrongdoingעָוֺן֙H5771Noun - common singular[or]וּלְכָל־H3605Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular constructsinחַטָּ֔אתH2403Noun - feminine singularagainst a manבְּאִ֗ישׁH376Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singularregardless of whatבְּכָל־H3605Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular constructoffenseחֵ֖טְאH2399Noun - masculine singular-אֲשֶׁ֣רH834Pronoun - relativehe may have committedיֶֽחֱטָ֑אH2398Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularA matterדָּבָֽר׃H1697Noun - masculine singularmust be establishedיָק֥וּםH6965Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularbyעַל־H5921Prepositionthe testimonyפִּ֣י׀H6310Noun - masculine singular constructof twoשְׁנֵ֣יH8147Number - masculine dual constructorא֛וֹH176Conjunction. . .עַל־H5921Preposition. . .פִּ֥יH6310Noun - masculine singular constructthreeשְׁלֹשָֽׁה־H7969Number - masculine singular. . .עֵדִ֖יםH5707Noun - masculine pluralwitnessesעֵדִ֗יםH5707Noun - masculine plural

BSB notes

  • Cited in Matthew 18:16 and 2 Corinthians 13:1
Verse 16

Original words

Ifכִּֽי־H3588Conjunction. . .יָק֥וּםH6965Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singulara falseחָמָ֖סH2555Noun - masculine singularwitnessעֵד־H5707Noun - masculine singular constructtestifiesלַעֲנ֥וֹתH6030Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructagainstבּ֖וֹPreposition | third person masculine singularsomeoneבְּאִ֑ישׁH376Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singularaccusing him of a crimeסָרָֽה׃H5627Noun - feminine singular
Verse 17

Original words

bothשְׁנֵֽי־H8147Number - masculine dual constructpartiesהָאֲנָשִׁ֛יםH582Article | Noun - masculine plural-אֲשֶׁר־H834Pronoun - relativeto the disputeהָרִ֖יבH7379Article | Noun - masculine singularmust standוְעָמְד֧וּH5975Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common pluralin the presenceלִפְנֵ֣יH6440Preposition-l | Noun - common plural constructof the LORDיְהוָ֑הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularbeforeלִפְנֵ֤יH6440Preposition-l | Noun - common plural constructthe priestsהַכֹּֽהֲנִים֙H3548Article | Noun - masculine pluraland judgesוְהַשֹּׁ֣פְטִ֔יםH8199Conjunctive waw, Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralwhoאֲשֶׁ֥רH834Pronoun - relativeare [in office]יִהְי֖וּH1961Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralat thatהָהֵֽם׃H1992Article | Pronoun - third person masculine pluraltimeבַּיָּמִ֥יםH3117Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Verse 18

Original words

The judgesהַשֹּׁפְטִ֖יםH8199Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralshall investigateוְדָרְשׁ֥וּH1875Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common pluralthoroughlyהֵיטֵ֑בH3190Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absoluteand ifוְהִנֵּ֤הH2009Conjunctive waw | Interjectionthe witnessעֵֽד־H5707Noun - masculine singular constructis proven to be a liarשֶׁ֙קֶר֙H8267Noun - masculine singular. . .הָעֵ֔דH5707Article | Noun - masculine singularwho has falselyשֶׁ֖קֶרH8267Noun - masculine singularaccusedעָנָ֥הH6030Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularhis brotherבְאָחִֽיו׃H251Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 19

Original words

you must doוַעֲשִׂ֣יתֶםH6213Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine pluralto himל֔וֹPreposition | third person masculine singularasכַּאֲשֶׁ֥רH834Preposition-k | Pronoun - relativehe intendedזָמַ֖םH2161Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularto doלַעֲשׂ֣וֹתH6213Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructto his brotherלְאָחִ֑יוH251Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singularSo you must purgeוּבִֽעַרְתָּ֥H1197Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singularthe evilהָרָ֖עH7451Article | Adjective - masculine singularfrom among youמִקִּרְבֶּֽךָ׃H7130Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular

BSB notes

  • Cited in 1 Corinthians 5:13
Verse 20

Original words

Then the rest [of the people]וְהַנִּשְׁאָרִ֖יםH7604Conjunctive waw, Article | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine pluralwill hearיִשְׁמְע֣וּH8085Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluraland be afraidוְיִרָ֑אוּH3372Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine pluraland they will neverוְלֹֽא־H3808Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particleagainיֹסִ֨פוּH3254Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural. . .ע֗וֹדH5750Adverbdoלַעֲשׂ֜וֹתH6213Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructanythingכַּדָּבָ֥רH1697Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singularsoהַזֶּ֖הH2088Article | Pronoun - masculine singularevilהָרָ֛עH7451Article | Adjective - masculine singularamong youבְּקִרְבֶּֽךָ׃H7130Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Verse 21

Original words

You must show no pityוְלֹ֥אH3808Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle. . .תָח֖וֹסH2347Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular. . .עֵינֶ֑ךָH5869Noun - common singular construct | second person masculine singularlifeנֶ֣פֶשׁH5315Noun - feminine singularfor lifeבְּנֶ֗פֶשׁH5315Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singulareyeעַ֤יִןH5869Noun - common singularfor eyeבְּעַ֙יִן֙H5869Preposition-b | Noun - common singulartoothשֵׁ֣ןH8127Noun - common singularfor toothבְּשֵׁ֔ןH8127Preposition-b | Noun - common singularhandיָ֥דH3027Noun - feminine singularfor handבְּיָ֖דH3027Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular[and] footרֶ֥גֶלH7272Noun - feminine singularfor footבְּרָֽגֶל׃סH7272Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular

BSB notes

  • Cited in Matthew 5:38

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.