15 One H259 witness H5707 shall not rise up H6965 against a man H376 for any iniquity, H5771 or for any sin, H2403 in any sin H2399 that he sinneth: H2398 at the mouth H6310 of two H8147 witnesses, H5707 or at the mouth H6310 of three H7969 witnesses, H5707 shall the matter H1697 be established. H6965
But G2532 found G2147 none: G3756 yea, G2532 though many G4183 false witnesses G5575 came, G4334 yet found they G2147 none. G3756 G1161 At the last G5305 came G4334 two G1417 false witnesses, G5575 And said, G2036 This G3778 fellow said, G5346 I am able G1410 to destroy G2647 the temple G3485 of God, G2316 and G2532 to build G3618 it G846 in G1223 three G5140 days. G2250
And G2532 I will give G1325 power unto my G3450 two G1417 witnesses, G3144 and G2532 they shall prophesy G4395 a thousand G5507 two hundred G1250 and threescore G1835 days, G2250 clothed in G4016 sackcloth. G4526 These G3778 are G1526 the two G1417 olive G1636 trees, and G2532 the two G1417 candlesticks G3087 standing G2476 before G1799 the God G2316 of the earth. G1093 And G2532 if any man G1536 G846 will G2309 hurt G91 them, G846 fire G4442 proceedeth G1607 out of G1537 their G846 mouth, G4750 and G2532 devoureth G2719 their G846 enemies: G2190 and G2532 if any man G1536 will G2309 hurt G91 them, G846 he must G1163 in this manner G3779 be killed. G615 These G3778 have G2192 power G1849 to shut G2808 heaven, G3772 that G3363 it rain G1026 G5205 not G3363 in G1722 the days G2250 of their G846 prophecy: G4394 and G2532 have G2192 power G1849 over G1909 waters G5204 to turn G4762 them G846 to G1519 blood, G129 and G2532 to smite G3960 the earth G1093 with all G3956 plagues, G4127 as often G3740 as G1437 they will. G2309 And G2532 when G3752 they shall have finished G5055 their G846 testimony, G3141 the beast G2342 that ascendeth G305 out of G1537 the bottomless pit G12 shall make G4160 war G4171 against G3326 them, G846 and G2532 shall overcome G3528 them, G846 and G2532 kill G615 them. G846
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Deuteronomy 19
Commentary on Deuteronomy 19 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
Laws Concerning the Cities of Refuge, the Sacredness of Landmarks,and the Punishment of False Witnesses - Deuteronomy 19
After laying down the most important features in the national constitution, Moses glances at the manifold circumstances of civil and family life, and notices in this and the two following chapters the different ways in which the lives of individuals might be endangered, for the purpose of awakening in the minds of the people a holy reverence for human life.
The laws concerning the Cities of Refuge for Unintentional Manslayers are not a mere repetition of the laws given in Num 35:9-34, but rather an admonition to carry out those laws, with special reference to the future extension of the boundaries of the land.
Deuteronomy 19:1-9
As Moses had already set apart the cities of refuge for the land on the east of the Jordan (Deuteronomy 4:41.), he is speaking here simply of the land on the west, which Israel was to take possession of before long; and supplements the instructions in Numbers 35:14, with directions to maintain the roads to the cities of refuge which were to be set apart in Canaan itself, and to divide the land into three parts, viz., for the purpose of setting apart these cities, so that one city might be chosen for the purpose in every third of the land. For further remarks on this point, as well as with regard to the use of these cities (Deuteronomy 19:4-7), see at Numbers 35:11. - In Deuteronomy 19:8-10 there follow the fresh instructions, that if the Lord should extend the borders of Israel, according to His promise given to the patriarchs, and should give them the whole land from the Nile to the Euphrates, according to Genesis 15:18, they were to add three other cities of refuge to these three, for the purpose of preventing the shedding of innocent blood. The three new cities of refuge cannot be the three appointed in Numbers 35:14 for the land on this side of the Jordan, nor the three mentioned in Numbers 35:7 on the other side of Jordan, as Knobel and others suppose. Nor can we adopt Hengstenberg's view, that the three new ones are the same as the three mentioned in Deuteronomy 19:2 and Deuteronomy 19:7, since they are expressly distinguished from “ these three.” The meaning is altogether a different one. The circumstances supposed by Moses never existed, since the Israelites did not fulfil the conditions laid down in Deuteronomy 19:9, viz., that they should keep the law faithfully, and love the Lord their God (cf. Deuteronomy 4:6; Deuteronomy 6:5, etc.). The extension of the power of Israel to the Euphrates under David and Solomon, did not bring the land as far as this river into their actual possession, since the conquered kingdoms of Aram were still inhabited by the Aramaeans, who, though conquered, were only rendered tributary. And the Tyrians and Phoenicians, who belonged to the Canaanitish population, were not even attacked by David.
Deuteronomy 19:10
Innocent blood would be shed if the unintentional manslayer was not protected against the avenger of blood, by the erection of cities of refuge in every part of the land. If Israel neglected this duty, it would bring blood-guiltiness upon itself (“ and so blood be upon thee ”), because it had not done what was requisite to prevent the shedding of innocent blood.
Deuteronomy 19:11-13
But whatever care was to be taken by means of free cities to prevent the shedding of blood, the cities of refuge were not to be asyla for criminals who were deserving of death, nor to afford protection to those who had slain a neighbour out of hatred. If such murderers should flee to the free city, the elders (magistrates) of his own town were to fetch him out, and deliver him up to the avenger of blood, that he might die. The law laid down in Numbers 35:16-21 is here still more minutely defined; but this does not transfer to the elders the duty of instituting a judicial inquiry, and deciding the matter, as Riehm follows Vater and De Wette in maintaining, for the purpose of proving that there is a discrepancy between Deuteronomy and the previous legislation. They are simply commanded to perform the duty devolving upon them as magistrates and administrators of local affairs. (On Deuteronomy 19:13, see Deuteronomy 8:8 and Deuteronomy 8:5.)
The prohibition against Removing a Neighbour's Landmark, which his ancestors had placed, is inserted here, not because landmarks were of special importance in relation to the free cities, and the removal of them might possibly be fatal to the unintentional manslayer (as Clericus and Rosenm
The Punishment of a False Witness. - To secure life and property against false accusations, Moses lays down the law in Deuteronomy 19:15, that one witness only was not “to rise up against any one with reference to any crime or sin, with every sin that one commits” (i.e., to appear before a court of justice, or be accepted as sufficient), but everything was to be established upon the testimony of two or three witnesses. The rule laid down in Deuteronomy 17:6 and Numbers 35:30 for capital crimes, is raised hereby into a law of general application (see at Numbers 35:30). קוּם (in Deuteronomy 19:15 ), to stand, i.e., to acquire legal force. - But as it was not always possible to bring forward two or three witnesses, and the statement of one witness could not well be disregarded, in Deuteronomy 19:16-18 Moses refers accusations of this kind to the higher tribunal at the sanctuary for investigation and decision, and appoints the same punishment for a false witness, which would have fallen upon the person accused, if he had been convicted of the crime with which he was charged. סרה בּו לענות , “ to testify against his departure ,” sc., from the law of God, not merely falling away into idolatry (Deuteronomy 13:6), but any kind of crime, as we may gather from Deuteronomy 19:19, which would be visited with capital punishment.
The two men between whom the dispute lay, the accused and the witness, were to come before Jehovah, viz., before the priests and judges who should be in those days - namely, at the place of the sanctuary, where Jehovah dwelt among His people (cf. Deuteronomy 17:9), and not before the local courts, as Knobel supposes. These judges were to investigate the case most thoroughly (cf. Deuteronomy 13:15); and if the witness had spoken lies, they were to do to him as he thought to do to his brother. The words from “ behold ” to “ his brother ” are parenthetical circumstantial clauses: “ And, behold, is the witness a false witness, has he spoken a lie against his brother? Ye shall do, ” etc. זמם , generally to meditate evil. On Deuteronomy 19:20, see Deuteronomy 13:12.
The lex talionis was to be applied without reserve (see at Exodus 21:23; Leviticus 24:20). According to Diod. Sic. (i. 77), the same law existed in Egypt with reference to false accusers.