then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before Yahweh, before the priests and the judges who shall be in those days; and the judges shall make diligent inquisition; and behold, if the witness is a false witness, and has testified falsely against his brother,
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Deuteronomy 19:17-18 sits inside this longer paragraph.
One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin that he sins. At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established. If an unrighteous witness rises up against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing, then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before Yahweh, before the priests and the judges who shall be in those days; and the judges shall make diligent inquisition; and behold, if the witness is a false witness, and has testified falsely against his brother, then you shall do to him as he had thought to do to his brother. So you shall remove the evil from among you. Those who remain shall hear, and fear, and will never again commit any such evil among you. Your eyes shall not pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
Parallel Translations
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then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before Yahweh, before the priests and the judges who shall be in those days;
and the judges shall make diligent inquisition; and behold, if the witness is a false witness, and has testified falsely against his brother,
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Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days;
And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother;
Show all 3 translations
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then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges that shall be in those days.
And the judges shall inquire diligently; and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother;
Cross-references (7)
- Deuteronomy 17:9 (v17) You shall come to the priests who are Levites and to the judge who shall be in those days. You shall inquire, and they shall give you the…
- Deuteronomy 21:5 (v17) The priests the sons of Levi shall come near, for them Yahweh your God has chosen to minister to him, and to bless in Yahweh’s name; and…
- Malachi 2:7 (v17) For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of Yahweh of Armies.
- Deuteronomy 13:14 (v18) then you shall inquire, investigate, and ask diligently. Behold, if it is true, and the thing certain, that such abomination was done among…
- Deuteronomy 17:4 (v18) and you are told, and you have heard of it, then you shall inquire diligently. Behold, if it is true, and the thing certain, that such…
Show all 7 cross-references
- 2 Chronicles 19:6-7 (v18) and said to the judges, “Consider what you do, for you don’t judge for man, but for Yahweh; and he is with you in the judgment. Now…
- Job 19:16 (v18) I call to my servant, and he gives me no answer. I beg him with my mouth.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (9 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On v17 God’s presence is where his true ministers are assembled.
God’s presence is where his true ministers are assembled.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On v17 See Poole "Deu 17:9,12", and observe that the controversies…
See Poole "Deu 17:9,12", and observe that the controversies both here and there referred to, and to be determined by the priests and judges, are only between man and man, and not doctrines of faith and manners, as the papists for their own advantage pretend.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv17–18 And the judges shall make diligent inquisition,.... Into the…
And the judges shall make diligent inquisition,.... Into the case before them, into the nature of the evidence and proof that each witness brings for or against; so the Targum of Jonathan,"the judges shall interrogate the witness, by whom these things are said, well;''shall thoroughly examine the testimony given, and look carefully into it:
and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother; it appears plainly by full evidence that he has testified a falsehood of him.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On v17 Both the men, between whom the controversy is -…
Both the men, between whom the controversy is - Not the accused and the false witness, but the plaintiff and defendant (compare Exo 23:1) who were summoned before the supreme court held, as provided in Deut. 17, at the sanctuary. The judges acted as God’s representative; to lie to them was to lie to Him.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On v17 Lord, in the tabernacle. (Menochius) --- Judges. Hence it…
Lord, in the tabernacle. (Menochius) --- Judges. Hence it appears evidently that the priests were to pass sentence in all difficult questions, as well in those which regarded individuals, as in those which attacked the worship of God; since the false accuser is to lose his life or limb, according as he had attempted to injure his neighbour; (ver. 21,) and the Lord ratifies their sentence. (Calmet)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On v17 17. The men, between whom the controversy is —…
17. The men, between whom the controversy is — The original parties in the case, one of whom is supposed to have brought into court the false witness. But Keil thinks the accused and the false witness are the men referred to in this clause.
Before the Lord,… priests… judges — At the place appointed by Jehovah for the sanctuary, before the highest court, this judicial investigation was to be made. The crime of bearing false witness was of such grave moment that it was to be treated with the greatest solemnity.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv17–18 17. shall stand before the Lord, before the priests…
17. shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges, etc.] That is in the supreme court to be instituted at the One Altar, Deu_17:9. The construction is awkward and betrays expansion. Steuern. and Berth. and Marti take before the judges as alone original, as these only are mentioned in the next v., and understand the reference to be, not to the supreme court but to the newly instituted judges of Deu_16:18. But it is quite as probable that before the Lord was all that the original text of the law contained, and that the rest was added from Deu_17:9 by an editor. This is just one of the difficult cases, which in more primitive conditions were referred to some representative of the Deity and which, on the institution of the supreme court at Jerusalem, Israel was directed to take there (cp. Deu_17:8, between plea and plea, the same Heb. term as is here rendered controversy).
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On v17 Both the men, i.e. both parties at the bar,…
Both the men, i.e. both parties at the bar, shall stand before the Lord; i.e. shall come to the sanctuary where Jehovah had his dwelling-place in the midst of his people, and where the supreme judges, who were his delegates and representatives, held their court. (Deu_17:9)
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v17 General Information:
General Information:
Moses continues to speak to the people of Israel.
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the ones between whom the controversy exists
"the ones who disagree with one another"
must stand before Yahweh, before the priests and the judges
This means the two persons must go to the sanctuary where Yahweh's presence dwells. At the sanctuary are priests and judges who have the authority to make legal decisions for Yahweh. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
stand before Yahweh, before the priests and the judges
The phrase "stand before" is an idiom. It means to go to someone with authority and let him make a legal decision about a matter. (See: Idiom)
The judges must make diligent inquiries
"The judges must work very hard to determine what happened"
then must you do to him, as he had wished to do to his brother
"then you must punish the false witness in the same way as he wanted you to punish the other man"
you will remove the evil from among you
The nominal adjective "the evil" can be stated as an adjective. AT: "you will remove the evil practice from among you" (See: Nominal Adjectives)
translationWords
priest
judge
servant
day
inquire
testimony
corrupt witness
testimony
brother
evil
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.