At
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. The hand of the witnesses shall be first on him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. So you shall remove the evil from among you.
Deuteronomy 17:6-7
Deuteronomy 17 [1.] You shall not sacrifice to Yahweh your God an ox, or a sheep, in which is a defect, or anything evil; for that is an abomination to Yahweh your God. If there is found among you, within any of your gates which Yahweh your God gives you, a man or woman who does that which is evil in Yahweh your God’s sight, in transgressing his covenant, and has gone and served other gods, and worshiped them, or the sun, or the moon, or any of the stars of the sky, which I have not commanded; 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 abomination is done in Israel,
Deuteronomy 17 [5.] then you shall bring out that man or that woman, who has done this evil thing, to your gates, even that same man or woman; and you shall stone them to death with stones. At 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. The hand of the witnesses shall be first on him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. So you shall remove the evil from among you. If there arises a matter too hard for you in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within your gates; then you shall arise, and go up to the place which Yahweh your God chooses. 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 verdict.
Deuteronomy 17 [10.] You shall do according to the decisions of the verdict which they shall give you from that place which Yahweh chooses. You shall observe to do according to all that they shall teach you: according to the decisions of the law which they shall teach you, and according to the judgment which they shall tell you, you shall do. You shall not turn aside from the sentence which they shall show you, to the right hand, nor to the left. The man who does presumptuously, in not listening to the priest who stands to minister there before Yahweh your God, or to the judge, even that man shall die. You shall put away the evil from Israel. All the people shall hear, and fear, and do no more presumptuously.
Meaning:
Deuteronomy 17 begins with the case of a person found serving other gods in Israel. Before any penalty could be carried out, the matter had to be investigated carefully, and these two verses set out the rules of evidence. Jesus referred to this principle in John 8, and the PIB footnote to John 8:17 points here.
- “At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses”
No one in Israel could be put to death on the word of a single person. One witness might be mistaken, or might be lying out of malice. Two or three independent witnesses whose accounts agreed were required. Moses repeats the rule as a general principle for every case: “At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established” (Deuteronomy 19:15). The ninth commandment backs it up: “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor” (Exodus 20:16).
- “The hand of the witnesses shall be first on him”
The witnesses were to throw the first stones. This made them take full responsibility for their testimony. Anyone tempted to lie would have to carry out the sentence with his own hands.
This background helps explain Jesus’ answer to those who brought the woman taken in adultery. They claimed to have caught her “in the very act” (John 8:4). Jesus said, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone at her” (John 8:7). The first stone belonged to the witnesses, and Jesus asked whether they were fit to throw it. Convicted by their conscience, they left one by one (John 8:9).
- The principle in the New Testament
Jesus applied the rule to his own testimony: “It’s also written in your law that the testimony of two people is valid. I am one who testifies about myself, and the Father who sent me testifies about me” (John 8:17-18). He also used it for correcting a brother who sins: “take one or two more with you, that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established” (Matthew 18:16).
At Jesus’ own trial the principle was abused. “Many gave false testimony against him, and their testimony didn’t agree with each other” (Mark 14:56).
The Significance of Deuteronomy 17:6-7
- Careful, fair judgment
God’s law refused to condemn anyone on rumour or a single voice. Christians should be slow to believe or repeat accusations and careful to establish the facts.
- Responsibility for our words
The witnesses had to act on their own words. What we say about others has real consequences, and we will answer to God for it.
Cross-References:
Deuteronomy 19:15: "At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established." The general rule of evidence.
John 8:7: "He who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone at her." Jesus and the first stone.
John 8:17: "It’s also written in your law that the testimony of two people is valid." Jesus applies the principle to his testimony.
Conclusion: Deuteronomy 17:6-7 required at least two or three witnesses before a death sentence, and made the witnesses throw the first stones. The rule guarded against false accusation and made witnesses answer for their words. It lies behind Jesus’ words to the woman’s accusers, “let him throw the first stone,” and his appeal to the testimony of two witnesses. It calls us to judge carefully and to speak about others truthfully.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible