Negative Commandment #573 of 613
Do not accept testimony from a lone witness
Commandment #573 — a prohibition from Deuteronomy 19:15, classified under Courts, Crimes, and Punishments in the 613 commandments of the Torah.
Scripture
“"A single witness shall not rise up against a man on account of any iniquity or any sin which he has committed; on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed.”
— Deuteronomy 19:15
Hebrew
טו לֹא-יָקוּם עֵד אֶחָד בְּאִישׁ, לְכָל-עָוֹן וּלְכָל-חַטָּאת, בְּכָל-חֵטְא, אֲשֶׁר יֶחֱטָא: עַל-פִּי שְׁנֵי עֵדִים, אוֹ עַל-פִּי שְׁלֹשָׁה-עֵדִים--יָקוּם דָּבָר.
Greek (Septuagint)
15 Οὐκ ἐμμενεῖ μάρτυς εἷς μαρτυρῆσαι κατὰ ἀνθρώπου κατὰ πᾶσαν ἀδικίαν καὶ κατὰ πᾶν ἁμάρτημα καὶ κατὰ πᾶσαν ἁμαρτίαν, ἣν ἂν ἁμάρτῃ· ἐπὶ στόματος δύο μαρτύρων καὶ ἐπὶ στόματος τριῶν μαρτύρων σταθήσεται πᾶν ῥῆμα.
Classification
- Type
- Negative (Thou Shalt Not)
- Category
- Courts, Crimes, and Punishments
- Book
- deuteronomy
- Chapter
- 19
Scholarly References
- Parashah
- Shoftim
- Sefer HaChinuch
- #523
- Mishneh Torah
- JudgesTestimony
Related Commandments in “Courts, Crimes, and Punishments”
#131: The court must fine one who sexually seduces a maiden
Exodus 22:16
#464: The court must judge the damages incurred by an animal eating
Exodus 22:5
#465: The court must judge the damages incurred by a pit
Exodus 21:33
#466: The court must judge the damages incurred by fire
Exodus 22:6
#468: The court must implement punitive measures against a thief
Exodus 22:1
#469: Each individual must ensure that his scales and weights are accurate
Leviticus 19:36
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