Deuteronomy 19

Deuteronomy 19:1-21

Deuteronomy 19:1-21(c) Specific Crimes (Deuteronomy 19:1-21) First. Murder, premeditated and unpremeditated, is dealt with in the following manner: If a man caused the death of another man unintentionally or by accident, the appointed cities of refuge provided a haven of safety for him (Deuteronomy 19:1-10). For deliberate and intentional murder no such provision was made, nor could any redemption price be substituted for the life of the murderer (Deuteronomy 19:11-13; cf. Numbers 35:31). He was slain without mercy. Second. The guilt of perjury is then described (Deuteronomy 19:15-21). If all men spoke the truth always, then one witness would be enough. Inasmuch, however, as men are, proverbially, liars, it is necessary to have corroborative testimony. What Jesus meant in Matthew 5:37 when He said, “ Let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay,” was that we should have such a reputation for veracity that our mere word without any oath would be sufficient guaranty of its truth and accuracy. The fact that oaths have to be administered in our courts of justice is a testimony to the depravity of man.

Perjury is a sin against God as well as against man. Persons committing perjury had to suffer retribution; all the wrong that the witness had thought to have done unto his brother should be done to him. We have an illustration of this in the case of Haman and Mordecai (Esther 6:1-14; Esther 7:1-10; Esther 8:1-17). By the expression “ An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth” is not meant private retaliation, but the compensations afforded by public justice. False witness includes deliberate invention and circulation of falsehood, false suggestions, the suppression of essential circumstances necessary to a right understanding of the facts in the case, or giving a wrong coloring to the facts.