Deuteronomy 19:19

19 1then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother. So you shall purge the evil[a] from your midst.

Deuteronomy 19:19 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 19:19

Then shall ye do unto him as he had thought to have done unto
his brother
Inflict the same fine or punishment on him he thought to have brought his brother under by his false testimony of him; whether any pecuniary fine, or whipping and scourging, or the loss of a member, or the value of it, or death itself; whether stoning, strangling, burning, or killing with the sword: though, in the case of accusing a priest's daughter of adultery, as Jarchi observes, such were not to be burnt, as would have been her case if proved, but strangled:

so shalt thou put the evil away from among you;
the evil man that bears a false testimony of his brother, or the guilt of sin which would be incurred by conniving at him.

Deuteronomy 19:19 In-Context

17 then both parties to the dispute shall appear before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who are in office in those days.
18 The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely,
19 then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.
20 And the rest shall hear and fear, and shall never again commit any such evil among you.
21 Your eye shall not pity. It shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Cross References 1

  • 1. Proverbs 19:5, 9; [Daniel 6:24]

Footnotes 1

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.