Deuteronomy 19:16

19:16 If a false ¹  witness testifies against another person and accuses him of a crime, ² 

Deuteronomy 19:18

19:18 The judges will thoroughly investigate the matter, and if the witness should prove to be false and to have given false testimony against the accused, ³ 

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¹ tn Heb “violent” (חָמָס, khamas). This is a witness whose motivation from the beginning is to do harm to the accused and who, therefore, resorts to calumny and deceit. See I. Swart and C. VanDam, NIDOTTE 2:177-80.

² tn Or “rebellion.” Rebellion against God’s law is in view (cf. NAB “of a defection from the law”).

³ tn Heb “his brother” (also in the following verse).