The Meaning of Deuteronomy 19:15 Explained

Deuteronomy 19:15

KJV: One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.

YLT: 'One witness doth not rise against a man for any iniquity, and for any sin, in any sin which he sinneth; by the mouth of two witnesses, or by the mouth of three witnesses, is a thing established.

Darby: One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, and for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established.

ASV: One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

One  witness  shall not rise up  against a man  for any iniquity,  or for any sin,  in any sin  that he sinneth:  at the mouth  of two  witnesses,  or at the mouth  of three  witnesses,  shall the matter  be established. 

What does Deuteronomy 19:15 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 19

1  The cities of refuge
4  The privilege thereof for the manslayer
14  The landmark is not to be removed
15  At least two witnesses are required
16  the punishment of a false witness

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 19:15 mean?

Not shall rise witness one against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin in any sin that he commits by the mouth of two witnesses or upon the mouth of three witnesses shall be established the matter
לֹֽא־ יָקוּם֩ עֵ֨ד אֶחָ֜ד בְּאִ֗ישׁ לְכָל־ עָוֺן֙ וּלְכָל־ חַטָּ֔את בְּכָל־ חֵ֖טְא אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֶֽחֱטָ֑א עַל־ פִּ֣י ׀ שְׁנֵ֣י עֵדִ֗ים א֛וֹ עַל־ פִּ֥י שְׁלֹשָֽׁה־ עֵדִ֖ים יָק֥וּם דָּבָֽר

יָקוּם֩  shall  rise 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
עֵ֨ד  witness 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵד  
Sense: witness.
אֶחָ֜ד  one 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
בְּאִ֗ישׁ  against  a  man 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
לְכָל־  concerning  any 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
עָוֺן֙  iniquity 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: עָוֹן  
Sense: perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity.
וּלְכָל־  or  any 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
חַטָּ֔את  sin 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: חַטָּאָה 
Sense: sin, sinful.
בְּכָל־  in  any 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
חֵ֖טְא  sin 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֵטְא  
Sense: sin.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יֶֽחֱטָ֑א  he  commits 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָטָא 
Sense: to sin, miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, forfeit, purify from uncleanness.
פִּ֣י ׀  the  mouth 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
שְׁנֵ֣י  of  two 
Parse: Number, mdc
Root: שְׁנַיִם  
Sense: two.
עֵדִ֗ים  witnesses 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: עֵד  
Sense: witness.
עַל־  upon 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
פִּ֥י  the  mouth 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
שְׁלֹשָֽׁה־  of  three 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁלֹשׁ 
Sense: three, triad.
עֵדִ֖ים  witnesses 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: עֵד  
Sense: witness.
יָק֥וּם  shall  be  established 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
דָּבָֽר  the  matter 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.