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“witnesses” not only acted to attest the transaction and to confirm it orally, but they
signed a document or deed of purchase. Thus “witness” takes on the new nuance of those
able and willing to affirm the truth of a transaction by affixing their signatures: “And I
gave the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah … in the sight of
Hanameel mine uncle’s son, and in the presence of the witnesses that subscribed the book
of the purchase …” (Jer. 32:12). An object or animal(s) can signify the truthfulness of an
act or agreement. Its very existence or the acceptance of it by both parties (in the case of
the animals given to Abimelech in Gen. 21:30) bears witness: “Now therefore come thou,
let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee [let it
attest to our mutual relationship]” (Gen. 31:44—the first biblical occurrence of the word).
Jacob then set up a stone pillar or heap as a further “witness” (Gen. 31:48) calling upon
God to effect judgment if the covenant were broken.
In Mosaic criminal law the accused has the right to be faced by his/her accuser and to
give evidence of his/her innocence. In the case of a newly married woman charged by her
own husband, his testimony is sufficient to prove her guilty of adultery unless her parents
have clear evidence proving her virginity before her marriage (Deut. 22:14ff.). Usually
the accused is faced with someone who either saw or heard of his guilt: “And if a soul
sin, and hear the voice of swearing, and is a witness, whether he hath seen or known of it
…” (Lev. 5:1). Heavy penalties fell on anyone who lied to a court. The ninth
commandment may well have immediate reference to such a concrete court situation
(Exod. 20:16). If so, it serves to sanction proper judicial procedure, to safeguard
individuals from secret accusation and condemnation and giving them the right and
privilege of selfdefense. In the exchange between Jacob and Laban mentioned above,
Jacob also cites God as a “witness” (Gen. 31:50) between them, the one who will see
violations; God, however, is also the Judge. Although human courts are (as a rule) to
keep judge and “witness” separate, the “witnesses” do participate in executing the penalty
upon the guilty party (Deut. 17:7), even as God does.
B. Verb.
$
(
$
, 5749), “to take as witness, bear witness, repeat, admonish, warn, assure
protection, relieve.” This verb, which occurs 42 times in biblical Hebrew, has cognates in
Ugaritic (perhaps), Arabic, Aramaic, Syriac, Phoenician, and Ethiopic.
In 1 Kings 21:10
$
means “to bear witness”: “And set two men, sons of Belial,
before him, to bear witness against him.…” The word means “to warn” in Jer. 6:10: “To
whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear?”
WOMAN
(
2
, 802), “woman; wife; betrothed one; bride; each.” This word has
cognates in Akkadian, Ugaritic, Aramaic, Arabic, and Ethiopic. It appears about 781
times in biblical Hebrew and in all periods of the language.
This noun connotes one who is a female human being regardless of her age or
virginity. Therefore, it appears in correlation to “man” (
): “… She shall be called
Woman, because she was taken out of Man” (Gen. 2:23). This is its meaning in its first
biblical usage: “And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man [
], made he a
woman, and brought her unto the man” (Gen. 2:22). The stress here is on identification of
womanhood rather than a family role.