Verses 16-19 deal with a case in which there is only one witness. This person is called a malicious witness, that is, a hostile witness, someone who violates the truth (the same phrase occurs in Exo 23.1; Psa 35.11).

Wrongdoing: the Hebrew word is used in 13.5 to mean apostasy (Revised Standard Version “rebellion against God”). It means the same thing in Isa 1.5; 31.6; Jer 28.16; 29.32 (its precise meaning in Isa 59.13 is in doubt). On the basis of the meaning of the word in these other passages, some commentators believe the charge here is not simply of wrongdoing in general but of apostasy in particular. The Septuagint here uses the word “ungodliness,” which means apostasy; and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible has “accuse him of rebellion” (which, in the context, is rebellion against God, not against the king). The whole paragraph indicates clearly that the crime is punishable by death, and the false witness himself shall be put to death (verse 19). It is recommended that the word or expression for “apostasy” be used here (using the same expression used in 13.5), namely “rebellion against God.” So we may translate:

• If a person tries to harm another by falsely accusing that person of rebelling against God, ….

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .