The True and Faithful Witness

Sixth Vision: The Flying Scroll

Zechariah 5:1–4 

5 Again I looked up and saw a flying scroll. 2 And he said to me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a flying scroll; its length is twenty cubits and its width ten cubits.” 3 Then he said to me, “This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole land, for everyone who has stolen, as is forbidden on one side, has gone unpunished, and everyone who has sworn falsely, as is forbidden on the other side, has gone unpunished. 4 I have sent it out, says the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter the house of the thief and the house of anyone who swears falsely by my name, and it shall abide in that house and consume it, both timber and stones.”

Job 16:19 

      19       Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, 

         and he who testifies for me is on high.        

The parallelism now uses the Aramaic word “my advocate”—the one who testifies on my behalf. The word again appears in Gen 31:47 for Laban’s naming of the “heap of witness” in Aramaic—“Sahadutha.”

Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible, Second Edition. (Denmark: Thomas Nelson, 2019).

WITNESS

New Testament

μάρτυς mártus; gen. márturos, masc.–fem. noun. A witness. One who has information or knowledge of something, and hence, one who can give information, bring to light, or confirm something (Matt. 18:16; 26:65; Mark 14:63; Luke 24:48; Acts 1:22; 5:32; 7:58; 2 Cor. 13:1; 1 Tim. 5:19; Heb. 10:28). 

It denotes that the witness confirms something, though in many cases that witness may have been bribed or otherwise persuaded to make a false statement (Acts 6:13). In the sense of a simple confirmation (2 Cor. 1:23); of the Apostle’s faithfulness and spiritual integrity (Rom. 1:9; Phil. 1:8; 1 Thess. 2:5, 10; 1 Tim. 6:12; 2 Tim. 2:2). 

Heb. 12:1 refers to the “cloud of witnesses” is mentioned. This may refer to them as spectators at a race, but seems to imply that they also testify, whether by word or deed, regarding the race they themselves have run.

Peculiar to the NT is the designation as mártures (pl., witnesses) of those who announce the facts of the gospel and tell its tidings (Acts 2:32; 3:15; 10:39, 41; 13:31; Rev. 11:3). Also mártus is used as a designation of those who have suffered death in consequence of confessing Christ (of Stephen, Acts 22:20; of Antipas, Rev. 2:13; see Rev. 17:6. These verses, however, should not be understood as if their witness consisted in their suffering death, but rather that their witnessing of Jesus became the cause of their death). The Lord Jesus in Rev. 1:5 is called “the faithful witness,” the faithful one (see Rev. 3:14)

Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000). 

John 8:5–7

5 Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6 They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger.(those who turn away from thee shall be written in the earth, (Jer. 17:13.) 

7 But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”(The first stones were to be thrown by the witnesses Dt 17:7)

New American Bible, Revised Edition. (Washington, DC: The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2011).

WITNESS

Old Testament

Noun: עֵד (ʿēd), GK 6332 (S 5707), 69×. ʿēd, usually translated “witness,” is a legal term that derives from a verb meaning “to repeat, do again.” In the OT, a witness is someone who is able to repeat to others something he has observed firsthand. His testimony is legal and is used to confirm a fact.

But ʿēd is found more commonly among judicial proceedings. Deuteronomy requires the testimony of more than one “witness” to establish guilt (Deut. 19:15), especially in capital cases (Deut.17:6; cf. Num. 35:30), in which the “witnesses” are to cast the first stones (Deut. 17:7). 

God’s love for truth and justice is displayed in the OT demand for witnesses to be faithful (Prov. 14:5) and truthful (Prov.14:25). The ninth commandment forbids bearing false “witness” (Exod. 20:16; cf. 23:1; Deut. 5:20). Elsewhere, the law requires that the defendant’s penalty be meted out to the “witness” if the witness is found to be false (Deut. 19:16–19). 

Yahweh hates a false “witness” (Prov. 6:19) who mocks justice (Prov.19:28), speaks deceit (Prov.12:17), and lies (Prov.14:5). A false “witness” will not go unpunished (Prov.19:5, 9), but will perish (Prov.21:28).

God, who sees all things, is the ultimate witness. He is the “true and faithful witness” (Jer. 42:5), convicting people of their sin (Jer. 29:23; Mal 3:5) and confirming their integrity (1 Sam. 12:5; Job 16:19).

William D. Mounce, Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006), 796.

Job 16:18–21 (MSG)

THE ONE WHO REPRESENTS MORTALS BEFORE GOD

      18–22       “O Earth, don’t cover up the wrong done to me!

                 Don’t muffle my cry!

                 There must be Someone in heaven who knows the truth about me,

                 in highest heaven, some Attorney who can clear my name—

                 My Champion, my Friend,

                 while I’m weeping my eyes out before God.

                 I appeal to the One who represents mortals before God

                 as a neighbor stands up for a neighbor.