Numbers 35:29-34: a reflection

29“‘These things shall be for a statute and ordinance to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 30“‘Whoever kills any person, the murderer shall be slain based on the testimony of witnesses; but one witness shall not testify alone against any person so that he dies. 31“‘Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death. He shall surely be put to death. 32“‘You shall take no ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may come again to dwell in the land before the death of the priest. 33“‘So you shall not pollute the land where you live; for blood pollutes the land. No atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, but by the blood of him who shed it. 34You shall not defile the land which you inhabit, where I dwell; for I, the LORD, dwell among the children of Israel.’”

Among the laws about justice in cases of death, God establishes a crucial safeguard against wrongful condemnation: no one is to be put to death on the testimony of a single witness. The murderer shall be slain based on the testimony of witnesses, the law says; but one witness shall not testify alone against any person so that he dies. Because a matter as grave as a person's life was at stake, God required more than one witness; the testimony of a single person, which might be mistaken or malicious, was not enough to condemn someone to death. This safeguard guarded against wrongful condemnation on insufficient or false testimony. This shows God's concern for just process, not condemning anyone on a single witness. God required more than one witness before condemning. Justice guards against condemning on insufficient testimony. A single witness was not enough to condemn a person. God's concern for just process guards the innocent.

Notice the wisdom and justice of this safeguard. In matters as grave as a person's life, God did not allow condemnation on the word of a single witness; more than one witness was required. This guarded against the real dangers of a single testimony: that it might be mistaken, that the one witness might have seen wrongly or remembered wrongly; or that it might be malicious, a false accusation brought by someone with a grudge or an aim to harm. Requiring more than one witness made it far harder for the innocent to be wrongly condemned on insufficient or false testimony. This reflects God's concern for just process, for protecting the innocent from wrongful condemnation. And it holds a principle for us. We can be quick to condemn others on insufficient evidence, on a single report, a single account, a single accusation, without seeking corroboration or hearing the other side; and this can do real injustice, condemning people wrongly on testimony that is mistaken or malicious. God's law reminds us to be careful, not to condemn on insufficient testimony, but to seek proper evidence, to guard against wrongful condemnation. We do well to be slow to condemn on a single, unverified account, mindful of God's concern for just process. Do not condemn others on a single, unverified account. Guard against wrongful condemnation on insufficient testimony. God's concern for just process protects the innocent. Be careful and slow to condemn without proper evidence.

That is worth taking to heart, for God's concern for just process guards against condemning anyone on insufficient testimony, and we do well to be slow to condemn on a single, unverified account. We can be quick to condemn others on a single report or accusation, without seeking corroboration or hearing the other side, doing real injustice; but God required more than one witness before condemning, guarding against wrongful condemnation on mistaken or malicious testimony. Be careful in judging others. Do not condemn others on insufficient testimony; seek proper evidence, mindful of God's concern for just process. Be slow to condemn others on a single, unverified account, seeking proper evidence and guarding against wrongful condemnation, mindful of God's concern for just process, as God, in the laws about matters as grave as a person's life, required that no one be put to death on the testimony of a single witness but only on the testimony of more than one; for a matter as grave as a person's life was at stake, and God guarded against the real dangers of a single testimony, that it might be mistaken, the one witness having seen or remembered wrongly, or malicious, a false accusation brought by someone with a grudge or an aim to harm, so that requiring more than one witness made it far harder for the innocent to be wrongly condemned, which reflects God's concern for just process and for protecting the innocent, and holds a principle for us, since we can be quick to condemn others on insufficient evidence, a single report or accusation, without seeking corroboration or hearing the other side, doing real injustice, so that God's law reminds us to be careful and slow to condemn on insufficient testimony, seeking proper evidence and guarding against wrongful condemnation.

Lord, among the laws about justice in cases of death, you establish a crucial safeguard against wrongful condemnation: no one is to be put to death on the testimony of a single witness. The murderer shall be slain based on the testimony of witnesses, the law says; but one witness shall not testify alone against any person so that he dies. Because a matter as grave as a person's life was at stake, you required more than one witness; the testimony of a single person, which might be mistaken or malicious, was not enough to condemn someone. This safeguard guarded against wrongful condemnation on insufficient or false testimony. Show me the wisdom and justice of this safeguard. In matters as grave as a person's life, you did not allow condemnation on the word of a single witness. This guarded against the real dangers of a single testimony: that it might be mistaken, the one witness having seen or remembered wrongly; or malicious, a false accusation brought by someone with a grudge. Requiring more than one witness made it far harder for the innocent to be wrongly condemned. This reflects your concern for just process, for protecting the innocent. And it holds a principle for me. I can be quick to condemn others on insufficient evidence, on a single report, a single accusation, without seeking corroboration or hearing the other side; and this can do real injustice. Your law reminds me to be careful, not to condemn on insufficient testimony, but to seek proper evidence. Take that to my heart, for your concern for just process guards against condemning anyone on insufficient testimony. Keep me from being quick to condemn others on a single, unverified account; help me be careful and slow to judge, Lord, seeking proper evidence and guarding against wrongful condemnation, mindful of your concern for just process and for protecting the innocent.