Witness (Noun and Verb)
Witness (Noun and Verb)
(whence Eng., “martyr,” one who bears “witness” by his death) denotes “one who can or does aver what he has seen or heard or knows;” it is used (a) of God, Rom 1:9; 2Co 1:23; Phi 1:8; 1Th 2:5,1Th 2:10 (2nd part); (b) of Christ, Rev 1:5; Rev 3:14; (c) of those who “witness” for Christ by their death, Act 22:20; Rev 2:13; Rev 17:6; (d) of the interpreters of God’s counsels, yet to “witness” in Jerusalem in the times of the Antichrist, Rev 11:3; (e) in a forensic sense, Mat 18:16; Mat 26:65; Mar 14:63; Act 6:13; Act 7:58; 2Co 13:1; 1Ti 5:19; Heb 10:28; (f) in a historical sense, Luk 11:48; Luk 24:48; Act 1:8,Act 1:22; Act 2:32; Act 3:15; Act 5:32; Act 10:39,Act 10:41; Act 13:31; Act 22:15; Act 26:16; 1Th 2:10 (1st part); 1Ti 6:12; 2Ti 2:2; Heb 12:1, “(a cloud) of witnesses,” here of those mentioned in ch. 11, those whose lives and actions testified to the worth and effect of faith, and whose faith received “witness” in Scripture; 1Pe 5:1.
“testimony, a bearing witness,” is translated “witness” in Mar 14:55-56,Mar 14:59; Luk 22:71; Joh 1:7,Joh 1:19 (RV); Joh 3:11,Joh 3:32-33 (RV); Joh 5:31-32,Joh 5:34 (RV), Joh 5:36; RV in Joh 8:13-14,Joh 8:17; Joh 19:35; Joh 21:24; AV in Tit 1:13; AV and RV in 1Jo 5:9 (thrice), 10 (1st part); RV in 1Jo 5:10 (2nd part), 1Jo 5:11; 3Jo 1:12, see TESTIMONY, No. 2.
“testimony or witness as borne, a declaration of facts,” is translated “witness” in Mat 24:14, AV; Act 4:33; Act 7:44 (AV); Jam 5:3 (AV): see TESTIMONY, No. 1.
denotes “a false witness,” Mat 26:60; 1Co 15:15.
“false witness,” occurs in Mat 15:19; Mat 26:59.
denotes (I) “to be a martus” (see A, No. 1), or “to bear witness to,” sometimes rendered “to testify” (see TESTIFY, No. 1); it is used of the “witness” (a) of God the Father to Christ, Joh 5:32,Joh 5:37; Joh 8:18 (2nd part); 1Jo 5:9-10; to others, Act 13:22; Act 15:8; Heb 11:2,Heb 11:4 (twice), Heb 11:5,Heb 11:39; (b) of Christ, Joh 3:11,Joh 3:32; Joh 4:44; Joh 5:31; Joh 7:7; Joh 8:13-14,Joh 8:18 (1st part); Joh 13:21; Joh 18:37; Act 14:3; 1Ti 6:13; Rev 22:18,Rev 22:20; of the Holy Spirit, to Christ, Joh 15:26; Heb 10:15; 1Jo 5:7-8, RV, which rightly omits the latter part of 1Jo 5:7 (it was a marginal gloss which crept into the original text: see THREE); it finds no support in Scripture; (c) of the Scriptures, to Christ, Joh 5:39; Heb 7:8,Heb 7:17; (d) of the works of Christ, to Himself, and of the circumstances connected with His Death, Joh 5:36; Joh 10:25; 1Jo 5:8; (e) of prophets and apostles, to the righteousness of God, Rom 3:21; to Christ, Joh 1:7-8,Joh 1:15,Joh 1:32,Joh 1:34; Joh 3:26; Joh 5:33, RV; Joh 15:27; Joh 19:35; Joh 21:24; Act 10:43; Act 23:11; 1Co 15:15; 1Jo 1:2; 1Jo 4:14; Rev 1:2; to doctrine, Act 26:22 (in some texts, so AV; see No. 2); to the Word of God, Rev 1:2; (f) of others, concerning Christ, Luk 4:22; Joh 4:39; Joh 12:17; (g) of believers to one another, Joh 3:28; 2Co 8:3; Gal 4:15; Col 4:13; 1Th 2:11 (in some texts: see No. 2); 3Jo 1:3,3Jo 1:6,3Jo 1:12 (2nd part); (h) of the Apostle Paul concerning Israel, Rom 10:2; (i) of an angel, to the churches, Rev 22:16; (j) of unbelievers concerning themselves, Mat 23:31; concerning Christ, Joh 18:23; concerning others, Joh 2:25; Act 22:5; Act 26:5; (II) “to give a good report, to approve of,” Act 6:3; Act 10:22; Act 16:2; Act 22:12; 1Ti 5:10; 3Jo 1:12 (1st part); some would put Luk 4:22 here.
strictly meaning “to summon as a witness,” signifies “to affirm solemnly, adjure,” and is used in the Middle Voice only, rendered “to testify” in Act 20:26, RV (AV, “I take … to record”); Act 26:22, RV, in the best texts [see No. 1 (e)]; Gal 5:3; Eph 4:17; 1Th 2:11, in the best texts [see No. 1 (g)].
denotes “to bear witness with” (sun), Rom 2:15; Rom 8:16; Rom 9:1.
denotes “to join in bearing witness with others,” Heb 2:4.
denotes “to witness against” (kata), Mat 26:62; Mat 27:13; Mar 14:60 (in some mss., Mar 15:4, for kategoreo, “to accuse,” RV).
“to bear false witness” (pseudes, “false”), occurs in Mat 19:18; Mar 10:19; Mar 14:56-57; Luk 18:20; in some texts, Rom 13:9.
denotes “without witness” (a, negative, and martus), Act 14:17.