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WITNESS.—This is the rendering of Heb. ‘çd and ‘çdah and of the Gr. martys, martyria, and martyreô, and compounds of this root. The primitive idea of the Heb. root is to repeat, re-assert, and we find the word used in the following connexions:—(1) Witness meaning evidence, testimony, sign (of things): a heap of stones (Gen_31:44), the Song of Moses (Deu_31:26), Job’s disease (Job_16:8), the stone set up by Joshua at Shechem (Jos_24:27). So in the NT the dust on the feet of the disciples was to be a witness against the Jews (Mar_6:11). (2) Witness signifying the person who witnesses or can testify or vouch for the parties in debate; e.g. God is witness between Jacob and Laban (Gen_31:50); so Job says, ‘My witness is in heaven’ (Job_16:19, cf. also 1Sa_12:5 ff., Jer_29:23; Jer_42:5). In the NT God is called on by St. Paul to witness to his truth and the purity of his motives (Rom_1:9, 2Co_1:23 etc.). Akin to this meaning we have (3) Witness in a legal sense. Thus we find witnesses to an act of conveyancing (Jer_32:10), to a betrothal (Rth_4:9), while in all civil and criminal cases there were witnesses to give evidence, and references to false witnesses are frequent (cf. Pro_12:17; Pro_19:5-9; Pro_21:28; Pro_25:18 etc.). See also Justice (II.), 2; Oaths. In the NT the Apostles frequently appear as witnesses (martyres) of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus (Luk_24:48, Act_1:8; Act_2:32; Act_3:15 etc.). The heroes of the faith are called the ‘cloud of witnesses’ (Heb_12:1), and Jesus Himself is ‘the faithful witness (martyr)’ in Rev_1:6; Rev_3:14 (cf. 1Ti_6:13). Cf. also artt. Ark, § 1; Tabernacle, § 7 (a).
W. F. Boyd.