Hebrew word · H5749

עוּד

ve'a'idah

to testify

The causative form of עוּד means (1) to call or take as witness, (2) to bear witness or testify, (3) to warn solemnly or admonish, often “testify against.” The related noun עֵד means “witness.” In legal settings a witness was more than an observer.

Appears 44 times in 40 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

1) to bear witness

1a) (Qal) to bear witness, say again and again

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to testify, bear witness

1b2) to cause to testify, take or call as witness, invoke

1b3) to protest, affirm solemnly, warn, exhort or enjoin solemnly, admonish, charge

1c) (Hophal) to protest, give warning

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Malachi 2:14

Range of meaning

The causative form of עוּד means (1) to call or take as witness, (2) to bear witness or testify, (3) to warn solemnly or admonish, often “testify against.” The related noun עֵד means “witness.” In legal settings a witness was more than an observer. He guaranteed an agreement and could be called to give evidence and enforce it when it was broken.

Against the English

English “has been a witness” (BSB, KJV, WEB) can sound passive, as though God only watched the wedding. YLT's “hath testified” brings out the active, courtroom side. The Hebrew holds both: God was the guarantor of the commitment and is now the witness for the prosecution.

Used elsewhere in the period

The closest parallel is Genesis 31:50, where Laban makes Jacob swear about Laban's daughters: “If you mistreat my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters… God is witness between me and you.” There too God is invoked as witness of a husband's obligations. Compare 1 Samuel 12:5; Jeremiah 42:5 (“May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us”); Deuteronomy 4:26, 30:19 (heaven and earth as covenant witnesses). In ancient Near Eastern treaties and contracts, gods were regularly listed as witnesses who would punish violations.

From the study of Genesis 43:3

Range of meaning

The root ʿwd is linked to ʿed, “witness.” In its causative form (hiphil) it means: (1) to call witnesses or take someone as witness; (2) to testify; (3) with the preposition bə (“against”), to warn someone solemnly or admonish them in a way that puts them on record and makes them answerable; (4) to charge or command someone formally. Here the verb is doubled: its bare root form followed by the finite form. That is Hebrew's ordinary way of saying “he certainly, emphatically did it.”

Against the English

BSB, WEB, ESV and NASB have “solemnly warned.” KJV has “did solemnly protest,” and YLT keeps the doubling as “protesting protested.” “Warned” gets the forward-looking threat. It loses the legal flavour of the Hebrew: the man formally put the brothers on notice, as if before witnesses.

How it drifted

“Warn” in English can sound like friendly advice. The Hebrew is closer to a formal notice with legal force. The KJV's “protest” has drifted further; see the drift section.

Used elsewhere in the period

The same doubled form appears in Genesis 43:3 only within Genesis. Elsewhere it is used of God's solemn warnings: “I solemnly warned your fathers” (Jeremiah 11:7) and “I testify against you today” (Deuteronomy 8:19, single form). Exodus 19:21 has “warn the people,” and 1 Samuel 8:9 has “you shall solemnly warn them.” In 1 Kings 2:42, Solomon says he “warned” Shimei and made him swear, and breaking that warning cost Shimei his life. The Septuagint here uses the Greek legal verb diamartyromai, “to testify solemnly.”

From the study of Deuteronomy 30:19

Range of meaning

Basic sense: to repeat, to bear witness. In the causative form (Hiphil): (1) to call someone as a witness, to summon witnesses against someone; (2) to warn solemnly, to testify against (often 'I warned you'). Related nouns: ʿed 'witness', ʿedut 'testimony' (the tablets of the covenant are 'the testimony').

Against the English

KJV 'I call heaven and earth to record' keeps the legal idea but 'record' now sounds like writing something down. BSB/WEB 'as witnesses against you' / 'to witness against you' is accurate. YLT 'I have caused to testify' is wooden but shows the causative form.

How it drifted

Not so much drift as loss of setting: modern readers hear 'heaven and earth' as rhetorical grandeur, missing that this is a fixed legal formula.

Used elsewhere in the period

The same formula appears in Deut 4:26 and 31:28, and the Song of Moses opens by addressing heaven and earth (32:1). The prophets later call the same witnesses into court when Israel is accused (Isa 1:2; Mic 6:1–2; compare Jer 2:12). Outside Israel, Hittite treaties end with lists of witnesses: the gods, then 'mountains, rivers, springs, the great sea, heaven and earth, winds and clouds'. The 8th-century BC Aramaic Sefire treaties likewise invoke heaven and earth among the witnesses.

Where it appears

Genesis · 2

  1. Genesis 43:3 הָעֵ֣ד הֵעִד֩ certainly <to warn>, he warned

    But Judah replied, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’

    Here: The verb's bare root form, placed in front of the finite verb for emphasis: “he really did warn.” English has to show the emphasis with words like “solemnly” or “strictly.”

Exodus · 3

  1. Exodus 19:21 הָעֵ֣ד warn

    and the LORD said to him, “Go down and warn the people not to break through to see the LORD, lest many of them perish.

  2. Exodus 19:23 הַעֵדֹ֤תָה you warned

    But Moses said to the LORD, “The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, for You solemnly warned us, ‘Put a boundary around the mountain and set it apart as holy.’”

  3. Exodus 21:29 וְהוּעַ֤ד and it has been protested

    But if the ox has a habit of goring, and its owner has been warned yet does not restrain it, and it kills a man or woman, then the ox must be stoned and its owner must also be put to death.

Deuteronomy · 5

  1. Deuteronomy 4:26 הַעִידֹתִי֩ I call as witnesses

    I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you this day that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live long upon it, but will be utterly destroyed.

    Here: Causative form of the verb 'to witness': 'I make (them) testify', i.e. I summon them as witnesses. The past-tense form is used as a performative: by saying it Moses does it, 'I hereby call'.

  2. Deuteronomy 8:19 הַעִדֹ֤תִי I testify

    If you ever forget the LORD your God and go after other gods to worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely perish.

    Here: A formal legal act: Moses stands as a witness who puts the warning on record. The perfect form presents it as done the moment it is spoken: 'I hereby testify'.

  3. Deuteronomy 30:19 הַעִידֹ֨תִי I call as witnesses

    I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore choose life, so that you and your descendants may live,

    Here: The causative form: 'I make (someone) testify', i.e. I summon witnesses. The past-tense form works as a performative, like 'I hereby call...': the act happens as Moses says it. It is legal and treaty language, not a figure of speech.

  4. Deuteronomy 31:28 וְאָעִ֣ידָה so I may call as witnesses

    Assemble before me all the elders of your tribes and all your officers so that I may speak these words in their hearing and call heaven and earth to witness against them.

    Here: "And let me call to testify." A legal term: Moses formally names witnesses for the record. The same root gives ʿed, "witness," the word used of the Song (31:19, 21) and of the Torah scroll (31:26).

  5. Deuteronomy 32:46 מֵעִ֥יד [am] warning

    he said to them, “Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to carefully follow all the words of this law.

    Here: A participle meaning 'I am bearing witness', something happening right now. This verb belongs to covenant courtrooms. It means to give solemn testimony that can later be used as evidence, so it is both a warning and a legal record.

1 Samuel · 2

  1. 1 Samuel 8:9 הָעֵ֤ד תָּעִיד֙ certainly <to warn>, you will warn

    Now listen to their voice; but you must solemnly warn them and show them the manner of the king who will reign over them.”

1 Kings · 3

  1. 1 Kings 2:42 וָאָעִ֤ד and did I warn?

    the king summoned Shimei and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the LORD and warn you, ‘On the day you leave and go elsewhere, know for sure that you will die’? And you told me, ‘The sentence is fair; I will comply.’

  2. 1 Kings 21:10 וִיעִדֻ֣הוּ and let them testify against him

    But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify, ‘You have cursed both God and the king!’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”

    Here: 'And let them testify against him': formal legal testimony with Naboth as its target. The suffix 'him' makes it testimony against him, not about him.

  3. 1 Kings 21:13 וַיְעִדֻהוּ֩ and they testified against him

    And the two scoundrels came in and sat opposite Naboth, and these men testified against him before the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed both God and the king!” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death.

    Here: "And they testified against him." With Naboth as its direct object, this verb means formal witness given against someone in court, sworn testimony that could carry a death penalty.

2 Kings · 2

  1. 2 Kings 17:13 וַיָּ֣עַד and he warned

    Yet through all His prophets and seers, the LORD warned Israel and Judah, saying, “Turn from your wicked ways and keep My commandments and statutes, according to the entire Law that I commanded your fathers and delivered to you through My servants the prophets.”

    Here: Causative form of the verb behind 'witness' (ʿēd). God formally puts Israel on notice, like a witness or overlord giving legal warning before the penalty falls. Not a casual 'heads-up'.

  2. 2 Kings 17:15 הֵעִ֖יד he warned

    They rejected His statutes and the covenant He had made with their fathers, as well as the decrees He had given them. They pursued worthless idols and became worthless themselves, going after the surrounding nations that the LORD had commanded them not to imitate.

    Here: From the same root as 'testimonies': 'the testimonies which he testified'. It means solemnly warning someone, as if before witnesses. 17:13 names the prophets and seers as the ones through whom this was done.

2 Chronicles · 1

  1. 2 Chronicles 24:19 וַיָּעִ֥ידוּ and they warned

    Nevertheless, the LORD sent prophets to bring the people back to Him and to testify against them, but they would not listen.

Nehemiah · 6

  1. Nehemiah 9:26 הֵעִ֥ידוּ they had warned

    But they were disobedient and rebelled against You; they flung Your law behind their backs. They killed Your prophets, who had admonished them to return to You. They committed terrible blasphemies.

    Here: "They had solemnly warned": a courtroom-and-covenant word. The prophets acted as formal witnesses who put Israel on notice of the covenant's terms and consequences.

  2. Nehemiah 9:29 וַתָּ֨עַד and you warned

    You admonished them to turn back to Your law, but they were arrogant and disobeyed Your commandments. They sinned against Your ordinances, by which a man will live if he practices them. They turned a stubborn shoulder; they stiffened their necks and would not obey.

    Here: A causative form: 'you called witness / gave solemn warning.' It is courtroom and covenant language. God acts like a witness who formally warns a party that has broken a treaty, putting them on notice.

  3. Nehemiah 9:30 וַתָּ֨עַד and you warned

    You were patient with them for many years, and Your Spirit admonished them through Your prophets. Yet they would not listen, so You gave them into the hands of the neighboring peoples.

    Here: 'And you solemnly warned'. This is a legal and covenant word: the warning is given formally, the way a witness testifies. The same verb opens v. 29, so the warning is said twice.

  4. Nehemiah 9:34 הַעִידֹ֖תָ you admonished

    Our kings and leaders and priests and fathers did not obey Your law or listen to Your commandments and warnings that You gave them.

  5. Nehemiah 13:15 וָאָעִ֕יד and I protested

    In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, along with wine, grapes, and figs. All kinds of goods were being brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So I warned them against selling food on that day.

    Here: 'I solemnly warned them': a formal warning given as if before witnesses, the way prophets warned Israel (Neh 9:26–34). It is a legal and covenant act, not just a rebuke. He goes further in 13:21.

  6. Nehemiah 13:21 וָאָעִ֣ידָה and I warned !

    but I warned them, “Why are you camping in front of the wall? If you do it again, I will lay hands on you.” From that time on, they did not return on the Sabbath.

Job · 1

  1. Job 29:11 וַתְּעִידֵֽנִי׃ and it bore witness to me

    For those who heard me called me blessed, and those who saw me commended me,

Psalms · 6

  1. Psalm 20:8 וַנִּתְעוֹדָֽד׃ and we have kept upright

    They collapse and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.

  2. Psalm 50:7 וְאָעִ֣ידָה and I will warn

    “Hear, O My people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you: I am God, your God.

    Here: Courtroom language: 'and let me bear witness' or 'formally put on record'. With 'against you' it means God gives testimony that accuses. The same verb also covers solemn warning, so the speech is both an indictment and a final admonition.

  3. Psalm 81:8 וְאָעִ֣ידָה so let me warn

    Hear, O My people, and I will warn you: O Israel, if only you would listen to Me!

    Here: The verb form is a first-person resolve ('let me…', 'I am going to…'). It means to give formal, witnessed testimony, here as a solemn charge or warning, the kind of statement that could later be cited as evidence.

  4. Psalm 119:61 עִוְּדֻ֑נִי they have surrounded me

    Though the ropes of the wicked bind me, I do not forget Your law.

    Here: "Have wound around me / encircled me": a rare verb form, found only here in this sense. The past-tense form shows the ropes are already tight around him. The pause in the middle of the verse falls after this word, so the danger is set out first and the answer comes after.

  5. Psalm 146:9 יְעוֹדֵ֑ד he helps up

    The LORD protects foreigners; He sustains the fatherless and the widow, but the ways of the wicked He frustrates.

    Here: 'He keeps setting them back on their feet.' The related form in Ps 20:8 [Eng. 20:8] means 'we rise and stand upright', so the picture is lifting someone up who has fallen, as in v. 8, where he raises those bent over.

  6. Psalm 147:6 מְעוֹדֵ֣ד [is] relieving

    The LORD sustains the humble, but casts the wicked to the ground.

    Here: A participle, so it describes what the LORD keeps doing, not a single past act. The picture is of lifting someone who has fallen or is bent down and setting them back on their feet. It is the same verb used one psalm earlier for the orphan and the widow (Ps 146:9).

Isaiah · 1

  1. Isaiah 8:2 וְאָעִ֣ידָה and I will call as witness

    And I will appoint for Myself trustworthy witnesses—Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah.”

Jeremiah · 8

  1. Jeremiah 6:10 וְאָעִ֙ידָה֙ and will I warn?

    To whom can I give this warning? Who will listen to me? Look, their ears are closed, so they cannot hear. See, the word of the LORD has become offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it.

    Here: 'And solemnly warn / testify.' It is courtroom and covenant language: to state something formally before witnesses so that the hearer cannot later claim they were never told.

  2. Jeremiah 11:7 הָעֵ֨ד הַעִדֹ֜תִי וְהָעֵ֖ד certainly <to warn>, I warned, and warning

    For from the time I brought your fathers out of the land of Egypt until today, I strongly warned them again and again, saying, ‘Obey My voice.’

    Here: A Hebrew form (the 'infinitive absolute') put before a verb from the same root to intensify it: 'I really did warn,' 'I solemnly warned.' It has the weight of a sworn statement.

  3. Jeremiah 32:10 וָאָעֵ֖ד and I caused to witness [it]

    I signed and sealed the deed, called in witnesses, and weighed out the silver on the scales.

  4. Jeremiah 32:25 וְהָעֵ֣ד and cause to witness [it]

    Yet You, O Lord GOD, have said to me, ‘Buy for yourself the field with silver and call in witnesses, even though the city has been delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans!’”

  5. Jeremiah 32:44 וְהָעֵ֣ד and cause to witness [it]

    Fields will be purchased with silver, and deeds will be signed, sealed, and witnessed in the land of Benjamin, in the areas surrounding Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah—the cities of the hill country, the foothills, and the Negev—because I will restore them from captivity, declares the LORD.”

  6. Jeremiah 42:19 הַעִידֹ֥תִי I have warned

    The LORD has told you, O remnant of Judah, ‘Do not go to Egypt.’ Know for sure that I have warned you today!

Lamentations · 1

  1. Lamentations 2:13 אֲעִידֵ֞ךְ will I testify for you

    What can I say for you? To what can I compare you, O Daughter of Jerusalem? To what can I liken you, that I may console you, O Virgin Daughter of Zion? For your wound is as deep as the sea. Who can ever heal you?

    Here: 'Shall I testify to you / call witness for you.' In context it most likely means 'what can I put forward to you', that is, what example or precedent can I cite. Its exact sense is disputed (see debates).

Amos · 1

  1. Amos 3:13 וְהָעִ֖ידוּ and warn

    Hear and testify against the house of Jacob, declares the Lord GOD, the God of Hosts.

Zechariah · 1

  1. Zechariah 3:6 וַיָּ֙עַד֙ and he admonished

    Then the angel of the LORD gave this charge to Joshua:

Malachi · 1

  1. Malachi 2:14 הֵעִ֨יד he has testified

    Yet you ask, “Why?” It is because the LORD has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have broken faith, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.

    Here: “Has borne witness / has stood as witness.” God was the guarantor present at the marriage commitment and is now the witness who testifies when it is broken. The perfect form presents his witnessing as an established fact.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.