it witnessed to me

⁺ V 23-53-16-51-17=160 Gn 18,5; 19,2.3; 38,16; Ex 10,6

to bend out of the regular line, to bend outwards or away [τι] Gn 38,16; to pervert (judgements) [τι] 1 Sm 8,3; to turn away [intrans.] Ex 10,6; to avoid, to shun [τι] Prv 5,12; to turn away or aside towards [πρός τινα] Gn 18,5; to visit [πρός τινα] Gn 19,3

*1 Sm 25,14 καὶ ἐξέκλινεν he turned aside-ויט ⋄נטה for MT ויעט but he hurled; *Jb 29,11 με ἐξέκλινε it turned me aside-⋄תעה for MT תעידני ⋄עוד it witnessed to me; *Jb 40,2 ἐκκλίνει shall he turn aside, shall he pervert-יסור ⋄סור for MT יסור ⋄יסר shall he contend; *Prv 10,25 ἐκκλίνας he turns aside-יסור ⋄סור for MT יסוד he is established

Cf. HELBING 1928, 35-36

μαρτυρέω impf. ἐμαρτύρουν; fut. μαρτυρήσω; 1 aor. ἐμαρτύρησα; pf. μεμαρτύρηκα. Pass.: impf. ἐμαρτυρούμην; 1 aor. ἐμαρτυρήθην Hb 11:2, 4, 39; pf. μεμαρτύρημαι (s. four next entries; Semonides, Hdt.+)

① to confirm or attest someth. on the basis of personal knowledge or belief, bear witness, be a witness.

ⓐ to offer testimony

α. act. ὑμεῖς μαρτυρεῖτε you are witnesses J 15:27. ἐὰν θέλωσιν μαρτυρεῖν if they are willing to appear as witnesses Ac 26:5.—J 12:17; 1J 5:6f. Parenthetically, emphasizing the correctness of a statement, μαρτυρῶ I can testify (POxy 105, 13 Σαραπίων μαρτυρῶ=‘I, S., am witness’; PLond III, 1164 [f], 35 al. p. 162.—B-D-F §465, 2; Rob. 434) 2 Cor 8:3. περί τινος bear witness, testify concerning someone or someth. (PGrenf II, 73, 16 ὅταν ἔλθῃ σὺν θεῷ, μαρτυρήσει σοι περὶ ὧν αὐτὴν πεποιήκασιν; Jos., C. Ap. 1, 217, Vi. 259) J 1:7f, 15 (in the very likely case that μαρτυρεῖ refers to the past, cp. Caecil. Calact., Fgm. 75 p. 58, 2ff, where examples are given of the interchange of tenses: Demosth. 59, 34 τοὺς ὁρῶντας for τ. ἑωρακότας; Eur., Androm. Fgm. 145 Nauck² ὁρῶ ἀντὶ τοῦ εἶδον; Thu. 2, 35, 1 ἐπαινοῦσι ἀντὶ τοῦ ἐπῄνεσαν); 2:25; 5:31, 32a, 36f, 39; 7:7; 8:13f, 18ab; 10:25; 15:26; 21:24; 1J 5:9. μαρτύρησον περὶ τοῦ κακοῦ testify to the wrong J 18:23 (μ.=furnish proof X., Symp. 8, 12). Also ἐπί τινι Hb 11:4b (on ἐπί w. dat. in this pass. s. Gen 4:4). W. dat. of thing (Jos., Ant. 12, 135; Ath. 16, 3 τῷ λόγω. Πλάτων) μ. τῇ ἀληθείᾳ bear witness to the truth J 5:33; 18:37. μ. σου τῇ ἀληθείᾳ testify to the truth of your (way of life) 3J 3; σου τῇ ἀγάπῃ vs. 6. W. dat. of pers. about whom testimony is given (Appian, Bell. Civ. 3, 73 §298; Just., D. 122, 2.—It is dat. of advantage or disadv.) Ac 10:43; 22:5; GJs 15:2; w. ptc. foll. (μ. Ἰακὼβ λέγων Did., Gen. 221, 2) θεὸς ἐμαρτύρησεν αὐτοῖς δοὺς κτλ. God testified for them by giving Ac 15:8 (though αὐτοῖς can also be taken w. δούς); w. ὅτι foll. bear someone witness that J 3:28; Ro 10:2; Gal 4:15; Col 4:13. μ. ἑαυτῷ, ὅτι bear witness to oneself that Mt 23:31. The dat. can also designate the pers. who is informed or instructed by the testimony: bear witness to someone Hb 10:15; Rv 22:18.—μ. ὅτι testify that (Aelian, VH 9, 11; Did., Gen. 156, 28) J 1:34; 4:44; 12:17 v.l.; 1J 4:14. ὅτι introducing direct discourse J 4:39. μ. κατὰ τ. θεοῦ ὅτι bear witness against God by declaring that 1 Cor 15:15 (PPetr II, 21 [d], 12 [III B.C.] καθʼ οὗ μαρτυρῶ). ἐμαρτύρησεν καὶ εἶπεν w. direct discourse foll. J 13:21. μ. λέγων w. direct disc. foll. J 1:32. Of God μοι μαρτυρεῖ λέγων (Ps 89:4 follows) he testifies (of it) to me by saying 15:4. For 1 Ti 6:13 s. c below.

β. pass., be witnessed, have witness borne ὑπό τινος by someone (Philo, Leg. All. 3, 46 σοφία μαρτυρουμένη ὑπὸ θεοῦ; Just., D. 63, 5 Χριστὸς ὑπὸ τοῦ ταῦτα ποιήσαντος μαρτυρούμενος. Of Jesus: ὑπὸ τῶν προφητῶν πολλαχοῦ μεμαρτ. Orig., C. Cels. 2, 9, 30) Ro 3:21 (the witness of the law and prophets points to God’s righteousness). Foll. by ὅτι and a quot. in direct discourse Hb 7:17. μαρτυρούμενος ὅτι ζῇ one of whom it is testified that he lives vs. 8.

ⓑ to confirm bear witness to, declare, confirm, act. (Eunap., Vi. Soph. p. 76 ὁ θεὸς ἐμαρτύρησε; Iren. 2, 22, 5 [Harv I 331, 1]) τὶ someth. (Demosth. 57, 4 ἀκοήν; Aeschin. 1, 46 τἀληθῆ). ὸ̔ ἑωράκαμεν μαρτυροῦμεν J 3:11; cp. vs. 32. τὸν λόγον τ. θεοῦ Rv 1:2. ταῦτα 22:20. τινί τὶ someth. to or for someone (Dionys. Hal. 3, 67, 1; Jos., Ant. 6, 355) vs. 16. ὑμῖν τ. ζωήν 1J 1:2. The acc. is to be supplied fr. the context J 19:35; Ac 23:11. W. ptc. ἀκούσαντες μαρτυρήσωσιν they must admit that they have heard PtK 3 p. 15, 23.—μαρτυρίαν μ. bear witness, confirm, attest (Ps.-Pla., Eryx. 399b; Epict. 4, 8, 32) περί τινος concerning someone J 5:32b; 1J 5:10 (POxy 3313, 25f μαρτυρήσει σοι Σαραπᾶς περὶ τῶν ῥόδων S. will confirm to you about the roses).

ⓒ to support one’s testimony with total selfgiving, eccl. usage w. regard to martyrdom bear witness, testify, be a witness (unto death), be martyred, act. (TestAbr B 11 p. 115, 16 [Stone p. 787] Ἄβελ ὁ ἐν πρώτοις μαρτυρήσας; Mel., HE 4, 26, 3; τοῖς μαρτυρούσι τῷ χριστιανισμῷ μέχρι θανάτου Orig., C. Cels. 1, 8, 2): of Paul μαρτυρήσας ἐπὶ τῶν ἡγουμένων … εἰς τὸν ἅγιον τόπον ἐπορεύθη 1 Cl 5:7; cp. vs. 4; MPol 1:1; 19:1; 21f (Iren. 3, 3, 4 [Harv. II 12, 8]); EpilMosq 4. Prob. 1 Ti 6:13 also belongs here: Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ μαρτυρήσαντος ἐπὶ Ποντίου Πιλάτου τ. καλὴν ὁμολογίαν Christ Jesus, who made the good confession before Pontius Pilate (s. GBaldensperger, RHPR 2, 1922, 1–25; 95–117); otherwise the passage may be classed under a above.

② to affirm in a supportive manner, testify favorably, speak well (of), approve

ⓐ act. (Dio Chrys. 23 [40], 19; SIG 374, 37 [III B.C.]; POxy 930, 16) w. dat. of the pers. (Appian, Samn. 11, §2 τοῖς ὑπάτοις, Liby. 105 §495, Bell. Civ. 4, 92 §387; Aelian, VH 1, 30; Jos., Ant. 12, 134) or of the thing approved Lk 4:22 (OFearghus, ZNW 75, ’84, 60–72 [pap and ins]; JNolland, JBL 98, ’79, 219–29); J 3:26. Of God toward David Ac 13:22. μὴ ἑαυτῷ μαρτυρείτω he must not testify (favorably) concerning himself 1 Cl 38:2. W. dat. to be supplied 3J 12b. μαρτυρίᾳ, ᾗ ἐμαρτύρησεν αὐτῷ ὁ δεσπότης Hs 5, 2, 6. Of the flesh ἵνα τὸ πνεῦμα … μαρτυρήσῃ αὐτῇ Hs 5, 7, 1.—ὁ κύριος ὁ μαρτυρῶν ἐπὶ (which a v.l. omits; μ. ἐπί τινι as Jos., Ant. 3, 189) τῷ λόγῳ τ. χάριτος αὐτοῦ the Lord, who attested the word of his grace Ac 14:3. With συνευδοκέω Lk 11:48 v.l.

ⓑ pass., be well spoken of, be approved (Ep. 12 of Apollonius of Tyana: Philostrat. I 348, 26; Just., D. 29, 1. Exx. fr. ins in Dssm., NB 93 [BS 265], LO 69, 2 [LAE 84, 5]) ἀνὴρ μαρτυρούμενος or μεμαρτυρημένος a man of good reputation Ac 6:3; IPhld 11:1. Of OT worthies people of attested merit 1 Cl 17:1; 19:1. Of David 18:1. Of Abraham μεγάλως ἐμαρτυρήθη his merit was gloriously attested 17:2 (cp. Just., D. 11, 5 ἐπὶ τῇ πίστει μαρτυηθέντος ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ). Of the apostles 47:4. Of Paul IEph 12:2. Of church leaders 1 Cl 44:3.—Foll. by nom. and inf. Hb 11:4a; cp. vs. 5. διά τινος be praised for someth. 11:4a, 39. ἐν ἔργοις καλοῖς μαρτυρούμενος well attested in good deeds 1 Ti 5:10; cp. Hb 11:2. ὑπό τινος be well spoken of by someone (M. Ant. 7, 62; SIG 799, 28; Jos., Ant. 3, 59; Just., D. 29, 3; 92, 4; New Docs 7, 233, no. 10, 10 of a benefactor) Ac 10:22; 16:2; 22:12; IPhld 5:2.—Impersonally μαρτυρεῖταί τινι ὑπό τινος a good testimony is given by someone to someone (Dionys. Hal., Thu. 8 μαρτυρεῖται τῷ ἀνδρὶ τάχα μὲν ὐπὸ πάντων φιλοσόφων; BGU 1141, 15 [14 B.C.] ὡς καὶ μαρτυρηθήσεταί σοι ὑπὸ τῶν φίλων) Δημητρίῳ μεμαρτύρηται ὑπὸ πάντων καὶ ὑπὸ αὐτῆς τῆς ἀληθείας Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone and from the truth itself 3J 12a.—Dg 12:6.—OMichel, Bibl. Bekennen u. Bezeugen, Ὁμολογεῖν und μαρτυρεῖν im bibl. Sprachgebr.: Evang. Theologie 2, ’35, 231–45; EBurnier, La notion de témoignage dans le NT ’39.—DELG s.v. μάρτυς. M-M. EDNT. TRE XXII 196–212. TW.

μάρτυς, μάρτυρος, ὁ dat. pl. μάρτυσιν (Pind., Hdt.+; ins, pap, LXX; TestAbr A 13 p. 92, 22 [Stone p. 32]; TestLevi 19:3; Philo, Joseph.; apolog. exc. Ar.)

① one who testifies in legal matters, witness (Just., A I, 23, 3; Ath. 3, 2) Ac 7:58; Mt 18:16; 2 Cor 13:1; 1 Ti 5:19 (the last 3 after Dt 19:15; cp. Jos., Vi. 256 and Hipponax [VI B.C.] 47 D.³ ἐλθὼν σὺν τριοῖσι μάρτυσιν); Hb 10:28 (Dt 17:6.—ἐπὶ μάρτυσι also Appian, Bell. Civ. 3, 14 §49). τί ἔτι χρείαν ἔχομεν μαρτύρων; what further need have we of witnesses? (Pla., Rep. 1, 340a τί δεῖται μάρτυρος; αὐτὸς γὰρ ὁ Θρασύμαχος ὁμολογεῖ) Mt 26:65; Mk 14:63. μάρτυρες ψευδεῖς false witnesses (Demosth. 29, 28) Ac 6:13 (Mel., P. 79, 572). There is a suggestion of bureaucratic protocol relating to the account of the prudent and blameless men whom the Roman church sent to Corinth and who μάρτυρες ἔσονται μεταξὺ ὑμῶν κ. ἡμῶν 1 Cl 63:3.

② one who affirms or attests, testifier, witness transf. sense of mng. 1, of anyone who can or should testify to anything.

ⓐ of God (or the exalted Christ) as witness (deities as witnesses oft. Pind. et al.; Philo; Jos., Bell. 1, 595, Ant. 1, 209; TestLevi 19:3; SibOr, Fgm. 1, 4; Just., A II, 12, 4 θεὸν … μάρτυρα ἔχοντες. Orig., C. Cels. 1, 46, 26 θεὸς [sc. ἐστιν] μ. τοῦ ἡμετέρου συνειδότος); as a formula God is my witness (that I am telling the truth) Ro 1:9; Phil 1:8; shortened θεὸς μ. 1 Th 2:5; cp. vs. 10 (here also Jos., Ant. 15, 130 μ. ὑμᾶς ποιούμενος). μ. μοι ἐν ᾧ δέδεμαι IPhld 7:2. μάρτυρα τὸν θεὸν ἐπικαλεῖσθαι call upon God as witness 2 Cor 1:23 (cp. 1 Km 12:5f; 20:23; Polyb. 11, 6, 4 τ. θεοὺς ἐπικαλέσεσθε μάρτυρας; Heliod. 1, 25, 1; Galen VI 775 Kühn; likewise of calling upon deities, Hippol., Ref. 9, 15, 6: τοὺς ἑπτὰ μάρτυρας μαρτύρομαι).

ⓑ of humans (cp. Pind. O. 4, 5): witnessing by eye and ear (X., Ages. 4, 5; Pla., Ep. 1 p. 309a; Aelian, VH 10, 6; Jos., Ant. 18, 299; Tat. 31, 1; 36, 1) 1 Th 2:10; 1 Ti 6:12; 2 Ti 2:2.—Also of those witnesses whose faith is tried and true τοσοῦτον νέφος μαρτύρων Hb 12:1.—Of witnesses of events which they know about, without having experienced them personally (acc. to Strabo 7, 3, 7 p. 300 Hesiod is μάρτυς with regard to the Scythians): the teachers of the law bear witness to the murder of the prophets by their ancestors, by erecting tombs for the prophets Lk 11:48 (μαρτυρεῖτε v.l.).

ⓒ of witnesses who bear a divine message (Epict. 3, 26, 28 God uses the wise men as his μάρτυρες) Rv 11:3 (though the mng. approaches martyr [s. 3 below] here; cp. vs. 7. S. DHaugg, D. zwei Zeugen-Apk 11:1–13, ’36; JConsidine, CBQ 8, ’46. 377–92). In this sense, above all, of Jesus’ disciples as the witnesses of his life, death, and resurrection: ἔσεσθέ μου μάρτυρες you will be my witnesses Ac 1:8; cp. 13:31 (Ps.-Demetr. 222 μάρτυς σου γίνεται). W. obj. gen. of the thing witnessed: witness for/of (Jos., C. Ap. 1, 4 τῶν ὑπʼ ἐμοῦ λεγομένων μ., Ant. 4, 40; ἀληθείας μ. of Polycarp Iren. 3, 3, 4 [Harv. II 13, 4]; παραδόσεως of the Ephesian congregation 3, 3, 4 [Harv. II 15, 6]; Orig., C. Cels. 1, 47, 24) Lk 24:48; Ac 1:22; 3:15; 5:32; 10:39; 26:16. μ. τῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ παθημάτων a witness of the sufferings of Christ 1 Pt 5:1. ἔσῃ μ. αὐτῷ πρὸς πάντας ἀνθρώπους you will be a witness for him to all people Ac 22:15 (Epict. 3, 24, 113 μ. πρὸς τοὺς ἄλλους).—10:41. Danker, Benefactor 442–47.

③ one who witnesses at cost of life, martyr, in the usage of the persecuted church τὸ αἷμα Στεφάνου τοῦ μάρτυρός σου Ac 22:20. Of Antipas ὁ μ. μου ὁ πιστός μου Rv 2:13 (cp. Pind., P. 1, 88 μάρτυρες πιστοί=dependable witnesses; on the textual problems of Rv 2:13 s. RBorger, TRu 52, ’87, 45–47). Onesimus μ. Χριστοῦ γεγένηται Phlm subscr. v.l. Gener. μάρτυρες Ἰησοῦ Rv 17:6; cp. MPol 2:2; 14:2; 15:2; 16:2 v.l.; 17:3; 19:1. Of Zacharias μ. εἰμι τοῦ θεοῦ GJs 25:3 (s. de Strycker ad loc.). Since Rv also calls Jesus (as well as Antipas) ὁ μάρτυς ὁ πιστός 1:5; 3:14, these pass. are prob. to be classed here (cp. Ps 88:38), but with awareness of strong focus in all the NT passages in this classification on the fact of witness. The death of Jesus was early regarded as the first martyrdom.—For an analysis of the question how μάρτυς=‘witness’ came to mean ‘martyr’, s. FKattenbusch, ZNW 4, 1903, 111ff; KHoll, variously, then Gesamm. Aufsätze II 1928, 103ff; ASchlatter, BFChTh 19, 3, 1915; PCorssen, NJklA 35, 1915, 481ff, 37, 1916, 424ff, ZNW 15, 1914, 221ff w. several continuations until 18, 1917, 249ff, Sokrates 6, 1918, 106ff; Rtzst., Hist. Mon. 1916, 85; 257, NGG 1916, 417ff, Her 52, 1917, 442ff; FDornseiff, ARW 22, 1923/24, 133ff; HDelehaye, Analecta Bollandiana 39, 1921, 20ff, Sanctus 1927 (²’33), 74ff (75, 1 lit.). ELohmeyer, D. Idee des Martyriums im Judent. u. Urchristent.: ZST 5, 1927/28, 232–49; GFitzer, D. Begriff des μ. im Judent. u. Urchristent., diss. Bresl. 1929; HLietzmann, Martys: Pauly-W. XIV 2, 1930, 2044–52; OMichel, Prophet u. Märt. ’32; RCasey, Μάρτυς: Beginn. I 5, ’33, 30–37; EStauffer, Märtyrertheologie u. Täuferbewegg.: ZKG 52, ’33, 545–98; DRiddle, The Martyr Motif in Mk: JR 4, 1924, 174–91, Hb, 1 Cl and the Persecution of Domitian: JBL 43, 1924, 329–48, From Apocalypse to Martyrology: ATR 9, 1927, 260–80, The Martyrs: A Study in Social Control ’31, Die Verfolgungslogien im formgesch. u. soziol. Bed.: ZNW 33, ’34, 271–89; HvCampenhausen, D. Idee des Martyriums in d. alten Kirche² ’64; EPeterson, Zeuge d. Wahrh. ’37; EBurnier, Le notion de témoignage dans le NT ’37; HSurkau, Martyrien in jüd. u. frühchristl. Zt. ’38; HFischel, Martyr and Prophet (in Jewish lit.), JQR 37, ’46/47, 265–80; 363–86; EGünther, Μάρτυς, D. Gesch. eines Wortes ’41, Zeuge u. Märtyrer, ZNW 47, ’56, 145–61. ELohse, Märtyrer u. Gottesknecht ’55; HvanVliet, No Single Testimony (Dt 19:15) ’58; NBrox, Zeuge u. Märtyrer ’61.—B. 1436; ATrites, Μάρτυς and Martyrdom in the Apocalypse, A Semantic Study: NovT 15, ’73, 72–80, The NT Concept of Witness ’77; GDragas, Martyrdom and Orthodoxy in the NT Era: Greek Orthodox Theological Review 30, ’85, 287–96; PVassiliadis, The Translation of μαρτυρία Ιησοῦ in Rv: BT 36, ’85, 129–34; M-ERosenblatt, Paul the Accused ’95, 1–21; Kl. Pauly III 1059f; BHHW II 1156f.—DELG. M-M. EDNT. TW. Spicq. Sv.