Lexical Summary
eduth: Testimony, Witness, Ordinance
Original Word: עֵדוּת
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: `eduwth
Pronunciation: ay-dooth
Phonetic Spelling: (ay-dooth')
KJV: testimony, witness
NASB: testimony, testimonies, admonitions, ordinance, warnings
Word Origin: [feminine of H5707 (עֵד - witness)]
1. testimony
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
testimony, witness
Feminine of ed; testimony -- testimony, witness.
see HEBREW ed
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
udDefinitiontestimony
NASB Translationadmonitions (1), ordinance (1), testimonies (13), testimony (43), warnings (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
19 and
27 ; — absolute Exodus 16:34 +, construct Psalm 19:8 +; plural suffix Psalm 119:14 +, Jeremiah 44:23 4t.; —
testimony of the Ten Words on the tables as a solemn divine charge, Exodus 31:18; Exodus 32:15; Exodus 34:29 (P), Exodus 25:16,21; Exodus 40:20 (P); ark as containing tables, Exodus 25:22; Exodus 26:33,34; Exodus 30:6,26; Exodus 39:35; Exodus 40:3,5,21; Numbers 4:5; Numbers 7:89 (all P), Joshua 4:16 (J E; Kue [against him Di], so Benn Steuern), Exodus 31:7 (P); abbreviated Exodus 16:34; Exodus 30:36; Numbers 17:19; Numbers 17:25 (P); Exodus 27:21 (= Leviticus 24:3), Lev 30:6; Leviticus 16:13 (P); tabernacle as containing ark of testimony, tabernacle of the testimony Exodus 38:21; Numbers 1:50,53 (twice in verse); Numbers 10:11 (P); so Numbers 9:15; Numbers 17:22; Numbers 17:23; Numbers 18:2 (P) 2 Chronicles 24:6.
(late), as a testimony of God: Psalm 19:8; Psalm 119:88; Psalm 122:4; "" Psalm 78:5; "" Psalm 81:6. In titles, Psalm 60:1, Psalm 80:1 = melody whose first line compare law as testimony to a choice flower. Special laws of the code are denoted by plural; + etc. 1 Kings 2:3; 2 Kings 23:3 2Chronicles 34:31 (+ etc.), Jeremiah 44:23; etc. 1 Chronicles 29:19; Nehemiah 9:34; plural of contents of covenant 2 Kings 17:15; plural elsewhere Psalm 119:14; Psalm 119:31; Psalm 119:36; Psalm 119:99; Psalm 119:111; Psalm 119:129; Psalm 119:144; Psalm 119:157. See also III.[[]. — For 2 Kings 11:12 2Chronicles 23:11 read probably (compare 2 Samuel 1:10 We and others).
Topical Lexicon
Concept Overview עֵדוּת (eduth) centers on the idea of “testimony” or “witness,” almost always referring to God’s own self-attesting word, whether inscribed, proclaimed, or embodied in sacred objects. Its occurrences gather around three principal spheres: the Sinai covenant (tablets, ark, tabernacle), the worship life of Israel (festival and song), and the wisdom tradition (especially the Psalms).
Sinai and the Covenant: Tablets of the Testimony
• Exodus 31:18 records the first appearance: “When He had finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, He gave him the two tablets of the Testimony”. The term marks the tablets as God’s sworn covenant document, not merely moral instruction.
• Exodus 32:15; 34:29 echo the same designation, underscoring that Israel’s relationship with the LORD rests on a written, divinely authored witness that cannot be altered by human preference (Deuteronomy 4:13; 10:4).
The Ark and the Tabernacle of the Testimony
• The chest that housed the tablets is repeatedly called “the ark of the Testimony” (Exodus 25:22; 26:33; 30:6; 40:5). Here עֵדוּת functions metonymically: the ark’s holiness flows from the covenant document inside it.
• The tent itself becomes “the tabernacle of the Testimony” (Exodus 38:21; Numbers 1:50–53), an architectural proclamation that Israel’s camp revolves around the revealed word.
• Numbers 17:4–11 shows Aaron’s budding staff laid “before the Testimony,” confirming priestly authority in the very presence of the covenant witness.
Cultic Calendar and Ritual Memory
• Leviticus 24:3 situates the perpetual lamp “outside the veil of the Testimony,” tying daily priestly service to the ongoing witness of the covenant.
• Numbers 9:15 speaks of the cloud that covered “the tabernacle of the Testimony,” linking guidance in the wilderness to faithful adherence to God’s word.
• Joshua 4:16 commands the priests to bring up “the ark of the Testimony” from the Jordan, signaling that entry into the land depends on covenant fidelity.
Psalms and Wisdom Literature: Testimonies as Divine Revelation
The term shifts from an object to a literary and ethical category, especially in Psalm 119 where it appears more than twenty times. Examples:
• “Blessed are those who keep His testimonies and seek Him with all their heart” (Psalm 119:2).
• “I delight in Your testimonies as much as in all riches” (119:14).
• “Your testimonies are my heritage forever” (119:111).
In these contexts עֵדוּת embraces the entire corpus of revealed instruction, revered as treasure, counselor, and source of joy (Psalm 19:7; 25:10; 78:5).
Prophetic Usage: Testimony in Covenant Lawsuit
Prophets appeal to the written witness to indict covenant breakers. For instance, Isaiah 8:16 commands, “Bind up the testimony, seal the law among My disciples.” Habakkuk 2:3 refers to the inscribed vision as a testimony that will surely come to pass. Such usage frames prophecy as prosecution on the basis of the standing covenant document.
Historical Books: National Faithfulness Gauged by the Testimony
• 1 Kings 2:3 exhorts Solomon to “keep His testimonies” as the path to prosperity.
• 2 Kings 23:3 depicts Josiah reading “the words of the covenant that had been found” and renewing obedience, showing reform rooted in rediscovered testimony.
Intertextual Bridge to the New Testament
While עֵדוּת itself is Hebrew, its theological load is carried over by the Greek μαρτυρία (martyria). Jesus declares, “Search the Scriptures…these are the very words that testify about Me” (John 5:39). The ark once housed stone tablets; the incarnation houses the living Word (John 1:14). Revelation 12:17 speaks of those “who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus,” merging Sinai testimony with Christ’s gospel.
Ministry Implications
1. Centrality of Scripture: Worship, guidance, and communal identity revolve around the inscripturated testimony. Modern ministry that marginalizes Scripture forfeits the very presence it mediates.
2. Covenant Accountability: Like the ark amid the camp, the word stands in the midst of the church, both assuring mercy and exposing unfaithfulness (Hebrews 4:12–13).
3. Testimony as Mission: Psalm 119 portrays personal delight spilling over into proclamation. Believers bear witness not merely by reciting facts but by embodying the life-giving power of the testimony in word and deed.
Summary of Distribution
Approximately fifty-nine occurrences cluster as follows: Torah and historical narratives (about twenty-six, largely Exodus–Numbers, Joshua, Kings), Psalms (about thirty-one, chiefly Psalm 119 and related psalms), and isolated prophetic references. The pattern traces a movement from physical artifact to internalized delight, yet the core remains unchanged: God’s covenant word stands as the permanent, authoritative testimony to His character and will.
Forms and Transliterations
בְעֵֽדְוֹתֶ֑יךָ בעדותיך הָ֣עֵד֔וּת הָ֣עֵדֻ֔ת הָֽעֵד֔וּת הָֽעֵדֻת֙ הָעֵד֑וּת הָעֵד֔וּת הָעֵד֖וּת הָעֵדֻ֑ת הָעֵדֻ֔ת הָעֵדֻ֖ת הָעֵדֻ֗ת הָעֵדֻ֜ת הָעֵדֻֽת׃ הָעֵדֻת֙ הָעֵדֽוּת׃ העדות העדות׃ העדת העדת׃ וְעֵֽדְוֹתָ֣יו וְעֵדְוֹתָ֔יו וּבְעֵדְוֹתָ֖יו וּלְעֵ֣דְוֹתֶ֔יךָ ובעדותיו ולעדותיך ועדותיו לָֽעֵדֻ֔ת לעדת מֵ֝עֵדְוֹתֶ֗יךָ מעדותיך עֵ֝דְוֹתֶ֗יךָ עֵ֤דוּת ׀ עֵֽדְוֹתָ֔יו עֵד֣וּת עֵד֥וּת עֵד֨וּת ׀ עֵדְוֹתֶ֑יךָ עֵדְוֹתֶ֖יךָ עֵדְוֹתֶ֗יךָ עֵדְוֹתֶ֣יךָ עֵדְוֹתֶ֥יךָ עֵדְוֹתָ֤יו עדות עדותיו עדותיך ‘ê·ḏə·wō·ṯāw ‘ê·ḏə·wō·ṯe·ḵā ‘ê·ḏūṯ ‘êḏəwōṯāw ‘êḏəwōṯeḵā ‘êḏūṯ ḇə‘êḏəwōṯeḵā ḇə·‘ê·ḏə·wō·ṯe·ḵā edevoTav edevoTeicha eDut hā‘êḏuṯ hā‘êḏūṯ hā·‘ê·ḏuṯ hā·‘ê·ḏūṯ haeDut haeiDut lā‘êḏuṯ lā·‘ê·ḏuṯ laeDut mê‘êḏəwōṯeḵā mê·‘ê·ḏə·wō·ṯe·ḵā meedevoTeicha ū·ḇə·‘ê·ḏə·wō·ṯāw ū·lə·‘ê·ḏə·wō·ṯe·ḵā ūḇə‘êḏəwōṯāw ūlə‘êḏəwōṯeḵā uleEdevoTeicha uveedevoTav veedevoTav veedevoTeicha wə‘êḏəwōṯāw wə·‘ê·ḏə·wō·ṯāw
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