Passage

The judges investigate

Source and translation

World English Bible, Protestant Edition · Public domain · en

¹⁸and the judges shall make diligent inquisition; and behold, if the witness is a false witness, and has testified falsely against his brother,

Deuteronomy 19:18World English Bible, Protestant Edition

The scene

The judges must carefully investigate whether a witness has falsely accused another person.

Both parties stand before priests and judges. If the testimony is false, the witness receives the consequence he intended for the other person.

Why must the investigation precede the consequence for a false witness?