עַל־פִּ֣י

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 עַל־פִּ֣י

   al-PI

   on the testimony of
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 עַל־פִּ֣י שְׁנֵ֣י עֵדִ֗ים

   al-PI she-NEI e-DEEM

   on the testimony of two witnesses
3. clause🔊 עַל־פִּ֣י שְׁנֵ֣י עֵדִ֗ים א֛וֹ עַל־פִּ֥י שְׁלֹשָֽׁה־עֵדִ֖ים יָק֥וּם דָּבָֽר׃

   al-PI she-NEI e-DEEM O al-PI she-lo-SHA-e-DEEM ya-KUM da-VAR

   on the testimony of two witnesses or on the testimony of three witnesses shall arise a matter
4. sentence🔊 לֹֽא־יָקוּם֩ עֵ֨ד אֶחָ֜ד בְּאִ֗ישׁ לְכָל־עָוֺן֙ וּלְכָל־חַטָּ֔את בְּכָל־חֵ֖טְא אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֽ͏ֶחֱטָ֑א עַל־פִּ֣י שְׁנֵ֣י עֵדִ֗ים א֛וֹ עַל־פִּ֥י שְׁלֹשָֽׁה־עֵדִ֖ים יָק֥וּם דָּבָֽר׃

   LO-ya-KUM ED e-KHAD be-ISH le-KHOL-a-VON u-le-KHOL-khat-TAT be-KHOL-KHET a-sher ye-khe-TA al-PI she-NEI e-DEEM O al-PI she-lo-SHA-e-DEEM ya-KUM da-VAR

   shall not arise a witness alone against a person for any guilt or for any sin concerning any offense that he may commit on the testimony of two witnesses or on the testimony of three witnesses shall arise a matter

Exegesis

The evidentiary standard is set in the construct al-pi šᵉnê ʿēdîm {עַל־פִּי שְׁנֵי־עֵדִים | ʿal-pî šᵉnê ʿēdîm} ‘by the mouth of two witnesses’, where “mouth” functions metaphorically for testimony, paralleled by šᵉlōšāh ʿēdîm {שְׁלֹשָׁה-עֵדִים | šᵉlōšāh ʿēdîm} ‘three witnesses’.