The Bible, and especially the New Testament, often employs a vocabulary of “testimony.” This includes words like “testify,” “witness,” “eyewitness,” and “martyr.” Here links to Merriam-Webster’s definitions of these words.

• testimony
• testify
• witness
• martyr

The English word “martyr” does not appear in the NASB 1995 but, as you can see below, the Greek word from which English gets “martyr” is found throughout the New Testament. The following entries are from Strong’s Concordance:

• 3140 martureô; from 3144; to bear witness, testify:–add…testimony(1), attested(1), bear…witness(1), bear witness(1), continued to testify(1), gained approval(2), given(1), gives(1), good reputation(1), having a reputation(1), obtained the testimony(1), obtained the witness(1), received a good testimony(1), speaking well(1), testified(17), testifies(7), testify(25), testifying(5), testimony(5), well spoken(3), witness(1), witnessed(2), witnesses(1).
• 3141 marturia; from 3140; testimony:–reputation(1), testimony(30), witness(1).
• 3142 marturion; from 3144; a testimony, a witness:–testimony(19), witness(1).
• 3143 marturomai; from 3144; to summon as witness, to affirm:–affirm(1), imploring(1), testify(2), testifying(1).
• 3144 martus; a prim. word; a witness:–witness(12), witnesses(23).
• 1263 diamarturomai; from 1223 and 3143; to affirm solemnly:–solemnly to testify(1), solemnly charge(3), solemnly testified(2), solemnly testifies(1), solemnly testifying(3), solemnly warned(1), solemnly witnessed(1), testified(1), testify solemnly(1), warn(1).
• 4828 summartureô; from 4862 and 3140; to testify or bear witness with:–bearing witness(1), testifies(2).

Other words that also fall into the category of “testimony vocabulary” include confirmation and attestation. It also includes expressions like “shake the dust off your feet.”

Notes

Men testify. They bear witness. God does, too (Heb 2:2-4; 1 Jn 5:6-12; Ps 19:7; Ps 25:10; 50:7).

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The citations below are selective, not exhaustive.

New Testament Citations

• Matt 10:14 (“shake the dust off your feet”)
• Matt 10:18 (“testimony”)
• Matt 18:16 (“two or three witnesses”)
• Matt 24:14 (“testimony”)
• Mark 1:44 (“as a testimony to them”)
• Mark 6:11 (“shake the dust off the soles of your feet”)
• Mark 14:55-59 (“testimony” at Jesus’ trial)
• Luke 1:2 (“eyewitnesses…of the word”)
• Luke 9:5 (“shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them”)
• Luke 16:28 (“warn” Greek 1263)
• John 1:7, 8, 15, 19, 32, 34; 3:11, 26, 28, 32, 33; 5:31, 32, 33, 34, 36, 37, 39; 7:7; 8:13, 14, 17, 18; 10:41; 15:27; 18:21, 23, 37; 21:24
• Acts 1:8, 22; 2:40; 3:15; 4:20, 23; 5:32; 8:25; 10:39, 42; 13:22, 41; 14:16, 17; 18:5; 20:21, 23, 24; 22:18; 23:11; 26:22; 27:25; 28:23
• Rom 1:9 (God as “witness”)
• Rom 2:15 (conscience “bearing witness”)
• Rom 8:16 (the Spirit “testifies”)
• Rom 9:1 (conscience “testifies”)
• 1 Cor 15:15 (“false witnesses”)
• 2 Cor 1:23 (“God as witness”)
• 2 Cor 13:1 (“THE TESTIMONY OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES”)
• Phil 1:8 (“God is my witness”)
• 1 Thess 2:1 (“God is witness”)
• 1 Thess 2:10 (“witnesses”)
• 1 Thess 4:6 (“solemnly warned” Gk 1263)
• 2 Thess 1:10 (“testimony”)
• 1 Tim 5:21 (“solemnly charge” Gk 1263)
• 2 Tim 2:2 (“many witnesses”)
• 2 Tim 2:14 (“solemnly charge” Gk 1263)
• 2 Tim 4:1 (“solemnly charge” Gk 1263)
• Heb 2:3 (“it was confirmed to us by those who heard”)
• Heb 2:4 (“testifying”)
• Heb 2:6 (“testified” Gk 1263)
• Heb 10:15 (“the Holy Spirit also testifies to us”)
• Heb 10:16 (“He then says” – referring to “the Holy Spirit” in the previous verse)
• Heb 11:4 (“testimony” and “God testifying”)
• James 5:3 (“rust will be a witness”)
• 2 Peter 1:16 (“eyewitnesses” with “cleverly devised tales” which occurs earlier in the verse)
• 1 John 1:1-5
• 1 John 4:14 (“testify”)
• 1 John 5:6-11
• 3 John 1:3 (“testified”)
• 3 John 1:6 (“testified”)
• 3 John 1:9 (“what we say”)
• 3 John 1:10 (“call attention to”)
• 3 John 1:12 (“testimony” 3x)
• Rev 1:2, 5, 9, 19; 2:13; 3:14; 6:9; 19:10; 20:4; 22:18-20

Old Testament Citations

• Gen 31:43-55 (Laban and Jacob, including NASB footnotes)
• Ex 20:16 (the 9th commandment)
• Num 35:30 (the need for more than one witness in capital crimes)
• Deut 5:20 (the 9th commandment)
• Deut 17:6 (the need for two or three witnesses in capital crimes)
• Deut 19:15 (the need for two or three witnesses)
• Josh 22:34 (an altar set up as witness)
• Josh 24:22
• Ruth 4:7-11 (incl. the removal of a sandal as attestation)
• Ps 19:7 (the testimony of the Lord)
• Ps 25:10 (the testimonies of the Lord)
• Ps 27:12 (false witnesses)
• Ps 35:11 (malicious witnesses)
• Ps 50:7 (God testifies)
• Ps 78:5, 56 (God’s testimony and testimonies)
• Ps 81:5 (God’s testimony)
• Ps 89:37 (the witness of creation)
• Ps 93:5 (God’s testimonies)
• Ps 99:7 (God’s testimonies that men kept)
• Ps 119:2, 14, 22, 24, 31, 36, 46, 59, 79, 88, 95, 99, 111, 119, 125, 129, 138, 144, 146, 152, 157, 167, 168 (mainly God’s testimonies)
• Ps 132:12 ( man to keep God’s testimony)
• Is 55:4 (Messiah would be a witness)
• Jer 29:23 (God as witness)
• Jer 42:5 (The LORD as witness)

Jesus as “Witness” – Rev 1:5; 3:14 (see also Rev 2:13)