Vayikra 5:1 · unit 6 · Shevuos 35a

Complete Passuk

וְנֶפֶשׁ כִּי־תֶחֱטָא וְשָׁמְעָה קוֹל אָלָה וְהוּא עֵד אוֹ רָאָה אוֹ יָדָע אִם־לוֹא יַגִּיד וְנָשָׂא עֲוֺנוֹ׃

Core Text — Shevuos 35a

תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: ״מַשְׁבִּיעַ אֲנִי עֲלֵיכֶם כְּשֶׁתֵּדְעוּ לִי עֵדוּת שֶׁתָּבוֹאוּ וּתְעִידוּנִי״ – יָכוֹל יְהוּ חַיָּיבִין? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״וְשָׁמְעָה קוֹל אָלָה וְהוּא עֵד אוֹ רָאָה אוֹ יָדַע״ – מִי שֶׁקָּדְמָה עֵדוּת לִשְׁבוּעָה, וְלֹא שֶׁקָּדְמָה שְׁבוּעָה לְעֵדוּת.

The Sages taught: “I adjure you that when you come to know testimony for me you shall come and testify” — might they be liable? Scripture says “and he heard the voice of an oath and he is a witness or saw or knew” — one whose knowledge of the testimony preceded the oath, and not one whose oath preceded the testimony.

Knowledge of the facts must already exist at the time of the adjuration. A prospective oath about future knowledge does not create shevu’as ha-eidus liability.

What Is Learned: If the oath is administered before the witnesses know the facts, they are not liable under shevu’as ha-eidus for later silence. The verse requires that the knowledge already exist when the voice of the alah is heard.