witness
martus denotes a person who attests what is known or seen, gives confirming evidence, or is invoked to confirm a claim.
The term most often identifies people who attest events or proclaim what they have seen and heard, especially concerning Jesus and his resurrection. It also names witnesses whose evidence establishes a charge or declaration, and God may be invoked as the confirming witness to a speaker's conduct or statement.
Senses in use
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Those who attest what they have seen or know · dominant
In Acts 10:39 the nominative plural identifies those who attest all that Jesus did, and Acts 10:41 specifies chosen witnesses who ate and drank with him after he arose. In Acts 22:15 the singular is assigned to speak to all people about what was seen and heard; Revelation 11:3 presents two such figures who will prophesy.
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Witnesses furnishing legal confirmation · common
The plural occurs where a charge against an elder is admitted only on the evidence of two or three persons in 1 Timothy 5:19, and where every declaration is established by two or three in 2 Corinthians 13:1. Matthew 18:16 likewise places them with a disputed matter, while Acts 6:13 describes false witnesses making accusations.
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God invoked to confirm a speaker's claim · occasional
The singular names God as the one called upon to confirm the speaker's statement: in 1 Thessalonians 2:5 the APB renders, “God is our witness,” and in 2 Corinthians 1:23 the speaker calls upon God concerning his decision not to return to Corinth. Romans 1:9 and Philippians 1:8 similarly invoke God in connection with the speaker's ongoing concern for others.
In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB commonly uses “witness” or “witnesses” for people attesting events, offering evidence, or confirming a statement; it also renders the legal setting with “evidence” in 1 Timothy 5:19 and Hebrews 10:28. These English expressions indicate the clauses' presentation rather than a separate rendering for every occurrence.