(Devarim 19:16) "If there arise a witness chamas against a man to testify against him sarah": "chamas" connotes a robber, and "sarah," as in (Ibid. 13:6) "for he has spoken sarah," and (Jeremiah 28:16) "This year you shall die, for you have spoken sarah of the L-rd."
We are hereby taught that he is not liable until he falsifies himself — whence they ruled: Witnesses do not become zomemin ("scheming witnesses") until they falsify themselves. How so? A says: I testify that that man killed someone (on a certain day). B. says: How can you say that? That slain man (or that slayer) was with us on that day in this and this place? — These are notzomemin. But if they said: How can you testify thus? You were with us on that day in that place — These are zomemin, and they are killed for their testimony.
(דברים יט טז) כִּי יָקוּם עֵד חָמָס בְּאִישׁ לַעֲנוֹת בּוֹ סָרָה – אֵין חָמָס אֶלָּא גַּזְלָן. לַעֲנוֹת בּוֹ סָרָה, אֵין סָרָה אֶלָּא עֲבֵרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יג ו): ״כִּי דִבֶּר סָרָה״, וְאוֹמֵר (ירמיה כח טז): ״הַשָּׁנָה אַתָּה מֵת כִּי סָרָה דִבַּרְתָּ עַל ה׳״.
(Devarim 19:16) "If there arise a witness chamas against a man to testify against him sarah": "chamas" connotes a robber, and "sarah," as in (Ibid. 13:6) "for he has spoken sarah," and (Jeremiah 28:16) "This year you shall die, for you have spoken sarah of the L-rd."
[לַעֲנוֹת בּוֹ], מַגִּיד שֶׁאֵינוֹ חַיָּב עַד שֶׁיַּכְחִישׁ אֶת עַצְמוֹ. מִכָּן אָמְרוּ (מכות פ״א מ״ד): אֵין הָעֵדִים נַעֲשִׂים זוֹמְמִים עַד שֶׁיָּזוֹמּוּ אֶת עַצְמָם. כֵּיצַד? מֵעִיד אֲנִי בְּאִישׁ פְּלוֹנִי שֶׁהָרַג אֶת הַנֶּפֶשׁ וְכוּ׳.
We are hereby taught that he is not liable until he falsifies himself — whence they ruled: Witnesses do not become zomemin ("scheming witnesses") until they falsify themselves. How so? A says: I testify that that man killed someone (on a certain day). B. says: How can you say that? That slain man (or that slayer) was with us on that day in this and this place? — These are not zomemin. But if they said: How can you testify thus? You were with us on that day in that place — These are zomemin, and they are killed for their testimony.