Deuteronomy 25:1-3
25“aIf there is a dispute between men and they go to court for judgment, and 1the judges judge their case, band they justify the righteous and condemn the wicked, 2then it shall be if the wicked man 1,adeserves to be struck, the judge shall then make him lie down and be struck in his presence with the number of stripes according to his 2guilt. 3“aHe may strike him forty times but no more, lest he strike him with many more stripes than these and your brother be bdishonored in your eyes.