The invention relates to a bending machine (1) for bending a sheet metal workpiece (2), comprising at least three bending punches (4,5,6) which respectively have working edges (7,8,9) which are aligned parallel with one another. Relative to an initial plane (3) in which a bend section (10) to be made in the sheet metal workpiece (2) lies, the first and the second bending punch (4,5) are positioned on one side and the third bending punch (6) is positioned on the opposite side of the initial plane (3). The working edge (9) of the third bending punch (6) is displaceable between the working edges (7,8) of the first and second bending punches (4,5). The third bending punch (6) has at least one rotary and one translatory degree of freedom in a reference plane oriented at a right, angle to a working edge (7,8,9). The second bending punch (5) has three degrees of freedom in the reference plane (19).