Deuteronomychapter 13

18 verses · ASV

This chapter sends 210 cross-references outward and receives 216 — heaviest partner: Deuteronomy.

Chapter summary

False prophets and tempters within the family. If a prophet or a dreamer says ‘let us go after other gods’ and gives a sign — even one that comes to pass — he is not to be heard; he is a testing from the LORD. Such a prophet must be put to death. If your brother, son, daughter, wife of your bosom, or friend as your own soul entice you secretly, ‘thy hand shall be first upon him to put him to death’. If a whole city is drawn away, the city is to be utterly destroyed. The chapter's severity is proportionate to the stakes: idolatry is not a private matter; it poisons the covenant community.

Drafted from Matthew Henry, Calvin, Gill, Clarke, JFB, and Barnes.

Context

Law · Moses — see the Deuteronomy overview for the book's full setting.

1 If there arise in the midst of thee a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and he give thee a sign or a wonder,

2 and the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;

3 thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or unto that dreamer of dreams: for Jehovah your God proveth you, to know whether ye love Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

4 Ye shall walk after Jehovah your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.

5 And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death, because he hath spoken rebellion against Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of bondage, to draw thee aside out of the way which Jehovah thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put away the evil from the midst of thee.

6 If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, that is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers;

7 of the gods of the peoples that are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth;

8 thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him:

9 but thou shalt surely kill him; thy hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.