Deuteronomy 13:3
in Deuteronomy 13you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. For the LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
⋯
This verse in Deuteronomy 13
Commentary
10 notes on this verseHence [Montanus] richly deserved that it also ought to be said of him and his writings: "If there rises in the midst of you a prophet, you shall not hear the words of that prophet." And why not? "For," it is said, "the Lord your …
This site's exposition
Thou shalt not hearken unto the words
The false prophet is described as something God is doing, for the Lord your God proveth you, and that word falls only here in the book. What is being tested is stated in the terms of 6:5, whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, with might left out. Clarke reads the permission as a trial of faith, on the ground that a man who knows God by experience is not carried off by a wonder. Jesus warns at Matthew 24:24 of false christs and false prophets shewing great signs and wonders, which is the same combination of a working sign and a wrong object.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
Take, for instance, the text "God tempts no one": it cannot be understood as meaning every kind of temptation but only of a particular kind which God doesn't tempt anyone with. Otherwise that other text, "the Lord your God is tempting you," would be false. Otherwise too we might be denying that Christ is God or that the gospel is not telling the truth when we read that he questioned one of the disciples, "tempting him, but he himself knew what he was going to do." You see, there is a temptation that leads to sin, and in that way God tempts no one. Then there is a temptation or testing that proves the quality of faith, and that way even God is prepared to tempt people. In the same sort of way, when we hear "whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit," we shouldn't take it as meaning every kind of blaspheming, just as in the other case we don't understand every kind of tempting.
A commentator
Augustine of HippoON GENESIS, AGAINST THE MANICHAEANS 1.22.34 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
He permits us to be tested not in order that he, for whom nothing lies hidden, might know but in order that he might make us know the extent of our progress in love for him. According to this same mode of speech our Lord also says that he does not know the day or the hour of the end of the world. What can there be that he does not know? He was concealing it from the disciples for their benefit, and he said that he did not know it because he was causing them not to know by concealing it.
A commentator
Augustine of HippoON EIGHTY-THREE VARIED QUESTIONS 60 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
God is said to know even when he causes someone to know, as it has been written: "The Lord your God puts you to the test that he might know if you love him." Now this manner of speaking does not mean that God does not know; rather, [it was said] in order that people might know how far they have progressed in the love of God—a thing which is not fully recognized by them except by way of the testings which come about. As for the expression "he puts to the test," it means that God permits testing. Therefore when it is also said that God does not know, this means either that he does not approve (i.e., does not recognize [as conformable to] his discipline and teaching), as it has been said: "I do not know you." Or [it means] that he causes people not to know for their own good, because it serves no useful purpose for them to know. Accordingly the text "the Father alone knows" is correctly grasped if understood to say that he causes the Son to know, and the text "the Son does not know," if understood to say that the Son causes men not to know (i.e., does not disclose to them what would serve no useful purpose for them to know).
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
): " The Lord you God proveth you. He suffers you to be set upon by such a temptation to try your constancy, that both those that are perfect and those that are false and corrupt may be made manifest. It is to prove you; therefore see that you acquit yourselves well in the trial, and stand your ground." II.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Such a suggestion as this is not to be so much as parleyed with, but the ear must be stopped against it. Get thee behind me, Satan. " Some temptations are so grossly vile that they will not bear a debate, nor may we so much as give them the hearing.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Proveth you - That is, trieth your faith and love and obedience. To know - Namely, judicially, or in a publick manner, so as both you and others may know and see it, that so the justice of his judgments upon you may be more evident and glorious.
Thou shall not hearken to the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
The Lord your God proveth you - God permits such impostors to arise to try the faith of his followers, and to put their religious experience to the test; for he who experimentally knows God cannot be drawn away after idols. He who has no experimental knowledge of God, may believe any thing. Experience of the truths contained in the word of God can alone preserve any man from Deism, or a false religion. They who have not this are a prey to the pretended prophet, and to the dreamer of dreams.
The words behind it
26 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תִשְׁמַ֗ע | tishma' | you will listen | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| דִּבְרֵי֙ | divrei | [the] words of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הַנָּבִ֣יא | hanavi' | the prophet | H5030 → | 314 times |
| הַה֔וּא | hahu' | <the> that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| א֛וֹ | ʾo | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| חוֹלֵ֥ם | cholem | [the] dreamer of | H2492 → | 29 times |
| הַחֲל֖וֹם | hachalom | the dream | H2472 → | 65 times |
| הַה֑וּא | hahu' | <the> that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| מְנַסֶּ֞ה | menaseh | [is] putting to [the] test | H5254 → | 36 times |
| יְהוָ֤ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶם֙ | ʾeloheikhem | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֶתְכֶ֔ם | ʾetkhem | <obj.> you | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לָדַ֗עַת | ladaat | to know | H3045 → | 945 times |
| הֲיִשְׁכֶ֤ם | hayishkhem | ¿ [are] there you | H3426 → | 140 times |
| אֹֽהֲבִים֙ | ʾohavim | loving | H157 → | 211 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֔ם | ʾeloheikhem | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | with all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| לְבַבְכֶ֖ם | levavkhem | heart your | H3824 → | 252 times |
| וּבְכָל־ | uvekhol- | and with all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| נַפְשְׁכֶֽם׃ | nafshekhem | being your | H5315 → | 754 times |
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
תִשְׁמַ֗עyou will listen
tishma'H8085 →1159 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
דִּבְרֵי֙[the] words of
divreiH1697 →1440 times
הַנָּבִ֣יאthe prophet
hanavi'H5030 →314 times
הַה֔וּא<the> that
hahu'H1931 →1879 times
א֛וֹor
ʾoH176 →321 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
חוֹלֵ֥ם[the] dreamer of
cholemH2492 →29 times
הַחֲל֖וֹםthe dream
hachalomH2472 →65 times
הַה֑וּא<the> that
hahu'H1931 →1879 times
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
מְנַסֶּ֞ה[is] putting to [the] test
menasehH5254 →36 times
יְהוָ֤הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶם֙God your
ʾeloheikhemH430 →2601 times
אֶתְכֶ֔ם<obj.> you
ʾetkhemH853 →10935 times
לָדַ֗עַתto know
ladaatH3045 →945 times
הֲיִשְׁכֶ֤ם¿ [are] there you
hayishkhemH3426 →140 times
אֹֽהֲבִים֙loving
ʾohavimH157 →211 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יְהוָ֣הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֔םGod your
ʾeloheikhemH430 →2601 times
בְּכָל־with all
bekholH3605 →5413 times
לְבַבְכֶ֖םheart your
levavkhemH3824 →252 times
וּבְכָל־and with all
uvekhol-H3605 →5413 times
נַפְשְׁכֶֽם׃being your
nafshekhemH5315 →754 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Deuteronomy 6:5And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
it leads to
- Mark 12:30
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
- Matthew 22:37
Jesus declared, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
- Luke 10:27
He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
- Deuteronomy 10:12
And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the LORD your…
- Deuteronomy 30:6
The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, and you will love Him with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.
- Mark 12:30
Through
1 John 4:1Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.
it leads to
- 1 Thessalonians 5:21
but test all things. Hold fast to what is good.
- 2 Peter 2:1
Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on…
- 1 Timothy 4:1
Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,
- 1 Thessalonians 5:21
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Augustine of Hippo, SERMON 71.15; Augustine of Hippo, ON GENESIS, AGAINST THE MANICHAEANS 1.22.34; Augustine of Hippo, ON EIGHTY-THREE VARIED QUESTIONS 60; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Vincent of Lérins, COMMONITORIES 18.46-20.50.