Deuteronomy 13
13
1“If a prophet or #Jer. 23:25, 32; 27:9; 29:8; Zech. 10:2a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, 2and #[ch. 18:22; Jer. 28:9]the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ 3you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord your God #ch. 8:2is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4You shall #2 Kgs. 23:3; 2 Chr. 34:31 walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and #See ch. 10:20hold fast to him. 5But #ch. 18:20; [Jer. 2:8; 14:14, 15; Zech. 13:3] that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has taught rebellion against the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slavery, to make you leave the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. #ch. 17:7; 19:19; 21:21; 22:21; 24:7; [1 Cor. 5:13]So you shall purge the evil#13:5 Or evil person from your midst.
6 # ch. 17:2 “If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or your daughter or #ch. 28:54, 56; Mic. 7:5 the wife you embrace#13:6 Hebrew the wife of your bosom or your friend #[1 Sam. 18:1, 3; 20:17] who is as your own soul entices you secretly, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ #ch. 28:64which neither you nor your fathers have known, 7some #ch. 6:14of the gods of the peoples who are around you, whether near you or far off from you, from the one end of the earth to the other, 8you shall #Prov. 1:10 not yield to him or listen to him, nor #See ch. 7:16shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him, nor shall you conceal him. 9But you shall kill him. #ch. 17:7Your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. 10#ch. 17:5; See Josh. 7:25You shall stone him to death with stones, because he sought to draw you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 11And #ch. 17:13; 19:20; 21:21all Israel shall hear and fear and never again do any such wickedness as this among you.
12“If you hear in one of your cities, which the Lord your God is giving you to dwell there, 13that certain #Judg. 19:22; 20:13; 1 Sam. 2:12; 25:17; 2 Sam. 16:7; 20:1; 1 Kgs. 21:10, 13worthless fellows have gone out among you and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which you have not known, 14then you shall inquire and make search and ask #ch. 17:4; 19:18diligently. And behold, if it be true and certain that such an abomination has been done among you, 15you shall surely put the inhabitants of that city to the sword, devoting it to destruction,#13:15 That is, setting apart (devoting) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction) all who are in it and its cattle, with the edge of the sword. 16You shall gather all its spoil into the midst of its open square and #Josh. 6:24 burn the city and all its spoil with fire, as a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God. It shall be a #Josh. 8:28; Jer. 49:2; [Isa. 17:1; 25:2; Jer. 30:18]heap forever. It shall not be built again. 17#Josh. 6:18 None of the devoted things shall stick to your hand, #Josh. 7:26 that the Lord may turn from the fierceness of his anger and show you mercy and have compassion on you and multiply you, #See Gen. 50:24as he swore to your fathers, 18if you obey the voice of the Lord your God, #ch. 12:25, 28keeping all his commandments that I am commanding you today, and doing what is right in the sight of the Lord your God.
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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Deuteronomy 13
13
1 Suppose a prophet or one who foretells by dreams#tn Heb “or a dreamer of dreams” (so KJV, ASV, NASB). The difference between a prophet (נָבִיא, navi’) and one who foretells by dreams (חֹלֵם אוֹ, ’o kholem) was not so much one of office – for both received revelation by dreams (cf. Num 12:6) – as it was of function or emphasis. The prophet was more a proclaimer and interpreter of revelation whereas the one who foretold by dreams was a receiver of revelation. In later times the role of the one who foretold by dreams was abused and thus denigrated as compared to that of the prophet (cf. Jer 23:28). should appear among you and show you a sign or wonder,#tn The expression אוֹת אוֹ מוֹפֵת (’ot ’o mofet) became a formulaic way of speaking of ways of authenticating prophetic messages or other works of God (cf. Deut 28:46; Isa 20:3). The NT equivalent is the Greek term σημεῖον (shmeion), a sign performed (used frequently in the Gospel of John, cf. 2:11, 18; 20:30-31). They could, however, be counterfeited or (as here) permitted to false prophets by the Lord as a means of testing his people. 2 and the sign or wonder should come to pass concerning what he said to you, namely, “Let us follow other gods” – gods whom you have not previously known – “and let us serve them.” 3 You must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer,#tn Heb “or dreamer of dreams.” See note on this expression in v. 1. for the Lord your God will be testing you to see if you love him#tn Heb “the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy. with all your mind and being.#tn Heb “all your heart and soul” (so NRSV, CEV, NLT); or “heart and being” (NCV “your whole being”). See note on the word “being” in Deut 6:5. 4 You must follow the Lord your God and revere only him; and you must observe his commandments, obey him, serve him, and remain loyal to him. 5 As for that prophet or dreamer,#tn Heb “or dreamer of dreams.” See note on this expression in v. 1. he must be executed because he encouraged rebellion against the Lord your God who brought you from the land of Egypt, redeeming you from that place of slavery, and because he has tried to entice you from the way the Lord your God has commanded you to go. In this way you must purge out evil from within.#tn Heb “your midst” (so NAB, NRSV). The severity of the judgment here (i.e., capital punishment) is because of the severity of the sin, namely, high treason against the Great King. Idolatry is a violation of the first two commandments (Deut 5:6-10) as well as the spirit and intent of the Shema (Deut 6:4-5).
False Prophets in the Family
6 Suppose your own full brother,#tn Heb “your brother, the son of your mother.” In a polygamous society it was not rare to have half brothers and sisters by way of a common father and different mothers. your son, your daughter, your beloved wife, or your closest friend should seduce you secretly and encourage you to go and serve other gods#tn In the Hebrew text these words are in the form of a brief quotation: “entice you secretly saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods.’” that neither you nor your ancestors#tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 17). have previously known,#tn Heb “which you have not known, you or your fathers.” (cf. KJV, ASV; on “fathers” cf. v. 18). 7 the gods of the surrounding people (whether near you or far from you, from one end of the earth#tn Or “land” (so NIV, NCV); the same Hebrew word can be translated “land” or “earth.” to the other). 8 You must not give in to him or even listen to him; do not feel sympathy for him or spare him or cover up for him. 9 Instead, you must kill him without fail!#tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates with the words “without fail” (cf. NIV “you must certainly put him to death”). Your own hand must be the first to strike him,#tn Heb “to put him to death,” but this is misleading in English for such an action would leave nothing for the others to do. and then the hands of the whole community. 10 You must stone him to death#sn Execution by means of pelting the offender with stones afforded a mechanism whereby the whole community could share in it. In a very real sense it could be done not only in the name of the community and on its behalf but by its members (cf. Lev 24:14; Num 15:35; Deut 21:21; Josh 7:25). because he tried to entice you away from the Lord your God, who delivered you from the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. 11 Thus all Israel will hear and be afraid; no longer will they continue to do evil like this among you.#sn Some see in this statement an argument for the deterrent effect of capital punishment (Deut 17:13; 19:20; 21:21).
Punishment of Community Idolatry
12 Suppose you should hear in one of your cities, which the Lord your God is giving you as a place to live, that 13 some evil people#tn Heb “men, sons of Belial.” The Hebrew term בְּלִיַּעַל (bÿliyya’al) has the idea of worthlessness, without morals or scruples (HALOT 133-34 s.v.). Cf. NAB, NRSV “scoundrels”; TEV, CEV “worthless people”; NLT “worthless rabble.” have departed from among you to entice the inhabitants of their cities,#tc The LXX and Tg read “your” for the MT’s “their.” saying, “Let’s go and serve other gods” (whom you have not known before).#tn The translation understands the relative clause as a statement by Moses, not as part of the quotation from the evildoers. See also v. 2. 14 You must investigate thoroughly and inquire carefully. If it is indeed true that such a disgraceful thing is being done among you,#tc Theodotian adds “in Israel,” perhaps to broaden the matter beyond the local village. 15 you must by all means#tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, indicated in the translation by the words “by all means.” Cf. KJV, NASB “surely”; NIV “certainly.” slaughter the inhabitants of that city with the sword; annihilate#tn Or “put under divine judgment. The Hebrew word (חֵרֶם, kherem) refers to placing persons or things under God’s judgment, usually to the extent of their complete destruction.Though primarily applied against the heathen, this severe judgment could also fall upon unrepentant Israelites (cf. the story of Achan in Josh 7). See also the note on the phrase “divine judgment” in Deut 2:34. with the sword everyone in it, as well as the livestock. 16 You must gather all of its plunder into the middle of the plaza#tn Heb “street.” and burn the city and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God. It will be an abandoned ruin#tn Heb “mound”; NAB “a heap of ruins.” The Hebrew word תֵּל (tel) refers to this day to a ruin represented especially by a built-up mound of dirt or debris (cf. Tel Aviv, “mound of grain”). forever – it must never be rebuilt again. 17 You must not take for yourself anything that has been placed under judgment.#tn Or “anything that has been put under the divine curse”; Heb “anything of the ban” (cf. NASB). See note on the phrase “divine judgment” in Deut 2:34. Then the Lord will relent from his intense anger, show you compassion, have mercy on you, and multiply you as he promised your ancestors. 18 Thus you must obey the Lord your God, keeping all his commandments that I am giving#tn Heb “commanding” (so NASB, NRSV). you today and doing what is right#tc The LXX and Smr add “and good” to bring the phrase in line with a familiar cliché (cf. Deut 6:18; Josh 9:25; 2 Kgs 10:3; 2 Chr 14:1; etc.). This is an unnecessary and improper attempt to force a text into a preconceived mold. before him.#tn Heb “in the eyes of the Lord your God.” See note on the word “him” in v. 3.
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