Deuteronomy 13:7

7 gods from all the neighboring peoples, whether nearby or far away, from one end of the earth to the other—

Deuteronomy 13:7 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 13:7

Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you,
&c.] As of the Edomites, Moabites, Ammonites, and Phoenicians:

nigh unto thee;
as the above were, being on the borders of their land: the Targum of Jonathan interprets this of the idols of the seven nations, that is, of the land of Canaan: or

far off from thee;
as the Babylonians, Persians, and others:

from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth;
which includes all the idols in the world, worshipped by whatsoever nation, and which were forbidden; and which shows the universality of idolatry in those times, and that that is an insufficient argument in its favour. Jarchi interprets this of the sun and moon, and the host of heaven, who go from one end of the world to the other; and this seems to have been the first and most common idolatry of the Gentile world, and which were worshipped in the several deities they set up.

Deuteronomy 13:7 In-Context

5 That prophet or dream interpreter must be executed because he encouraged you to turn away from the LORD your God who brought you out of Egypt, who redeemed you from the house of slavery; they tried to lead you away from the path the LORD your God commanded you to take. Remove such evil from your community!
6 Similarly, if one of your relatives—even one of your own siblings—or your own son or daughter or your dear spouse or best friend entices you secretly, if someone like that says: "Come on! We should follow and worship other gods"—ones that neither you nor your ancestors have experienced,
7 gods from all the neighboring peoples, whether nearby or far away, from one end of the earth to the other—
8 don't give in to them! Don't obey them! Don't have any mercy on them! Don't have compassion on them and don't protect them!
9 Instead, you must execute them. Your own hand must be against them from the beginning of the execution; the hand of all the people will be involved at the end.
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