Deuteronomy 13:12

12 And if in one of thy cities which the Lord God gives thee to dwell therein, thou shalt hear men saying,

Deuteronomy 13:12 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 13:12

If thou shalt hear say in one of thy cities
A report concerning them, anyone of them:

which the Lord thy God had given thee to dwell there;
which he had not only given them, but had put them into the possession of, and it was become their dwelling place, or was inhabited by Israelites; otherwise they were already given unto them, but did not inherit and inhabit them, and it might be possible that there might be some city or cities, at least for a time, which, though given them, were not inhabited by them, but by the Canaanites, and such cities this law did not concern: saying; as follows.

Deuteronomy 13:12 In-Context

10 And they shall stone him with stones, and he shall die, because he sought to draw thee away from the Lord thy God who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

11 And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall not again do according to this evil thing among you.

12 And if in one of thy cities which the Lord God gives thee to dwell therein, thou shalt hear men saying,

13 Evil men have gone out from you, and have caused all the inhabitants of their land to fall away, saying, Let us go and worship other gods, whom ye knew not,

14 then thou shalt enquire and ask, and search diligently, and behold, the thing is clearly true, and this abomination has taken place among you,