Deuteronomy 13:3

3 herken not vnto the wordes of that prophete or dreamer of dreames. For the Lorde thy God tepteth you, to wete whether ye loue the Lord youre God with all youre hertes ad with al youre soules.

Deuteronomy 13:3 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 13:3

Thou shall not hearken to the words of that prophet, or that
dreamer of dreams
Even though he does give the sign, and work the wonder; for it might be reasonably concluded there must be fallacy in him, and that neither he nor his miraculous sign could come from God, who would never send a person to enable him to do signs and wonders, to persuade men to believe and act contrary to a former declaration of his mind and will; to break a plain law of his, as in ( Deuteronomy 5:7-9 ) , this would be to contradict and deny himself; whatever therefore is contrary to a known law or established doctrine, either of law or Gospel, let it come from whom it will, or pretend to be confirmed by miracles, is not to be received; see ( Galatians 1:8 Galatians 1:9 ) ,

for the Lord your God proveth you, whether you love the Lord your God
with all your heart, and with all your soul;
for should they be prevailed upon by such a prophet to hearken to his doctrine, and embrace it, and act according to it, it would be a plain case that they did not cordially love the Lord, since they could so easily, and by such pretences, be drawn aside from the true worship of him, and serve other gods; on the other hand, it would be a proof of their sincere affection for God, and of their close and strict attachment to him, that notwithstanding such specious pretences made, and such miracles wrought, yet abode by him and his worship, and could not be wrought upon to forsake him and follow other gods and serve them; see ( 1 Corinthians 11:19 ) .

Deuteronomy 13:3 In-Context

1 Yf there a ryse amonge you a prophett or a dreamer of dreames and geue the a sygne or a wondre,
2 and that sygne or wonder which he hath sayed come to passe, and then saye: lat vs goo after straunge Goddes which thou hast not knowen, and let vs serue them:
3 herken not vnto the wordes of that prophete or dreamer of dreames. For the Lorde thy God tepteth you, to wete whether ye loue the Lord youre God with all youre hertes ad with al youre soules.
4 For ye must walke after the Lorde youre God ad feare him and kepe his comaudmentes and herken vnto his voyce and serue him and cleaue vnto him.
5 And that prophete or dreamer of dreames shall dye for it, because he hath spoke to turne you awaye fro the Lorde youre God which broughte you out of the londe of Egipte ad delyuered you out of the housse of bondage, to thrust the out of the waye whiche the Lorde thy God commaunded the to walke in: and so thou shalt put euell awaye from the.
The Tyndale Bible is in the public domain.