Deuteronomy 13

1 If a prophet riseth in the midst of thee, either he that saith himself to have seen a dream, and he before-saith a sign, and a wonder to come after, (When a prophet riseth up in the midst of thee, or him who saith that he hath seen a dream, and he speaketh of a sign, or a wonder, before that it cometh,)

2 and this thing that he said befalleth, and he saith to thee, Go we, and follow we alien gods, which thou knowest not, and serve we them, (and what he said befalleth, and then he saith to thee, Now let us go, and follow foreign, or other, gods, which thou knowest not, and let us serve them,)

3 thou shalt not hear the words of that prophet, either of that dreamer; for your Lord God assayeth you, that he know openly whether ye love him, either nay, in all your heart, and in all your soul. (thou shalt not listen to the words of that prophet, or of that dreamer; for the Lord your God trieth, or testeth, you, to clearly know whether ye love him, or not, with all your heart, and with all your soul.)

4 Follow ye your Lord God, and dread ye him; keep ye his commandments, and hear ye his voice; ye shall serve him, and ye shall cleave to him. (Follow ye the Lord your God, and fear ye him; obey ye his commandments, and listen ye to his voice; ye shall serve him, and ye shall cleave to him.)

5 And that prophet, either (that) feigner of dreams, shall be slain; for he spake (so) that he should turn you away from your Lord God, that led you out of the land of Egypt, and again-bought you from the house of servage (and bought you back, or redeemed, or ransomed, you, from the house of servitude, or of slavery), (so) that he make thee to err from the way that thy Lord God commanded to thee; and in (the) killing of him thou shalt do away evil from the midst of thee.

6 If thy brother, the son of thy mother, either thy son, either thy daughter, either the wife which is in thy bosom, either thy friend, whom thou lovest as thy (own) soul, will counsel thee, and saith privily, Go we and serve alien gods, which thou knowest not, and thy fathers know not (will counsel thee, and saith privately, Let us go, and serve foreign, or other, gods, which thou knowest not, nor thy fathers knew),

7 (the gods) of all the folks about, that be nigh either far, from the beginning unto the end of the land,

8 assent thou not to him, neither hear thou him, neither thine eye spare him, that thou have mercy of him, and hide him, (assent thou not to him, nor listen thou to him, nor thine eye spare him, so that thou have mercy on him, or that thou hide him,)

9 but anon thou shalt slay him. Thine hand be first upon him, and after thee, all the people put to (the) hand. (but at once thou shalt kill him. Thy hand be the first upon him, and after thee, the hands of all the other people.)

10 He shall be oppressed with stones, and shall be slain; for he would draw thee away from thy Lord God, that led thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of servage, (He shall be killed with stones; for he tried to draw thee away from the Lord thy God, who led thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of servitude, or of slavery,)

11 that all Israel hear this and dread, and do no more anything like this thing. (then all Israel shall hear of this, and be afraid, and never again do anything evil like this.)

12 If thou hearest any men saying in one of thy cities, which thy Lord God shall give thee to dwell in,

13 The sons of Belial went out from the midst of thee, and turned away the dwellers of the city, and said, Go we, and serve alien gods, which ye knew not, (The sons of Belial went out from thy midst, and turned away that city's inhabitants, for they said, Let us go, and serve foreign, or other, gods, which ye knew not,)

14 inquire thou busily, and when the truth of the thing is beholden diligently, if thou findest that this thing is certain, that is said, and that this abomination is done indeed, (carefully inquire thou, and when the truth of the thing is diligently seen, if thou findest that it is certain that this was said, and that this abomination was indeed done,)

15 anon thou shalt smite the dwellers of that city with the sharpness of sword (at once thou shalt strike the inhabitants of that city with the sharpness of the sword), and thou shalt destroy that city, and all things that be therein, unto the beasts.

16 Also whatever thing of purtenance of household is found there, thou shalt gather it together in [the] midst of the streets thereof, and thou shalt burn it with that city, so that thou waste all things before thy Lord God, and it be a burial everlasting; it shall no more be builded. (And whatever thing of purtenance of household is found there, thou shalt gather it together in the middle of its streets, or in the town square, and thou shalt burn all those things along with that city, so that thou destroy all those things before the Lord thy God, and it shall be an everlasting burial; that city shall never be rebuilt.)

17 And nothing of that cursing shall dwell in thine hand, that the Lord be turned away from the wrath of his strong vengeance, and have mercy upon thee, and multiply thee, as he swore to thy fathers. (And then nothing of what be cursed shall be found in thy hands, and the Lord shall turn away from the anger of his strong vengeance, and shall have mercy on thee, and shall multiply thee, as he promised to thy fathers.)

18 When thou hast heard the voice of thy Lord God, thou shalt keep all his behests which I command to thee today, that thou do that thing that is pleasing in the sight of thy Lord God. (When thou hast heard the voice of the Lord thy God, thou shalt obey all his commandments which I command to thee today, so that thou do what is right before the Lord thy God.)

Deuteronomy 13 Commentary

Chapter 13

Enticers to idolatry to be put to death. (1-5) Relations who entice to idolatry not to be spared. (6-11) Idolatrous cities not to be spared. (12-18)

Verses 1-5 Moses had cautioned against the peril that might arise from the Canaanites. Here he cautions against the rise of idolatry among themselves. It is needful for us to be well acquainted with the truths and precepts of the Bible; for we may expect to be proved by temptations of evil under the appearance of good, of error in the guise of truth; nor can any thing rightly oppose such temptations, but the plain, express testimony of God's word to the contrary. And it would be a proof of sincere affection for God, that, notwithstanding specious pretences, they should not be wrought upon the forsake God, and follow other gods to serve them.

Verses 6-11 It is the policy of Satan to try to lead us to evil by those whom we love, whom we least suspect of any ill design, and whom we are desirous to please, and apt to conform to. The enticement here is supposed to come from a brother or child, who are near by nature; from a wife or friend, who are near by choice, and are to us as our souls. But it is our duty to prefer God and religion, before the nearest and dearest friends we have in the world. We must not, to please our friends, break God's law. Thou shalt not consent to him, nor go with him, not for company, or curiosity, not to gain his affections. It is a general rule, If sinners entice thee, consent thou not, Pr. 1:10 . And we must not hinder the course of God's justice.

Verses 12-18 Here is the case of a city revolting from the God of Israel, and serving other gods. The crime is supposed to be committed by one of the cities of Israel. Even when they were ordered to preserve their religion by force, yet they were not allowed to bring others to it by fire and sword. Spiritual judgments under the Christian dispensation are more terrible than the execution of criminals; we have not less cause than the Israelites had, to fear the Divine wrath. Let us then fear the spiritual idolatry of covetousness, and the love of worldly pleasure; and be careful not to countenance them in our families, by our example or by the education of our children. May the Lord write his law and truth in our hearts, there set up his throne, and shed abroad his love!

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 13

In this chapter the Israelites are taught how to discern a false prophet, shun and punish him, De 13:1-5, what to do with enticers to idolatry, not only not to consent to them, but, without favour and affection to them, endeavour to bring them to just punishment, and be the first that should inflict it on them, De 13:6-11 and how to behave towards a city drawn into idolatry, as to inquire the truth of it; then make war against it; destroy all in it, men, women, children, and cattle; and burn the spoil of it, and suffer not anything at all belonging to it to cleave unto them, De 13:12-18.