Deuteronomy 13:12

12 "If you hear in one of your towns which Yahweh your God [is] giving to you to live in, [someone] {saying that}

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 you shall stone him with stones and let him die, for he tried to seduce you from Yahweh your God, the [one] bringing you from [the] land of Egypt, from the house of slavery.

11 And all [of] Israel shall hear, and they shall fear, and {they shall not continue to act} according to this evil thing in your midst.

12 "If you hear in one of your towns which Yahweh your God [is] giving to you to live in, [someone] {saying that}

13 {worthless men} have gone out from your midst and have seduced the inhabitants of their town, {saying}, 'Let us go and serve other gods!' whom you have not known,

14 then you shall inquire and examine and interrogate thoroughly, and, look! [It is] true; the thing has actually been done, this detestable thing in your midst,

Footnotes

• [a] Literally "to say"