Deuteronomy 13:1

1 And if there arise within thee a prophet, or one who dreams a dream, and he gives thee a sign or a wonder,

Deuteronomy 13:1 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 13:1

If there arise among you a prophet
A false prophet, a lying prophet, as the Targum of Jonathan; one that pretends to be a true prophet, and to be sent of God, and to come from him with a message from him, a new revelation or doctrine, or in his name, to foretell things to come; the former is chiefly meant. Such prophets did arise in Israel before the time of Christ, and have since arose under the Christian name; see ( 2 Peter 2:1 ) ,

or a dreamer of dreams;
the same with the prophet, only to be distinguished by the different manner of their having the mind and will of God revealed to them, pretended to; either by vision or by dream, which were the two usual ways in which the Lord spake to the true prophets, ( Numbers 12:6 ) so that the prophet is one who pretended he had a vision from the Lord, and the dreamer one that had a dream from him, or something revealed to him in a dream; and dreams are sometimes used for false doctrines, vain, deceitful, and illusory; see ( Jeremiah 23:25-28 ) . The Targum of Jonathan calls him

``a dreamer of a dream of pride:''

such persons are generally prompted by the pride of their own hearts to take such a method to make themselves famous and respected among men; and usually bring such doctrines with them which are agreeable to the pride and vanity of human nature:

and giving thee a sign or a wonder;
for the confirmation of his mission and doctrine; such as Moses wrought before the children of Israel and before Pharaoh. Signs are expressions or representations of things to come to pass; wonders, such as either do, or seem to exceed the common course of nature, or be contrary to it.

Deuteronomy 13:1 In-Context

1 And if there arise within thee a prophet, or one who dreams a dream, and he gives thee a sign or a wonder,

2 and the sign or the wonder come to pass which he spoke to thee, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye know not;

3 ye shall not hearken to the words of that prophet, or the dreamer of that dream, because the Lord thy God tries you, to know whether ye love your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

4 Ye shall follow the Lord your God, and fear him, and ye shall hear his voice, and attach yourselves to him.

5 And that prophet or that dreamer of a dream, shall die; for he has spoken to make thee err from the Lord thy God who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, who redeemed thee from bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the Lord thy God commanded thee to walk in: so shalt thou abolish the evil from among you.