Deuteronomy 13:13

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,)

Deuteronomy 13:13 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 13:13

Certain men, the children of Belial
Which signify either persons without a yoke, who have thrown off the yoke of God's law, and will not submit to it, or unprofitable ones, as wicked men be, both to God, themselves, and others:

are gone out from among you;
not locally, but with respect to their religious sentiments and practices, having separated themselves from the people of God, and from the service of the sanctuary, the true worship of God, and a profession of it, and given into the worship of idols:

and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city;
withdrawn them by the force of persuasion from the worship of the true God, and drawn them into idolatry:

saying, let us go and serve other gods;
unite as one man in the worship of the gods of the Gentiles:

which ye have not known;
this was not said by the children of Belial, but is added by the Lord by way of explanation, showing what gods they were that these men advised them to serve, and confirms the observation made on ( Deuteronomy 13:6 ) .

Deuteronomy 13:13 In-Context

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.