Deuteronomy 13:3

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.)

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 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.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.