1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,
2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;
3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
4 Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.
5 And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.
6 If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers;
7 Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth;
8 Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him:
9 But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.
10 And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
11 And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you.
12 If thou shalt hear say in one of thy cities, which the LORD thy God hath given thee to dwell there, saying,
13 Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known;
14 Then shalt thou inquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought among you;
15 Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein, and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword.
16 And thou shalt gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof, and shalt burn with fire the city, and all the spoil thereof every whit, for the LORD thy God: and it shall be an heap for ever; it shall not be built again.
17 And there shall cleave nought of the cursed thing to thine hand: that the LORD may turn from the fierceness of his anger, and show thee mercy, and have compassion upon thee, and multiply thee, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers;
18 When thou shalt hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep all his commandments which I command thee this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of the LORD thy God.
The book of Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Old Testament and the final book of the Pentateuch, or the Torah. It is attributed to Moses and is believed to have been written during the Israelites’ 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. Deuteronomy is a record of Moses’ final speeches to the Israelites before they enter the promised land of Canaan. These speeches contain a review of Israel’s history, laws, and instructions for the future. Chapter 13 of Deuteronomy is a continuation of Moses’ instructions to the Israelites, specifically warning them against false prophets and idolatry. This chapter is divided into three main sections: the warning against false prophets (verses 1-5), the warning against family members who lead to idolatry (verses 6-11), and the warning against idolatrous cities (verses 12-18).
The first section of chapter 13 addresses the issue of false prophets. Moses warns the Israelites that there will be people who claim to be prophets and perform signs and wonders, but their message will be to follow other gods. He instructs the Israelites to not listen to these false prophets and to stay true to the laws and commandments given to them by God. Moses emphasizes that God is testing them to see if they truly love Him and are willing to follow His commandments. He reminds them of the consequences of following false prophets, which is turning away from God and breaking His covenant.
This section highlights the importance of discernment and staying faithful to God’s word. It serves as a reminder that there will always be false teachings and false prophets, but it is the responsibility of the people to stay true to God’s commandments and not be swayed by deception.
The second section of chapter 13 deals with the issue of family members who try to lead others to worship other gods. Moses instructs the Israelites that if they hear of a family member, whether it be a brother, son, daughter, wife, or friend, enticing them to worship other gods, they must not give in to their influence. He states that even if the person is someone they love and trust, they must be willing to put them to death to prevent them from turning others away from God.
This may seem like a harsh and extreme command, but it emphasizes the seriousness of idolatry and the importance of staying faithful to God. It also serves as a reminder that our loyalty and devotion to God should always be above our relationships with others.
The final section of chapter 13 addresses the issue of entire cities turning to idolatry. Moses instructs the Israelites that if they hear of a city worshipping other gods, they must completely destroy the city and all its inhabitants. He emphasizes that this must be done to show God’s wrath and to prevent the spread of idolatry to other cities.
This may seem like a harsh and extreme punishment, but it serves as a reminder that idolatry is a serious offense in the eyes of God. It also shows the importance of being vigilant and not allowing idolatry to take root in our communities.
The main themes of chapter 13 of Deuteronomy are loyalty to God, discernment, and the seriousness of idolatry. This chapter serves as a warning to the Israelites to remain faithful to God and to not be swayed by false prophets, family members, or entire communities. It emphasizes the importance of discernment and staying true to God’s commandments, even when faced with temptation and pressure from those we love.
Chapter 13 also highlights the seriousness of idolatry and the consequences of turning away from God. It shows that God’s wrath will be upon those who choose to worship other gods and lead others astray. This serves as a reminder for us to prioritize our relationship with God above all else and to not allow anything or anyone to come between us and Him.
Furthermore, this chapter shows the importance of being vigilant and not allowing false teachings and idolatry to take root in our communities. It is our responsibility to stand firm in our faith and to protect our communities from the temptation of turning away from God.
Overall, chapter 13 of Deuteronomy serves as a reminder to stay faithful to God and to not be swayed by false teachings or the influence of others. It also shows the seriousness of idolatry and the importance of being vigilant in protecting our faith and communities. This chapter has a timeless message that is still relevant today, reminding us to stay true to God’s word and to always put Him above all else.
Share this page