Deuteronomy 13: False prophets, and those who lead people to other gods
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Hebrew. How to read a study
What happens?
Moses tells Israel what to do if a prophet or a dreamer gives a sign that comes true and then says, "Let us go after other gods." They are not to listen: Yahweh is testing them, and that prophet is to be put to death. If someone close to them, even a brother, a child, a wife or a dear friend, secretly says the same, they are not to spare him but stone him. If a whole city is drawn away to serve other gods, and it is found to be true, that city and all in it are to be destroyed and burned, and never built again.
Who is speaking?
Moses speaks the whole chapter to Israel. In verses 2, 6 and 13 he gives the words a false prophet, a relative or friend, or worthless men might say. No verse is in gold. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you, and he gives you a sign or a wonder,
In plain English: If a prophet or someone who dreams dreams appears among you, and gives you a sign or a wonder,
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2and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, “Let’s go after other gods” (which you have not known) “and let’s serve them,”
In plain English: and the sign or wonder he told you about comes true, and he says, "Let us go after other gods" (gods you have not known) "and let us serve them,"
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3you shall not listen to the words of that prophet, or to that dreamer of dreams; for Yahweh your God is testing you, to know whether you love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
In plain English: you are not to listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer, because Yahweh your God is testing you, to find out whether you love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
Good to know: Here a sign that comes true is not enough: a prophet who calls Israel to other gods is not to be followed. In and Moses gives a second test: a word spoken in Yahweh's name that does not come true is not from Yahweh.
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4You shall walk after Yahweh your God, fear him, keep his commandments, and obey his voice. You shall serve him, and cling to him.
In plain English: You are to follow Yahweh your God and fear him. Keep his commandments and listen to his voice. Serve him and hold on to him.
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5That prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death, because he has spoken rebellion against Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to draw you aside out of the way which Yahweh your God commanded you to walk in. So you shall remove the evil from among you.
In plain English: That prophet or that dreamer is to be put to death, because he has spoken of turning away (this Bible: rebellion) from Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery. He tried to push you off the way Yahweh your God commanded you to walk in. So you are to remove the evil from among you.
The Hebrew word: "Remove" is ba'ar, which the dictionary gives as "to kindle, i.e. consume (by fire or by eating)": to burn away, to clear out completely.
Good to know: The line "remove the evil from among you" (or: "from Israel") is in 9 verses of Deuteronomy, the first one here (in this Bible says "put away"). uses words like it: "Put away the wicked man from among yourselves."
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6If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son, or your daughter, or the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own soul, entices you secretly, saying, “Let’s go and serve other gods”—which you have not known, you, nor your fathers;
In plain English: If your brother, your mother's son, or your son, or your daughter, or the wife you hold close (literally: the wife of your bosom), or your friend who is as dear to you as your own soul, secretly tries to lead you astray, saying, "Let us go and serve other gods," gods that neither you nor your fathers have known,
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7of the gods of the peoples who are around you, near to you, or far off from you, from the one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth—
In plain English: any of the gods of the peoples around you, near you or far from you, from one end of the earth to the other,
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8you shall not consent to him nor listen to him; neither shall your eye pity him, neither shall you spare, neither shall you conceal him;
In plain English: you are not to give in to him or listen to him. Do not look on him with pity, do not spare him, and do not hide him.
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9but you shall surely kill him. Your hand shall be first on him to put him to death, and afterwards the hands of all the people.
In plain English: You must surely kill him (the Hebrew repeats the verb). Your hand is to be the first against him to put him to death, and after that the hands of all the people.
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10You shall stone him to death with stones, because he has sought to draw you away from Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
In plain English: Stone him with stones until he dies, because he tried to push you away from Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
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11All Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall not do any more wickedness like this among you.
In plain English: Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and no one among you will do such an evil thing again.
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12If you hear about one of your cities, which Yahweh your God gives you to dwell there, that
In plain English: If you hear it said about one of the cities Yahweh your God is giving you to live in,
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13certain wicked fellows have gone out from among you and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city, saying, “Let’s go and serve other gods,” which you have not known,
In plain English: that some wicked (or: worthless) men (literally: sons of worthlessness) have gone out from among you and led the people of their city astray, saying, "Let us go and serve other gods," gods you have not known,
The Hebrew word: "Wicked fellows" is literally "sons of beliyya'al". The dictionary gives the word as "without profit, worthlessness; by extension, destruction, wickedness".
How it is translated: This Bible says "wicked" in 15 of the 26 verses that use the word, and "worthless" in 7.
Good to know: The dictionary says the Greek word in comes from this Hebrew word. There it is used as a name: "What agreement does Christ have with Belial?"
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14then you shall inquire, investigate, and ask diligently. Behold, if it is true, and the thing certain, that such abomination was done among you,
In plain English: then you are to look into it, search it out, and ask carefully. If it is true and certain that this disgusting thing (this Bible: abomination) has been done among you,
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15you shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, with all that is therein and its livestock, with the edge of the sword.
In plain English: you must surely strike the people of that city with the sword (literally: with the mouth of the sword). Destroy it completely (this Bible: utterly), with everything in it and its livestock, with the sword.
The Hebrew word: "Destroying it utterly" is charam, which the dictionary gives as "to devote to religious uses (especially destruction)". A thing under this ban belonged to Yahweh and was destroyed, not kept.
How it is translated: This Bible says "destroy" or a longer form in 42 of the 48 verses that use charam.
Good to know: In Deuteronomy charam is in 5 verses. In , , and it is used of the nations in war. Here it is turned on a city of Israel that serves other gods. These verses say plainly what was to be done. It is the law of that time as the text records it, and Jewish and Christian readers differ on how to read it now.
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16You shall gather all its plunder into the middle of its street, and shall burn with fire the city, with all of its plunder, to Yahweh your God. It shall be a heap forever. It shall not be built again.
In plain English: Gather all its plunder into the middle of its open square, and burn the city and all its plunder with fire, as a whole offering (or: completely) to Yahweh your God. It is to be a heap (a mound) forever. It must never be built again.
The Hebrew word: "To Yahweh your God" goes with the word kalil, which the dictionary gives as "complete" and "the whole (specifically, a sacrifice entirely consumed)".
What changes: Read as "a whole offering", the burned city is given to Yahweh in full, like an offering burned up completely. Read as "completely", the verse says only that all of it is to be burned. This Bible leaves the word out of its English here.
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17Nothing of the devoted thing shall cling to your hand, that Yahweh may turn from the fierceness of his anger and show you mercy, and have compassion on you and multiply you, as he has sworn to your fathers,
In plain English: None of the things set apart for destruction (this Bible: the devoted thing) is to stick to your hand, so that Yahweh may turn from his burning anger and show you mercy, have compassion on you, and make you many, as he swore to your fathers,
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18when you listen to Yahweh your God’s voice, to keep all his commandments which I command you today, to do that which is right in Yahweh your God’s eyes.
In plain English: when you listen to the voice of Yahweh your God and keep all his commandments that I am giving you today, doing what is right in the eyes of Yahweh your God.
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