Deuteronomy 13:1-18
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Summary
- All false prophets must be put to death.
- Any city that follows a false prophet must be destroyed.
Details and/or Comments
- False prophets – anyone who either: 1) says something that doesn't prove true (such as a prediction or sign), or 2) tries to turn you from the true God. (The first of these is mentioned in Deuteronomy 18:21-22.)
- All false prophets must be put to death, even if they are close family members. Also, any city that abandons the true God must be totally and permanently destroyed.
- This passage shows us that the signs and wonders done by a false prophet can come to pass. The accomplishment of what is spoken (or prophesied) is not the only criterion for determining whether or not a prophet is genuine!
Scripture
Deuteronomy 13:1-18
| Scripture Passage | Comments and Links |
| Deu 13:1 If there arise in the midst of you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and he give you a sign or a wonder,
Deu 13:2 and the sign or the wonder come to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, Let us go after other gods, which you have not known, and let us serve them; |
One of the ways to identify a false prophet: He tries to get you to follow other gods. (A second way is mentioned in Deuteronomy 18:21-22: He gives a sign or wonder that doesn't come to pass.)
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| Deu 13:3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet, or to that dreamer of dreams: for Yahweh your God proves you, to know whether you love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
Deu 13:4 You shall walk after Yahweh your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and you shall serve him, and cleave to him. |
Refuse to follow him. God is testing your loyalty. |
| Deu 13:5 That 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 put away the evil from the midst of you. | Put him to death because he tried to turn you from the God who delivered you from slavery. Get rid of the evil! |
| Deu 13:6 If 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, entice you secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which you have not known, you, nor your fathers;
Deu 13:7 of 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; Deu 13:8 you shall not consent to him, nor listen to him; neither shall your eye pity him, neither shall you spare, neither shall you conceal him: Deu 13:9 but you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first on him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. Deu 13:10 You 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. |
Do it even if he is a close friend or family member. |
| Deu 13:11 All Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall not do any more such wickedness as this is in the midst of you. | Then Israel will fear and avoid practicing such wickedness. |
| Deu 13:12 If you shall hear tell concerning one of your cities, which Yahweh your God gives you to dwell there, saying,
Deu 13:13 Certain base fellows are gone out from the midst of you, and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which you have not known; Deu 13:14 then you shall inquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is done in the midst of you, Deu 13:15 you shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein and its livestock, with the edge of the sword. Deu 13:16 You shall gather all its spoil into the midst of its street, and shall burn with fire the city, and all its spoil every whit, to Yahweh your God: and it shall be a heap forever; it shall not be built again. Deu 13:17 There shall cleave nothing of the devoted thing 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; Deu 13:18 when you shall listen to the voice of Yahweh your God, to keep all his commandments which I command you this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of Yahweh your God. |
If a city turns to other gods, it must be totally and permanently destroyed... so God can continue to have mercy on you!
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Ch. 2 & 3 (selected) • 5:1-33 • 6:1-25 • 7:1-26 • 8:1-20 • 9:1-29 • 11:1-28 • 13:1-18 • 18:15-22 • 19:14 • 20:1-20 • 21:22-23 • Ch. 22 (selected) • 23:12-14, 19-25 • 24:6, 10-22 • 25:4 • 25:13-16 • 26:1-15 • 28:1-68 • 29:1-29 • 30:1-20 |
Scripture Passages
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—— To avoid any copyright issues, all Scripture is either from a public domain translation (such as the World English Bible), my own translation, or a combination of these. ——
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The name "Yahweh," when present in an Old Testament passage, represents the Hebrew name for the God of the Bible.
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Unless otherwise noted, all notes and comments are © by Dennis Hinks.
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