Chapter 13
Verses 1-10: Staying True to God Amidst False Prophets
1. “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder,
2. and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’—gods whom you have not known—‘and let us serve them,’
3. you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
4. You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.
5. But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death because he has spoken in order to turn you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, to seduce you from the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall put away the evil from your midst.
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, entices you secretly, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which neither you nor your fathers have known,
7. of the gods of the peoples who are around you, near to you or far off from you, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth,
8. you shall not consent to him or listen to him; nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him or conceal him.
9. But you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people.
10. And you shall stone him with stones until he dies because he sought to thrust you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
11. Then all Israel shall hear and fear, and shall not do any such wickedness as this among you.
12. If you hear someone in one of your cities, which the Lord your God has given you to dwell there, saying,
13. ‘Certain worthless fellows have gone out from among you and have seduced the inhabitants of their city, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods,” which you have not known,’
14. then you shall inquire, search out, and ask diligently. And if it is indeed true and certain that such an abomination has been committed among you,
15. you shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying it, all that is in it and its livestock, with the edge of the sword.
16. And you shall gather all its spoil into the midst of its open square and burn the city with fire, and all its spoil, for the Lord your God. It shall be a heap forever; it shall not be built again.
17. None of the devoted things shall stick to your hand, that the Lord may turn from the fierceness of His anger and show you mercy, and have compassion on you and multiply you, as He swore to your fathers,
18. when you listen to the voice of the Lord your God, to keep all His commandments which I command you today, to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord your God.
Interpretation:
Deuteronomy 13 focuses intensely on the theme of combating idolatry and the importance of unwavering loyalty to God. It outlines severe measures for dealing with prophets or individuals, even close family members, who advocate for the worship of other gods. This chapter underscores the seriousness of maintaining faithfulness to the covenant and the divine commandments, reflecting a central concern of the Deuteronomistic history: the exclusivity of worship and adherence to God. The harsh penalties reflect the cultural and religious context of the time, emphasizing the collective responsibility of the community to uphold the covenant. This section of Chapter 13, verses 11-18 extends the warnings against idolatry to entire communities. It instructs the Israelites to deal rigorously with any city within Israel that turns to the worship of other gods. The prescribed response, including the destruction of the city and its spoil, is intended as a deterrent, ensuring the purity of religious practice and obedience to the covenant. The theme of collective responsibility is pronounced here, with the entire community being accountable for upholding the commandments of God. This reflects a societal structure where communal adherence to religious law was paramount, and deviation was seen as a threat to the stability and identity of the whole community.
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