Deuteronomy 13:1-18 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

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Deuteronomy 12:29 to Deuteronomy 13:1. Yahwism must be kept free from all taint of Canaanite heathenism when Israel has entered Canaan. The danger would arise from the ancient belief that everyone should worship the god of the country in which he resides. D is an uncompromising Yahwist.

Deuteronomy 12:32 to Deuteronomy 13:18. Three classes of seducers to idolatry to be put to death. (a) The false prophet (Deuteronomy 12:32 to Deuteronomy 13:5). (b) The friend or relative (Deuteronomy 13:5-11). (c) Worthless Israelites (Deuteronomy 13:12-18). In the last case the seducers and the city seduced shall be devoted (Deuteronomy 2:34 *) In the Heb. Deuteronomy 12:32 rightly begins Deuteronomy 13.

Deuteronomy 13:1. Dreams are one medium of prophetic inspiration, especially in E (Numbers 12:6; Joel 2:28); but it is not of the highest kind (Jeremiah 23:28).

Deuteronomy 13:2. A false prophet may foretell what really comes to pass. In Deuteronomy 18:22 he is known by the fact that what he foretells does not come to pass. On the other hand, the word of the true prophet is fulfilled (Jeremiah 28:9). What stamps the prophet as false in the present context is the doctrine.

Deuteronomy 13:6. Read (with LXX Sam.) If thy brother the son of thy father (=a half-brother) or the son of thy mother (=a full brother), see Genesis 27:29; Psalms 50:20. In a polygamous (non-polyandrous) state of society (see Deuteronomy 21:15) the same man has often two or more wives. In the East the woman never marries a second time.

Deuteronomy 13:9. The convicting witness, however nearly related to the culprit, must begin the punishment.

Deuteronomy 13:10. See Exodus 8:26. Stoning is the only form of capital punishment recognised in Heb. law. Perhaps it originated in the desire of avoiding blood-shedding (see Deuteronomy 12:23-25; Deuteronomy 21:22 *, Genesis 4:10 *).

Deuteronomy 13:13. base fellows: lit. sons of worthlessness; sons of in Heb. means persons possessing the quality of (see Oent. B on Psalms 79:11). Even if the Heb. word for the latter (Belial) is a proper name for the Babylonian Pluto (so Cheyne, Hommel, see Proverbs 6:12 *) the phrase bears the same sense (see Cent. B on Psalms 10:15).

Deuteronomy 13:15. See Deuteronomy 23:4.

Deuteronomy 13:16. every whit: better, as a whole offering, (cf. mg.). The Heb. word is used in Deuteronomy 33:10; it does not occur in Deuteronomy 13:6. a heap: Heb. tel (cf. Tel el-kebir = the great hill); see Joshua 8:28 (Ai), Jeremiah 49:2 (Rabbah). cf. Isaiah 17:1; Isaiah 25:2; Jeremiah 30:18.

Related Commentaries of Deuteronomy 13:1

Deuteronomy 13:1-18

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 turna 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.b

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 childrenc 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 enquire, 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 shew 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.