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Text -- Deuteronomy 13:3-18 (NET)
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Strongs On/Off
Context
13:3 You must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer , for the Lord your God will be testing you to see if you love him with all your mind and being .
13:4 You must follow the Lord your God and revere only him; and you must observe his commandments , obey him, serve him, and remain loyal to him.
13:5 As for that prophet or dreamer , he must be executed because he encouraged rebellion against the Lord your God who brought you from the land of Egypt , redeeming you from that place of slavery , and because he has tried to entice you from the way the Lord your God has commanded you to go . In this way you must purge out evil from within .
False Prophets in the Family
13:6 Suppose your own full brother , your son , your daughter , your beloved wife , or your closest friend should seduce you secretly and encourage you to go and serve other gods that neither you nor your ancestors have previously known ,
13:7 the gods of the surrounding people (whether near you or far from you, from one end of the earth to the other).
13:8 You must not give in to him or even listen to him; do not feel sympathy for him or spare him or cover up for him.
13:9 Instead , you must kill him without fail ! Your own hand must be the first to strike him, and then the hands of the whole community .
13:10 You must stone him to death because he tried to entice you away from the Lord your God , who delivered you from the land of Egypt , that place of slavery .
13:11 Thus all Israel will hear and be afraid ; no longer will they continue to do evil like this among you.
Punishment of Community Idolatry
13:12 Suppose you should hear in one of your cities , which the Lord your God is giving you as a place to live , that
13:13 some evil people have departed from among you to entice the inhabitants of their cities , saying , “Let’s go and serve other gods ” (whom you have not known before).
13:14 You must investigate thoroughly and inquire carefully . If it is indeed true that such a disgraceful thing is being done among you,
13:15 you must by all means slaughter the inhabitants of that city with the sword ; annihilate with the sword everyone in it, as well as the livestock .
13:16 You must gather all of its plunder into the middle of the plaza and burn the city and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God . It will be an abandoned ruin forever – it must never be rebuilt again .
13:17 You must not take for yourself anything that has been placed under judgment . Then the Lord will relent from his intense anger , show you compassion , have mercy on you, and multiply you as he promised your ancestors .
13:18 Thus you must obey the Lord your God , keeping all his commandments that I am giving you today and doing what is right before him .
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Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics
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Names, People and Places:
Dictionary Themes and Topics:
Intolerance |
EZEKIEL, 2 |
Heresy |
Moses |
IDOLATRY |
Punishment |
PUNISHMENTS |
Church |
Fear of God |
ACCURSED |
Fellowship |
Marriage |
DEUTERONOMY |
Friendship |
Minister |
DREAMS |
Dream |
Belial |
DIVINATION |
Witness |
more
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expand allCommentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes
NET Notes: Deu 13:3 Heb “all your heart and soul” (so NRSV, CEV, NLT); or “heart and being” (NCV “your whole being”). See note on the ...
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NET Notes: Deu 13:5 Heb “your midst” (so NAB, NRSV). The severity of the judgment here (i.e., capital punishment) is because of the severity of the sin, namel...
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NET Notes: Deu 13:6 Heb “which you have not known, you or your fathers.” (cf. KJV, ASV; on “fathers” cf. v. 18).
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NET Notes: Deu 13:7 Or “land” (so NIV, NCV); the same Hebrew word can be translated “land” or “earth.”
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NET Notes: Deu 13:9 Heb “to put him to death,” but this is misleading in English for such an action would leave nothing for the others to do.
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NET Notes: Deu 13:10 Execution by means of pelting the offender with stones afforded a mechanism whereby the whole community could share in it. In a very real sense it cou...
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NET Notes: Deu 13:11 Some see in this statement an argument for the deterrent effect of capital punishment (Deut 17:13; 19:20; 21:21).
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NET Notes: Deu 13:13 The translation understands the relative clause as a statement by Moses, not as part of the quotation from the evildoers. See also v. 2.
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NET Notes: Deu 13:14 Theodotian adds “in Israel,” perhaps to broaden the matter beyond the local village.
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NET Notes: Deu 13:15 Or “put under divine judgment. The Hebrew word (חֵרֶם, kherem) refers to placing persons or things under God’...
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NET Notes: Deu 13:16 Heb “mound”; NAB “a heap of ruins.” The Hebrew word תֵּל (tel) refers to this day to a ruin represente...
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NET Notes: Deu 13:17 Or “anything that has been put under the divine curse”; Heb “anything of the ban” (cf. NASB). See note on the phrase “di...
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