Deuteronomy 13:6

False Prophets in the Family

13:6 Suppose your own full brother, ¹  your son, your daughter, your beloved wife, or your closest friend should seduce you secretly and encourage you to go and serve other gods ²  that neither you nor your ancestors ³  have previously known, ⁴ 

Deuteronomy 13:13

13:13 some evil people ⁵  have departed from among you to entice the inhabitants of their cities, ⁶  saying, “Let’s go and serve other gods” (whom you have not known before). ⁷ 

[13:6]  ¹ tn Heb “your brother, the son of your mother.” In a polygamous society it was not rare to have half brothers and sisters by way of a common father and different mothers.

[13:6]  ² tn In the Hebrew text these words are in the form of a brief quotation: “entice you secretly saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods.’”

[13:6]  ³ tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 17).

[13:6]  ⁴ tn Heb “which you have not known, you or your fathers.” (cf. KJV, ASV; on “fathers” cf. v. 18).

[13:13]  ⁵ tn Heb “men, sons of Belial.” The Hebrew term בְּלִיַּעַל (bÿliyya’al) has the idea of worthlessness, without morals or scruples (HALOT 133-34 s.v.). Cf. NAB, NRSV “scoundrels”; TEV, CEV “worthless people”; NLT “worthless rabble.”

[13:13]  ⁶ tc The LXX and Tg read “your” for the MT’s “their.”

[13:13]  ⁷ tn The translation understands the relative clause as a statement by Moses, not as part of the quotation from the evildoers. See also v. 2.