Deuteronomy Chapter 13 — Warnings Against Idolatry
This chapter provides strict warnings against following anyone—whether prophets, family members, or entire cities—who leads the people away from the worship of God.
1If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you, and he gives you a sign or a wonder,
2and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, “Let’s go after other gods” (which you have not known) “and let’s serve them,”
3you shall not listen to the words of that prophet, or to 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.
4You shall walk after the LORD your God, fear him, keep his commandments, and obey his voice. You shall serve him, and cling to him.
5That prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death, because he has spoken rebellion against the LORD 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 the LORD your God commanded you to walk in. So you shall remove the evil from among you.
6If 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’s go and serve other gods”—which you have not known, you, nor your fathers;
7of 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—
8you shall not consent to him nor listen to him; neither shall your eye pity him, neither shall you spare, neither shall you conceal him;
9but you shall surely kill him. Your hand shall be first on him to put him to death, and afterwards the hands of all the people.
10You shall stone him to death with stones, because he has sought to draw you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
11All Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall not do any more wickedness like this among you.
12If you hear about one of your cities, which the LORD your God gives you to dwell there, that
13certain wicked fellows have gone out from among you and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city, saying, “Let’s go and serve other gods,” which you have not known,
14then you shall inquire, investigate, and ask diligently. Behold, if it is true, and the thing certain, that such abomination was done among you,
15you shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, with all that is therein and its livestock, with the edge of the sword.
16You shall gather all its plunder into the middle of its street, and shall burn with fire the city, with all of its plunder, to the LORD your God. It shall be a heap forever. It shall not be built again.
17Nothing of the devoted thing shall cling 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 has sworn to your fathers,
18when you listen to the LORD your God’s voice, to keep all his commandments which I command you today, to do that which is right in the LORD your God’s eyes.
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Deuteronomy 13:3
“you shall not listen to the words of that prophet, or to 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.”
This verse explains that the appearance of false signs can serve as a test of the people's ultimate devotion to God.
Deuteronomy 13:4
“You shall walk after the LORD your God, fear him, keep his commandments, and obey his voice. You shall serve him, and cling to him.”
This verse provides a comprehensive list of what it means to be faithful and committed to the covenant.
Chapter Summary
Deuteronomy 13 outlines three specific scenarios involving the temptation to follow other gods and the required response for each to maintain the community's spiritual integrity. First, it addresses prophets or dreamers who perform signs but call the people to idolatry; the text explains this is a test of love for God and mandates the removal of such influences. Second, it discusses close relatives or friends who secretly suggest worshipping foreign deities, stating that the community must not show pity or concealment but must take collective action against the offender. Third, the chapter describes how to handle an entire city that has been led astray. In such cases, a thorough investigation is required, and if confirmed, the city and its contents must be destroyed. Throughout these laws, the chapter emphasizes total devotion to God and the importance of remaining faithful to His commandments above all human relationships or signs.
Frequently Asked Questions
The chapter warns that even if a prophet's sign or wonder comes true, they should not be followed if they encourage the worship of other gods. Such occurrences are described as a test from God to see if the people truly love Him with all their heart.
It states that if a close family member or friend secretly entices someone to serve other gods, the individual must not yield to or pity them. Instead, they must prioritize their loyalty to God and follow the legal procedures for reporting and addressing the situation.
If reports surface about a city being led into idolatry, the community is commanded to inquire and investigate diligently. If the report is confirmed as true, the city and its contents are to be destroyed as a 'devoted thing' to prevent the spread of wickedness.
Study Note
The phrase 'so you shall remove the evil from among you' is a recurring legal formula in Deuteronomy used to emphasize the community's responsibility for its own spiritual health.
Related Chapters
Exodus 20
The prohibition against other gods in Deuteronomy 13 reinforces the first of the Ten Commandments.
Deuteronomy 18
This chapter provides further criteria for distinguishing between true and false prophets.
Joshua 7
The concept of 'devoted things' mentioned in Deuteronomy 13 is central to the account of Achan in Joshua.
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