Deuteronomy 13

This chapter belongs to the legal section of Deuteronomy (chapters 12–26) and is cast in the form of a sermon by Moses. Deuteronomy 12 closes with a warning not to follow the gods of the Canaanites, and chapter 13 continues by addressing three cases in which people are enticed to serve other gods.

Outline

• Verses 1–5: If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams shows signs and wonders and urges the people to serve other gods, they are not to listen to him, even if what he says comes to pass, and he is to be put to death. The text explains this as God testing his people.
• Verses 6–11: Even if a full brother, a son or daughter, a wife, or a friend entices someone secretly, that person must neither pity nor conceal the enticer. The one who was enticed is to be the first to lay a hand on him, and then all the people are to stone him to death, so that all Israel will fear.
• Verses 12–18: If a report is heard that in one of the cities worthless men have enticed the inhabitants to serve other gods, the matter is to be investigated thoroughly. If the report proves true, the city is to be utterly destroyed and burned, and it is never to be rebuilt. If the people do not touch the things devoted to destruction, God promises them mercy and increase.

Key Verses

• Deuteronomy 13:3: "…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." This verse shows that the standard for distinguishing true from false is not miracles but loyalty to God.
• Deuteronomy 13:5: "So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee." This expression recurs several times in Deuteronomy, and Paul quotes it in 1 Corinthians 5:13.

People and Places

• The LORD: Repeatedly introduced as the God who brought Israel out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
• Worthless men: In Hebrew, "sons of Belial" (KJV: "children of Belial"). The New Korean Revised Version (Gaeyeok Gaejeong) renders the phrase as "scoundrels."

Points for Reflection

• The Hebrew Masoretic Text numbers as 13:1 the verse that Korean Bibles number as 12:32. As a result, this chapter has 19 verses in the Hebrew Bible.
• Christians generally read the provisions for capital punishment and utter destruction as laws given to the community of ancient Israel. Chapter 19 of the Westminster Confession of Faith holds that the judicial laws of Israel expired together with that nation. Many churches interpret this passage in connection with church discipline. Historically, it has also been cited as grounds for executing heretics, and for that reason it is sometimes the subject of critical reflection today.
• In the New Testament, Matthew 24:24, which warns against the signs of false prophets, and 1 John 4:1, which calls believers to try the spirits, connect with this chapter. It is also read alongside Deuteronomy 18:20–22, which gives another criterion for identifying false prophets.

In the Korean Church

Verses 1–5 are frequently cited in sermons and Bible studies that warn against heresy. They are used to support the principle that truth must not be judged merely by whether miracles or prophecies have come to pass.