Deuteronomy 13:1-16

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Deuteronomy 13:1-5

Here is, I. A very strange supposition, Deut. 13:1, 2. 1. It is strange that there should arise any among themselves, especially any pretending to vision and prophecy, who should instigate them to go and serve other gods. Was it possible that any who had so much knowledge of the methods of divine revelation as to be able to personate a prophet should yet have so little knowledge of the divine nature and will as to go himself and entice his neighbours after other gods? Could an Israelite ever... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Deuteronomy 13:6-11

Further provision is made by this branch of the statute against receiving the infection of idolatry from those that are near and dear to us. I. It is the policy of the tempter to send his solicitations by the hand of those whom we love, whom we least suspect of any ill design upon us, and whom we are desirous to please and apt to conform ourselves to. The enticement here is supposed to come from a brother or child that are near by nature, from a wife or friend that are near by choice, and are... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Deuteronomy 13:12-18

Here the case is put of a city revolting from its allegiance to the God of Israel, and serving other gods. I. The crime is supposed to be committed, 1. By one of the cities of Israel, that lay within the jurisdiction of their courts. The church then judged those only that were within, 1 Cor. 5:12, 13. And, even when they were ordered to preserve their religion in the first principles of it by fire and sword to propagate it. Those that are born within the allegiance of a prince, if they take up... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 13:1

If there arise among you a prophet ,.... A false prophet, a lying prophet, as the Targum of Jonathan; one that pretends to be a true prophet, and to be sent of God, and to come from him with a message from him, a new revelation or doctrine, or in his name, to foretell things to come; the former is chiefly meant. Such prophets did arise in Israel before the time of Christ, and have since arose under the Christian name; see 2 Peter 2:1 , or a dreamer of dreams ; the same with the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 13:2

And the sign and wonder come to pass whereof he spake unto thee ,.... The sign he promised to give, or the miracle he proposed to do, to show the reality of his mission, and the truth of his doctrine, which is performed, or seemingly performed, by legerdemain, by magic art, or by the help of the devil; which the Lord sometimes suffered for the trial of the faith and obedience of his people, and for the hardening of others in their unbelief, and which issues in their destruction; see 2... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 13:3

Thou shall not hearken to the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams ,.... Even though he does give the sign, and work the wonder; for it might be reasonably concluded there must be fallacy in him, and that neither he nor his miraculous sign could come from God, who would never send a person to enable him to do signs and wonders, to persuade men to believe and act contrary to a former declaration of his mind and will; to break a plain law of his, as in Deuteronomy 5:7 , this... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 13:4

Ye shall walk after the Lord your God ,.... As he has directed, according to the laws and rules which he has given, both with respect to their moral and civil conduct, and their religious worship of him; and so the Targum of Jonathan,"ye shall walk after the worship of the Lord your God:" and fear him, and keep his commandments ; fear to offend him, and so keep his commandments; or keep his commandments from or through fear; not a servile but a filial one, a reverential affection for... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 13:5

And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death ,.... Which death, according to the Targum of Jonathan, was to be killed with the sword: because he hath spoken to turn you away from the Lord your God ; or "spoken revolt against the Lord" F12 סרה "apostasiam", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "defectionem", Tigurine version. , high treason against him, delivering out doctrine that tends to cause his subjects to rebel against him, and revolt from him; and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 13:6

If thy brother, the son of thy mother ,.... A brother by mother's side, which is generally supposed to be the nearest relation, at least most out of question, so more liable to be regarded as being beloved: or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom ; most dearly beloved by him, as indeed each of these relations are by a man, there being none nearer or dearer to him: or thy friend, which is as thine own soul ; as dear to him as himself, and so strictly united in... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 13:7

Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you ,.... As of the Edomites, Moabites, Ammonites, and Phoenicians: nigh unto thee ; as the above were, being on the borders of their land: the Targum of Jonathan interprets this of the idols of the seven nations, that is, of the land of Canaan: or far off from thee ; as the Babylonians, Persians, and others: from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth ; which includes all the idols in the world,... read more

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