Deuteronomy 13:1

In this chapter three situations are discussed, in each of which, Israel was ordered to put to death the offender.

(1) First, there is the case of some alleged "prophet" soliciting the people to idolatry on the basis of some dream, portent, or wonder which he claimed as proof of his authority (Deuteronomy 13:1-5);

(2) there is the case of solicitation to idolatry by one's close kinsman (Deuteronomy 13:6-12),

(3) and then there is the case of a whole city that has fallen under the power of Satan (Deuteronomy 13:13-18).

In every instance, the commandment was to put to death the offenders, and in the case of a whole city, it was to be placed under the ban and utterly destroyed.

The critical schools once traced what they thought were multiple sources for the material in this chapter, Davies, for example, naming both "D" and "E" as having a part in it.[1] It is now known that ONE author, not many, gave us these instructions, and that a SINGLE purpose is evident throughout:

"In the ancient suzerainty treaties, it was required of the vassal that he must not connive at evil words spoken against the suzerain, whether they amounted to an affront or a conspiracy. The vassal must report the insult or the fomenting of a revolt. In case of an actual rebellion, he must undertake military operations against the offenders. Moreover, he must manifest fidelity to his lord in such cases no matter who the rebel might be, whether prince or nearest relative. All of this finds its counterpart in Deuteronomy. Stylistically, the chapter is cast in the casuistic form characteristic of ancient law codes."[2]

"If there arise in the midst of thee a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and he give thee a sign or a wonder and the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spoke unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or unto that dreamer of dreams: for Jehovah your God proveth you, to know whether ye love Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Ye shall walk after Jehovah your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death, because he hath spoken rebellion against Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of bondage, to draw thee aside out of the way which Jehovah thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put away the evil from the midst of thee."

The amazing thing here is that the question of whether or not the false prophet could actually perform such signs or wonders is treated as irrelevant! What if he did, or could? "What stamped the prophet false in this context is the doctrine!"[3] The possibility that evil men could indeed do wonders "through the power of Satan" is allowed in both Old Testament and New Testament. Paul spoke of the "lying miracles" which would be displayed by the apostate church (2 Thessalonians 2:9), and it surely is implied in this passage that God Himself would, on occasions, allow false prophets to display some signs of credibility in order to "test" the true loyalty of the people.

Adam Clarke gave as an example of how a lying "portent" might be given, the case of one who, through scientific calculations, knew when an eclipse would occur, "predicted it" for people who knew nothing of such matters, and, sure enough, it came to pass![4] The plausible nature of the deception practiced in this case was enhanced by the fact that dreams indeed were one of the manners in which God actually communicated to the prophets of old (Numbers 12:6). Also, "A false prophet's predictions are not always wrong. If they were, no one would believe him."[5] "God allows some of them their restricted sphere of power to test the loyalty of His people."[6] In the case of questionable "prophets" or "teachers," the real issue is not: "Did he perform a miracle? but is he furthering, promoting, and teaching the will of Christ?"[7] It is not necessary to suppose that all miracles claimed by false prophets and teachers are deceptions. Some of them, even many of them could be authentic, because as Christ said, "For there shall arise false christs and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, so as to lead many astray, if possible, even the elect" (Matthew 24:24). As Keil said, "Such miracles are wrought in the power of Satan."[8]

Some might suppose that the penalty of death affixed to such offenses as the ones mentioned here was "very severe," but it should be remembered that, "The purpose of purging the land of all idolatries also required the removal of any Israelites who became infected with the same idolatry."[9] "It would have been a mockery of Divine justice, if Canaanite cities had been destroyed for their idolatry, and then the idolatrous cities of the Israelites were allowed to stand."[10]

"So shalt thou put away ..." (Deuteronomy 13:5). "Thou" here is plural, showing that the whole community "must clear itself of all complicity with the specified evil."[11]

The stern demand for the death penalty for all such false prophets and teachers "shows how absurd it is to treat Deuteronomy 5:17 as being in any sense an argument against capital punishment."[12] The context here as well as parallel passages in Deuteronomy 17:7 and Leviticus 20:2 indicate that in all such cases, "There was to be a formal judicial inquiry, and that the manner of execution was to be by stoning. This would make the whole community a participant in the execution, thus clearing them of all complicity in the condemned actions."[13]