1Enticers to idolatry must be stoned to death, 6without regard to nearness of relation. 12Idolatrous cities must be utterly destroyed.
1IF there arise among you a 1prophet, or a 2dreamer of dreams, and 3giveth thee a sign or a wonder,
1 Understand a false prophet, who falsely boasts of divine visions and revelations.
2 Falsely boasting himself of divine dreams. Compare Num. 12:6.
3 That is, utter, foretelling that it shall come to pass. The word giveth is also taken as such in Deut. 11:29; 1 Kings 13:5.
24And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us 5go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;
4 Other, Although that sign, etc.
5 Hebr. walk after other gods, so in verse 4.
3Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God 6proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
6 See Deut. 8 on verse 2.
4Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, anda ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.
a Deut. 10:20.
5And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be putb to death; because he hath 7spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put 8the evil away from the midst of thee.
b Deut. 18:20; Jer. 14:15.
7 That is, taught, advised, acted.
8 Other, the evil one. Compare Deut. 22:21, 22, 23, 24; 1 Cor. 5:13.
6¶If thy brother,c9the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife 10of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is 11as thine own soul, 12entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers;
c Deut. 17:2.
9 Who, by the law of nature and the tie of blood is nearer to thee than the other Israelites and with respect to the common descent from Jacob, are also called thy brethren.
10 That is, who sleeps in your bosom. See Micah 7:5. So on the contrary the lawful husband is called the husband of her (the wife) bosom, Deut. 28:56. Other, the wife of thy bosom, that is, who is most dear to you.
11 That is, whom you so love as your own person.
12 Or, request.
7Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth;
8Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him:
9But thou shalt 13surely kill him; thined hand shall be 14first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.
13 Hebr. killing thou shalt kill him, that is, thou shalt not neglect to kill him.
d Deut. 17:7.
14 Hebr. in the beginning, as having been the accuser and witness at the judgment seat, according to the law, Deut. 17:7. Compare Acts 7:58.
10And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
11And alle Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such 15wickedness as this is among you.
e Deut. 17:13.
15 Hebr. matter, thing, word; so in Deut. 17:5.
12¶If thou shalt hear say in one of thy cities, which the LORD thy God hath given thee to dwell there, saying,
13Certain men, the 16children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known;
16 Or, sons of Belial. The Hebrew word belijaal signifies as much in our language as a naughty one, or one without a yoke, that is, a loose or licentious person who will not bow under any discipline or law. See Judges 19:22; 1 Sam. 1:16; 2:12; 10:27; 25:17; 2 Sam. 16:7; 20:1; 22:5; 1 Kings 21:10; 2 Chron. 13:7; Psalm 41:8; Prov. 19:28; Nahum 1:11, 15. This name is also given to the devil, 2 Cor. 6:15. Compare also Deut. 25 on verse 2; 2 Sam. 3 on verse 34.
14Then shalt thou enquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought among you;
15Thou shalt 17surely smite the inhabitants of that city 18with the edge of the sword, 19destroying it utterly, and all that is therein, and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword.
17 Hebr. smiting smite.
18 Hebr. at the mouth of the sword, and so in the sequel.
19 See Deut. 2 on verse 34.
16And thou shalt gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof, and shalt burn with fire the city, and all the spoil thereof every whit, for the LORD thy God: and it shall be an 20heap for ever; it shall not be built again.
20 Hebr. an heap of eternity, that is, it shall forever be at variance, as an heap of stones.
1721And there shall cleave nought of 22the cursed thing to thine hand: that the LORD may turn from the fierceness of his anger, and shew thee mercy, and have compassion upon thee, and multiply thee, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers;
21 Compare Deut. 7:25, 26.
22 Hebr. of the ban.
18When thou shalt hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep all his commandments which I command thee this day, to do 23that which is right in the eyes of the LORD thy God.
23 That is, that which the Lord knoweth or judgeth to be right and good, and consequently pleaseth Him well.