Focused Passage

Deuteronomy 13:6-11

Testing the Prophets and Purging the Tempters: The Absolute Demand of Exclusive Loyalty

From the prophet whose sign comes true but who teaches rebellion (vv. 1-5), through the intimate family member or friend who secretly entices to idolatry (vv. 6-11), to the entire city within Israel that has been led astray (vv. 12-18) — the chapter moves from individual false prophet through intimate personal betrayal to communal apostasy, each requiring the same covenant response: investigation, refusal, and execution of the tempter.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

6 If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you embrace, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (which neither you nor your fathers have known,

7 the gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, whether from one end of the earth or the other),

8 you must not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity, and do not spare him or shield him.

9 Instead, you must surely kill him. Your hand must be the first against him to put him to death, and then the hands of all the people.

10 Stone him to death for trying to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

11 Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and will never again do such a wicked thing among you.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 6

Original words

If כִּ֣י H3588 Conjunction your very own brother אָחִ֣יךָ H251 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular . . . בֶן־ H1121 Noun - masculine singular construct . . . אִ֠מֶּךָ H517 Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular or אֽוֹ־ H176 Conjunction your son בִנְךָ֨ H1121 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular or אֽוֹ־ H176 Conjunction daughter בִתְּךָ֜ H1323 Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular or א֣וֹ׀ H176 Conjunction the wife אֵ֣שֶׁת H802 Noun - feminine singular construct you embrace חֵיקֶ֗ךָ H2436 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular or א֧וֹ H176 Conjunction your closest friend רֵֽעֲךָ֛ H7453 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular - אֲשֶׁ֥ר H834 Pronoun - relative - כְּנַפְשְׁךָ֖ H5315 Preposition-k | Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular secretly בַּסֵּ֣תֶר H5643 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular entices you יְסִֽיתְךָ֡ H5496 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | second person masculine singular saying לֵאמֹ֑ר H559 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct Let us go נֵֽלְכָ֗ה H1980 Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural and worship וְנַֽעַבְדָה֙ H5647 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural other אֲחֵרִ֔ים H312 Adjective - masculine plural gods אֱלֹהִ֣ים H430 Noun - masculine plural which אֲשֶׁר֙ H834 Pronoun - relative neither you אַתָּ֖ה H859 Pronoun - second person masculine singular nor לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle your fathers וַאֲבֹתֶֽיךָ׃ H1 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular have known יָדַ֔עְתָּ H3045 Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular

BSB notes

  • Hebrew the wife of your bosom
Verse 7

Original words

the gods מֵאֱלֹהֵ֣י H430 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct of the peoples הָֽעַמִּ֗ים H5971 Article | Noun - masculine plural - אֲשֶׁר֙ H834 Pronoun - relative around you סְבִיבֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם H5439 Adverb | second person masculine plural whether near הַקְּרֹבִ֣ים H7138 Article | Adjective - masculine plural . . . אֵלֶ֔יךָ H413 Preposition | second person masculine singular or א֖וֹ H176 Conjunction far הָרְחֹקִ֣ים H7350 Article | Adjective - masculine plural whether from מִמֶּ֑ךָּ H4480 Preposition | second person masculine singular one end מִקְצֵ֥ה H7097 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct of the earth הָאָ֖רֶץ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular or the other וְעַד־ H5704 Conjunctive waw | Preposition . . . קְצֵ֥ה H7097 Noun - masculine singular construct . . . הָאָֽרֶץ׃ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular
Verse 8

Original words

you must not לֹא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle yield תֹאבֶ֣ה H14 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular to him ל֔וֹ Preposition | third person masculine singular or listen תִשְׁמַ֖ע H8085 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular to him אֵלָ֑יו H413 Preposition | third person masculine singular Show him no וְלֹ֥א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle pity תָח֤וֹס H2347 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular . . . עֵֽינְךָ֙ H5869 Noun - common singular construct | second person masculine singular . . . עָלָ֔יו H5921 Preposition | third person masculine singular . . . וְלֹֽא־ H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle and do not וְלֹא־ H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle spare תַחְמֹ֥ל H2550 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular him וְלֹֽא־ H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle or shield תְכַסֶּ֖ה H3680 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singular him עָלָֽיו׃ H5921 Preposition | third person masculine singular
Verse 9

Original words

Instead כִּ֤י H3588 Conjunction you must surely kill him הָרֹג֙ H2026 Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute . . . תַּֽהַרְגֶ֔נּוּ H2026 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine singular Your hand יָֽדְךָ֛ H3027 Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular must be תִּֽהְיֶה־ H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular the first בָרִֽאשׁוֹנָ֖ה H7223 Preposition-b, Article | Adjective - feminine singular against him בּ֥וֹ Preposition | third person masculine singular to put him to death לַהֲמִית֑וֹ H4191 Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular and then בָּאַחֲרֹנָֽה׃ H314 Preposition-b, Article | Adjective - feminine singular the hands וְיַ֥ד H3027 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct of all כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct the people הָעָ֖ם H5971 Article | Noun - masculine singular
Verse 10

Original words

Stone him וּסְקַלְתּ֥וֹ H5619 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine singular . . . בָאֲבָנִ֖ים H68 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine plural to death וָמֵ֑ת H4191 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular for כִּ֣י H3588 Conjunction trying בִקֵּ֗שׁ H1245 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular to turn you לְהַדִּֽיחֲךָ֙ H5080 Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct | second person masculine singular away from מֵעַל֙ H5921 Preposition-m the LORD יְהוָ֣ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular your God אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular who brought you out הַמּוֹצִיאֲךָ֛ H3318 Article | Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular of the land מֵאֶ֥רֶץ H776 Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct of Egypt מִצְרַ֖יִם H4714 Noun - proper - feminine singular out of the house מִבֵּ֥ית H1004 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct of slavery עֲבָדִֽים׃ H5650 Noun - masculine plural
Verse 11

Original words

Then all וְכָל־ H3605 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct Israel יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל H3478 Noun - proper - masculine singular will hear יִשְׁמְע֖וּ H8085 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural and be afraid וְיִֽרָא֑וּן H3372 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural | Paragogic nun and will never וְלֹֽא־ H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle again יוֹסִ֣פוּ H3254 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural do לַעֲשׂ֗וֹת H6213 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct such כַּדָּבָ֥ר H1697 Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular a wicked הָרָ֛ע H7451 Article | Adjective - masculine singular thing הַזֶּ֖ה H2088 Article | Pronoun - masculine singular among you בְּקִרְבֶּֽךָ׃ס H7130 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.