Deuteronomy 13:3

_AND THE SIGN OR THE WONDER COME TO PASS, WHEREOF HE SPAKE UNTO THEE, SAYING, LET US GO AFTER OTHER GODS, WHICH THOU HAST NOT KNOWN, AND LET US SERVE THEM;_ No JFB commentary on these verses....

3._For the Lord your God proveth you. _(Latin, _tentat vos.) _Whenever this word, which means _to tempt, _is applied to God, it is not used in a bad sense, for “to take by guile,” or, “to lay snares of deceit to entrap the unwary,” but only for “to prove or examine.” Now, God proves men’s hearts, not that He may learn what was before unknown, but to lay open what was before concealed. The expression, “to know,” therefore, refers to experimental knowledge only. The explanation of Augustine is tame and involved, (300) “That He may know, _i.e., _that He may cause you to know.” But, since it is so very common for human feelings to be attributed to God, where is the use of twisting words, which signify no more than that God makes trial, so that what might have been otherwise doubtful, should be actually displayed? Thus God tempted Abraham, when in an important matter He made trial of his fait...

1-5 Moses had cautioned against the peril that might arise from the Canaanites. Here he cautions against the rise of idolatry among themselves. It is needful for us to be well acquainted with the truths and precepts of the Bible; for we may expect to be proved by temptations of evil under the appearance of good, of error in the guise of truth; nor can any thing rightly oppose such temptations, but the plain, express testimony of God's word to the contrary. And it would be a proof of sincere affection for God, that, notwithstanding specious pretences, they should not be wrought upon the forsake God, and follow other gods to serve them....

Verse Deuteronomy 13:3. _THE LORD YOUR GOD PROVETH YOU_] God permits such impostors to arise to try the faith of his followers, and to put their religious experience to the test; for he who experimentally knows God cannot be drawn away after _idols_. He who has no _experimental_ knowledge of God, may believe any thing. _Experience_ of the truths contained in the word of God can alone preserve any man from Deism, or a false religion. They who have not this are a prey to the pretended prophet, and to the dreamer of dreams....

EXPOSITION IDOLATERS AND ENTICERS TO IDOLATRY TO BE PUT TO DEATH. DEUTERONOMY 13:1 The case supposed here is that of one professing to have supernatural intelligence, who should, by giving a sign or a wonder, endeavor to draw away the people to idolatry. Such a one was to be put to death. DEUTERONOMY 13:1 A PROPHET (_nabhi_,_ _נבָיִא); one who speaks from God, an interpreter to men of what God reveals or suggests to him (of. for the meaning of the word,...

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 would be to contradict and deny himself; whatever therefore is contrary to a known law or established doctrine, either of law or Gospel, let it come from whom it will, or pretend to be confirmed by miracles, is not to be received; see Galatians 1:8, for the Lord your God proveth you, whether you love the Lord

9. WARNINGS AGAINST FALSE PROPHETS AND THEIR PUNISHMENT CHAPTER 13 _ 1. The first case: The false prophet and dreamer (Deuteronomy 13:1)_ 2. The second case: Temptation to idolatry from blood-relations (Deuteronomy 13:6) 3. The third case: The apostasy of a city (Deuteronomy 13:12) Three cases are mentioned. The false prophet or a dreamer of dreams, who confirms his claims by a sign or a miracle, yet whose aim is to seduce to idolatry, is to be put to death. False teaching, which leads from God, is an abomination. It results finally in the most awful moral corruption. A false prophet may do signs and wonders to prove thereby that what he teaches is truth. Si

DEUTERONOMY 12:29 TO DEUTERONOMY 13:1. Yahwism must be kept free from all taint of Canaanite heathenism when Israel has entered Canaan. The danger would arise from the ancient belief that everyone should worship the god of the country in which he resides. D is an uncompromising Yahwist. DEUTERONOMY 12:32 TO DEUTERONOMY 13:18. Three classes of seducers to idolatry to be put to death. (_a)_ The false prophet (Deuteronomy 12:32 to...

PROVETH: i.e. suffereth you to be proved. Hebrew idiom, which speaks of doing what one allows to be done. YOUR SOUL. yourself. Hebrew. _nephesh._ App-13....

1 5 (2 6 in Heb.). Against the Prophet of Other Gods 1. _If there arise in the midst of thee_ So Deuteronomy 19:15-16 also Sg. Cp. the synonymous _if there be found in the midst of thee_Deuteronomy 17:2; Deuteronomy 18:10; Deuteronomy 21:1; Deuteronomy 22:22; Deuteronomy 24:7. Steuern takes this as characteristic of the Pl. document, but like the other it occurs with the Sg. address; and we have seen