Deuteronômio 13

ARC · Chapter 13/34

1Quando propheta ou sonhador de sonhos se levantar no meio de ti, e te dér um signal ou prodigio,

2E succeder o tal signal ou prodigio, de que te houver fallado, dizendo: Vamos após outros deuses, que não conheceste, e sirvamol-os;

3Não ouvirás as palavras d'aquelle propheta ou sonhador de sonhos: porquanto o Senhor vosso Deus vos prova, para saber se amaes o Senhor vosso Deus com todo o vosso coração, e com toda a vossa alma.

4Após o Senhor vosso Deus andareis, e a elle temereis, e os seus mandamentos guardareis, e a sua voz ouvireis, e a elle servireis, e a elle vos achegareis.

5E aquelle propheta ou sonhador de sonhos morrerá, pois fallou rebeldia contra o Senhor vosso Deus, que vos tirou da terra do Egypto, e vos resgatou da casa da servidão, para te empuxar do caminho que te ordenou o Senhor teu Deus, para andares n'elle: assim tirarás o mal do meio de ti

6Quando te incitar teu irmão, filho da tua mãe, ou teu filho, ou tua filha, ou a mulher do teu seio, ou teu amigo, que te é como a tua alma, dizendo-te em segredo: Vamos, e sirvamos a outros deuses que não conheceste, nem tu nem teus paes;

7D'entre os deuses dos povos que estão em redor de vós, perto ou longe de ti, desde uma extremidade da terra até á outra extremidade;

8Não consentirás com elle, nem o ouvirás; nem o teu olho o poupará, nem terás piedade d'elle, nem o esconderás;

9Mas certamente o matarás; a tua mão será a primeira contra elle, para o matar; e depois a mão de todo o povo.

10E com pedras o apedrejarás, até que morra, pois te procurou empuxar do Senhor teu Deus, que te tirou da terra do Egypto, da casa da servidão;

11Para que todo o Israel o ouça e o tema, e não torne a fazer segundo esta coisa má no meio de ti

12Quando ouvires dizer de alguma das tuas cidades que o Senhor teu Deus te dá, para ali habitar;

13Uns homens, filhos de Belial, sairam do meio de ti, que incitaram os moradores da sua cidade, dizendo: Vamos, e sirvamos a outros deuses que não conhecestes;

14Então inquirirás e informar-te-has, e com diligencia perguntarás; e eis que, sendo este negocio verdade, e certo que se fez uma tal abominação no meio de ti;

15Então certamente ferirás ao fio da espada os moradores d'aquella cidade, destruindo ao fio da espada a ella e a tudo o que n'ella houver, até aos animaes.

16E ajuntarás todo o seu despojo no meio da sua praça; e a cidade e todo o seu despojo queimarás totalmente para o Senhor teu Deus, e será montão perpetuo, nunca mais se edificará.

17Tambem nada se pegará á tua mão do anathema, para que o Senhor se aparte do ardor da sua ira, e te faça misericordia, e tenha piedade de ti, e te multiplique, como jurou a teus paes;

18Quando ouvires a voz do Senhor teu Deus, para guardar todos os seus mandamentos, que hoje te ordeno; para fazer o que fôr recto aos olhos do Senhor teu Deus.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Moses warns against false prophets, even those who perform genuine signs and wonders, and against incitement to idolatry coming from close family members or entire cities — cases that required careful investigation and, if proven, severe punishment to protect the collective faithfulness of the people to God.

Explanation

This chapter presents an important and challenging principle of spiritual discernment: a genuine sign or miracle is not, by itself, proof that a message comes from God — the decisive test is whether the message leads toward faithfulness to the true God or away from Him. This teaches that supernatural experiences must be evaluated by the theological and moral content of the message, not merely by emotional impact or an appearance of power. The requirement that even close family members who incited idolatry be reported, without mercy or protection on account of personal ties, reveals how far exclusive faithfulness to God was placed above even the closest family bonds within Israel's covenant structure.

Fun facts

  • The principle of testing prophets by the content of their message, not merely by apparent signs, is echoed by Jesus in Matthew 24:24, where He warns that 'false Christs and false prophets' would arise, showing 'great signs and wonders' that could deceive even the elect, if possible.
  • The command for careful, diligent investigation ('then shalt thou enquire, and make search, and ask diligently,' v. 14) before any punishment for collective idolatry shows a formal fact-checking process, guarding against hasty judgments based only on rumor or unproven accusations.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Deuteronômio 13:1Even if a prophet’s predicted sign or wonder actually comes true, if he uses it to lead the people to other gods, the text commands not listening to him: the test isn’t whether the prophecy works, it’s where it points. This is presented as a deliberate test of faithfulness, not a mistake on God’s part in allowing false signs.
  2. Deuteronômio 13:2Even if the sign promised by the false prophet really happens, that doesn’t validate the message if it leads to serving other gods.
  3. Deuteronômio 13:3The reason false signs are allowed is to serve as a test: God is checking whether the people truly love Him with their whole heart.
  4. Deuteronômio 13:4The correct response to the test is to keep following God alone: fearing Him, obeying, serving, and holding fast to Him.
  5. Deuteronômio 13:5The penalty for this kind of prophet is death, because he tried to lead the people away from the right path — a way of “putting the evil away” from the community.
  6. Deuteronômio 13:6The command to report a brother, son, or close friend who tried “secretly” to persuade someone to serve other gods shows how faithfulness to one God was treated as a matter of the group’s survival, even above the closest family ties. It’s a hard law to read today, and the text doesn’t soften it.
  7. Deuteronômio 13:7It specifies that this temptation could come from any direction, involving gods of nearby or distant peoples.
  8. Deuteronômio 13:8The order is harsh: show no pity, spare no one, hide no one who attempts this religious seduction, even if it is someone close to you.
  9. Deuteronômio 13:9Whoever discovered the case was to be the first to act against the person, followed by the rest of the people.
  10. Deuteronômio 13:10The method of execution is stoning, because this person tried to draw someone away from the God who freed them from slavery.
  11. Deuteronômio 13:11The stated purpose of the public punishment is to serve as an example: all Israel would hear and fear, and avoid repeating that kind of evil.
  12. Deuteronômio 13:12If an entire city in Israel turned to idolatry, the order was to destroy everything, both residents and property, and never rebuild the place. It’s the same kind of total destruction used against the peoples of Canaan, only applied here within Israel itself.
  13. Deuteronômio 13:13It shifts from an individual case to a collective scenario: an entire city being incited by wicked men to follow other gods.
  14. Deuteronômio 13:14Before any punishment, it commands a careful investigation to confirm whether the report is really true and proven.
  15. Deuteronômio 13:15If confirmed, the punishment would be total: destroying every resident of the city with the edge of the sword, including the livestock.
  16. Deuteronômio 13:16The entire city, with all its goods, was to be burned as an offering to God and never rebuilt — a permanent heap of ruins.
  17. Deuteronômio 13:17No one could keep any of that condemned plunder, so that God’s anger would turn away and the mercy promised to the ancestors would be fulfilled.
  18. Deuteronômio 13:18The chapter closes by linking obedience to blessing: listening to God’s voice and doing what is right in His eyes.

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