Deuteronomy 13

IF there arise among you (i. e.) One of your nation, for such might be both seduced and afterward seducers. a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams One that pretends himself to be one to whom God has revealed himself either by visions or dreams. See Numb. 12. 6., and giveth thee a sign or a wonder (i. e.) Shall foretell some strange and wonderful thing to come, as appears from ver. 2. as the true prophets used to do, as 1 Sam. 10.:

And the sign or the wonder come to pass Which God may suffer for the reason after mentioned., whereof he spake unto thee, saying This word is to be joyned with the beginning of verse 1. If there arise among you a prophet, or dreamer of dreams, saving, what here follows, and giveth thee a sign, &c. to confirm his doctrine, such transpositions are frequent., Let us go after other gods, (which thou hast not known) and let us serve them:

Thou shalt not hearken to the words of that prophet Not receive his doctrine though the sign come to pass. For although when such a sign or wonder foretold did not follow or come to pass, it was a sign of a false prophet, as is said Deut. 18. 22. yet when it did come to pass, it was no sufficient or infallible sign of a true one, especially in such a case when he brings in new Gods. The reason of the difference is, because many causes must concurre to make a thing good and true, but any one failure is sufficient to make a thing bad or false. And particularly there are many signs yea such as men may think to be wonders which may be wrought by evil spirits, God so permiting it for divers wise and just reasons, not only for the trial of the good, as it here follows, but also for the punishment of ungodly men who would not receive Divine Truths though attested by many evident and unquestionable miracles and therefore are most justly exposed to these temptations to believe lies., or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God proveth you (i. e.) Tryeth your faith and love and obedience, examineth your sincerity by your constancy. See Mat. 24. 24. 2 Thes. 2. 11. Rev. 13. 14. See on Gen. 22. 1. Deut. 8. 2, 7., to know That he may know it, to wit, judicially, or in a publick manner so as both you and others may know and see it, that so the justice of his judgments upon you may be more evident and glorious. whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul.

Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him To wit, only, as appears from the opposition. Compare Deut. 6. 13. with Mat. 4. 10., and cleave unto him.

And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams shall be put death (because he has spoken (i. e.) Taught or persuaded you. to turn you away from the LORD To forsake God and his worship. He shows that the chiefest and most certain character of a true Prophet, is to be taken from his doctrine rather than from his miracles. 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 This phrase notes the great force and power of seducers to corrupt mens minds. Compare Deut. 4. 19. 2 King. 17. 21. Mat. 24. 24. which the LORD thy God commanded to walk in,) so shalt thou put the evil Either 1. that evil thing, that wicked doctrine and practise. Or 2. that wicked and scandalous man, that Idolater and seducer. away from the midst of thee.

If thy brother, the son of thy mother This is added, to restrain the signification of the word brother, which is oft used generally for one near akin, and to express the nearness of the relation, the mothers side being the surest, and usually the ground of the truest and most fervent affection. See Gen. 20. 12., or thy son, or thy daughter Thy piety must overcome both thy affection to thy nearest relation, and thy compassion to the weaker Sex., or the wife of thy bosom Either 1. that is near to thy heart, that has thy dearest love. Or rather 2. that lieth in thy bosom, as it is expressed, Mic. 7. 5. Compare Gen. 16. 5. Prov. 5. 20. Deut. 28. 54. So we read of the husband of her bosom, Deut. 28. 56., or thy friend, which is as thine own soul As dear to thee as thy self. The father and mother are here omitted not, as some fancy, because children might not in this nor in any case accuse their parents, for certainly they owe more reverence and duty to God, who is injured in this case, than to their parents, and Levi is commended for neglecting his father and mother in this case, but because they are sufficiently contained in the former examples, for since mens love does usually descend more strongly than it ascends, and the relation of a wife is and ought to be nearer and dearer than of a parent, that favour which is denied to wives and children cannot be thought fit to be allowed to parents., intice thee Though it be without success, because the very attempt of such an abominable crime deserved death, as it is judged in case of treason. secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, (which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers) s Unknown and obscure and new Gods, which greatly aggravates the crime, to forsake a God whom thou and thy fathers have long known and had great and good experience of for such upstarts.

Namely, 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 He armes against the pretence of the universality of this Idol-worship, wherewith they were like to be oft assaulted..

Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him, neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him (i. e.) Smother his fault, hide or protect his person, but shalt accuse him to the Magistrate and demand justice upon him, which was not to be done in most other criminal causes; and no wonder, this crime being of a far higher... ature than others..

But thou shalt surely kill him Not privately, which pretence would have opened the door to innumerable murders, but by procuring his death by the sentence of the Magistrate.; thine hand shall be first upon him, to put him to death Thou shalt cast the first stone at him, as the witness was to do. See Deut. 17. 7. Act. 7. 58., and afterwards the hand of all the people.

And thou shalt stone him with stones that he die: because he has sought to thrust thee away from the LORD thy God which brought thee from the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is, among you.

If thou shalt hear say in one of thy cities which the LORD thy God has given thee, to dwell there, saying,

Certain men, the children of Belial A title oft used in Scripture, as Iudg. 19. 22. 1 Sam. 1. 16. and 25. 25. 2 Sam. 16. 7. It signifies properly persons without yoke, vile and wretched miscreants, lawless and rebellious, that will suffer no restraint, that neither fear God, nor reverence man., are gone out from among you (i. e.) From your Church and Religion. It notes a separation or departure from them not in place (as appears by their partnership with their fellow Citizens both in the sin and punishment, as it here follows) but in heart, doctrine and worship, as the same phrase is used, 1 Iob. 2. 19., and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods (which ye have not known:)

Then shalt thou This is meant of the Magistrate, to whose office this properly belongs, and of whom he continues to speak in the same manner, thou, ver. 15. and ver. 16. inquire, and make search, and ask diligently: and behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought among you:

Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city To wit, all that are guilty, not the innocent part, such as disowned this Apostacy, who doubtless by choice and interest, at least upon warning, would come out of so wicked and cursed a place. with the edg of the sword, destroying it utterly The very same punishments which was inflicted upon the cities of the cursed Canaanites, to whom having made themselves equal in sin, it is but fit and just that God should equal them in punishment., and all that therein is, and the cattel with the edg of the sword.

And 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 (i. e.) For the satisfaction of Gods justice, the maintenance of his honour and authority and laws, and the pacification of his offended Majesty.: and it shall be an heap for ever, it shall not be built again It shall be an eternal monument of Gods justice and terrour to after ages, who may be tempted to like practises..

And there shall cleave nought of the cursed thing (i. e.) Of the goods of that accursed city. to thine hand, that the LORD may turn from the fierceness of his anger, and show thee mercy, and have compassion upon thee, and multiply thee So thou shalt have no loss of thy numbers by cutting off so many people., as he has sworn unto thy fathers;

When thou shalt hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep all his commandments which I command thee this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of the LORD thy God.