Deuteronomy 13:1

Suppose a prophet or one who foretells by dreams ¹  should appear among you and show you a sign or wonder, ² 

If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder,

"If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder,

"Suppose there are prophets among you, or those who have dreams about the future, and they promise you signs or miracles,

When a prophet or visionary gets up in your community and gives out a miracle-sign or wonder,

If ever you have among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams and he gives you a sign or a wonder,

If prophets or those who divine by dreams appear among you and promise you omens or portents,

"If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder,

Suppose a prophet or one who foretells by dreams ¹  should appear among you and show you a sign or wonder, ² 

¹ tn Heb “or a dreamer of dreams” (so KJV, ASV, NASB). The difference between a prophet (נָבִיא, navi’) and one who foretells by dreams (חֹלֵם אוֹ, ’o kholem) was not so much one of office – for both received revelation by dreams (cf. Num 12:6) – as it was of function or emphasis. The prophet was more a proclaimer and interpreter of revelation whereas the one who foretold by dreams was a receiver of revelation. In later times the role of the one who foretold by dreams was abused and thus denigrated as compared to that of the prophet (cf. Jer 23:28).

² tn The expression אוֹת אוֹ מוֹפֵת (’ot ’o mofet) became a formulaic way of speaking of ways of authenticating prophetic messages or other works of God (cf. Deut 28:46; Isa 20:3). The NT equivalent is the Greek term σημεῖον (shmeion), a sign performed (used frequently in the Gospel of John, cf. 2:11, 18; 20:30-31). They could, however, be counterfeited or (as here) permitted to false prophets by the Lord as a means of testing his people.