Deuteronomy 13:10

13:10 You must stone him to death 1  because he tried to entice you away from the Lord your God, who delivered you from the land of Egypt, that place of slavery.

Deuteronomy 13:13

13:13 some evil people 2  have departed from among you to entice the inhabitants of their cities, 3  saying, “Let’s go and serve other gods” (whom you have not known before). 4 

Deuteronomy 13:5

13:5 As for that prophet or dreamer, 5  he must be executed because he encouraged rebellion against the Lord your God who brought you from the land of Egypt, redeeming you from that place of slavery, and because he has tried to entice you from the way the Lord your God has commanded you to go. In this way you must purge out evil from within. 6 

1 sn Execution by means of pelting the offender with stones afforded a mechanism whereby the whole community could share in it. In a very real sense it could be done not only in the name of the community and on its behalf but by its members (cf. Lev 24:14; Num 15:35; Deut 21:21; Josh 7:25).

2 tn Heb “men, sons of Belial.” The Hebrew term בְּלִיַּעַל (bÿliyya’al) has the idea of worthlessness, without morals or scruples (HALOT 133-34 s.v.). Cf. NAB, NRSV “scoundrels”; TEV, CEV “worthless people”; NLT “worthless rabble.”

3 tc The LXX and Tg read “your” for the MT’s “their.”

4 tn The translation understands the relative clause as a statement by Moses, not as part of the quotation from the evildoers. See also v. 2.

5 tn Heb “or dreamer of dreams.” See note on this expression in v. 1.

6 tn Heb “your midst” (so NAB, NRSV). The severity of the judgment here (i.e., capital punishment) is because of the severity of the sin, namely, high treason against the Great King. Idolatry is a violation of the first two commandments (Deut 5:6-10) as well as the spirit and intent of the Shema (Deut 6:4-5).