Discovery BoxDeuteronomy 13:5-11 
Context13:5 As for that prophet or dreamer, 1 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. 2
13:6 Suppose your own full brother, 3 your son, your daughter, your beloved wife, or your closest friend should seduce you secretly and encourage you to go and serve other gods 4 that neither you nor your ancestors 5 have previously known, 6 13:7 the gods of the surrounding people (whether near you or far from you, from one end of the earth 7 to the other). 13:8 You must not give in to him or even listen to him; do not feel sympathy for him or spare him or cover up for him. 13:9 Instead, you must kill him without fail! 8 Your own hand must be the first to strike him, 9 and then the hands of the whole community. 13:10 You must stone him to death 10 because he tried to entice you away from the Lord your God, who delivered you from the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. 13:11 Thus all Israel will hear and be afraid; no longer will they continue to do evil like this among you. 11
1 tn Heb “or dreamer of dreams.” See note on this expression in v. 1.
2 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).
3 tn Heb “your brother, the son of your mother.” In a polygamous society it was not rare to have half brothers and sisters by way of a common father and different mothers.
4 tn In the Hebrew text these words are in the form of a brief quotation: “entice you secretly saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods.’”
5 tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 17).
6 tn Heb “which you have not known, you or your fathers.” (cf. KJV, ASV; on “fathers” cf. v. 18).
7 tn Or “land” (so NIV, NCV); the same Hebrew word can be translated “land” or “earth.”
8 tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates with the words “without fail” (cf. NIV “you must certainly put him to death”).
9 tn Heb “to put him to death,” but this is misleading in English for such an action would leave nothing for the others to do.
10 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).
11 sn Some see in this statement an argument for the deterrent effect of capital punishment (Deut 17:13; 19:20; 21:21).
