Deuteronomy 13 13

Deuteronomy 13:13 kjv

Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known;

Deuteronomy 13:13 nkjv

'Corrupt men have gone out from among you and enticed the inhabitants of their city, saying, "Let us go and serve other gods" '?which you have not known?

Deuteronomy 13:13 niv

that troublemakers have arisen among you and have led the people of their town astray, saying, "Let us go and worship other gods" (gods you have not known),

Deuteronomy 13:13 esv

that certain worthless fellows have gone out among you and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city, saying, 'Let us go and serve other gods,' which you have not known,

Deuteronomy 13:13 nlt

that scoundrels among you are leading their fellow citizens astray by saying, 'Let us go worship other gods' ? gods you have not known before.

Deuteronomy 13 verses

Deuteronomy 13 13 Meaning

Deuteronomy chapter 13 verse 13 describes a scenario where certain individuals, identified as "sons of Belial," emerge from within the Israelite community. These wicked individuals actively seek to mislead and entice the inhabitants of their own city to abandon the worship of the one true God, the Lord, and instead serve foreign deities whom the Israelites had no previous knowledge or relationship with. This verse serves as a stern warning against internal spiritual corruption and a call to maintain absolute loyalty to the Lord, the God of their covenant.

Deuteronomy 13 13 Context

Deuteronomy chapter 13 is a crucial passage laying down stringent laws against idolatry and apostasy, forming part of Moses' final exhortations to the Israelites before they enter the Promised Land. The preceding chapters emphasize exclusive devotion to the Lord, recalling His mighty acts and the unique covenant relationship He established with Israel. This chapter directly addresses three scenarios where Israel's loyalty might be compromised: through a false prophet or dreamer (vv. 1-5), a close family member or friend (vv. 6-11), and a corrupted city within Israel (vv. 12-18). Verse 13 specifically elaborates on the third scenario, providing the description of the agitators who seek to corrupt a city. The entire book of Deuteronomy renews the covenant made at Sinai, reiterating the demand for wholehearted obedience and worship of Yahweh alone, particularly in anticipation of encountering Canaanite polytheism and its tempting allure. The strong warnings and severe punishments are meant to impress upon Israel the absolute seriousness of covenant fidelity and the abhorrence of idolatry in God's eyes.

Deuteronomy 13 13 Word analysis

• Sons of Belial (בְּנֵי בְלִיַּעַל, b’nê beliya‘al): Literally "children of worthlessness," "worthless men," or "wicked individuals." This term signifies people who are morally degenerate, rebellious, and intent on causing trouble, often defying divine or rightful authority. In later Jewish and Christian tradition, "Belial" became associated with an evil spirit or even Satan, as seen in 2 Cor 6:15. It highlights their inherent godlessness and destructive nature, not merely mistaken belief.
• have gone out from your midst: Implies these individuals are not external enemies but originated from within the community of Israel. This makes the threat more insidious, as it arises from trusted circles or neighbors, representing internal corruption that jeopardizes the entire nation's spiritual purity.
• and have enticed (סָתוּ, sāthu): The Hebrew verb carries the meaning of persuading, inciting, or seducing, often with a cunning or manipulative intent. It signifies an active effort to mislead others away from the truth, rather than merely stating an opinion.
• the inhabitants of their city: The direct targets of the enticement are the residents of their own city. This specifies the localized nature of the threat, requiring local accountability and response according to the detailed legal procedure that follows this verse in Deuteronomy 13.
• saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods’ (אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים, ‘elohim ’acherim): This is the core message of apostasy – a direct call to abandon the Lord and worship false deities. "Other gods" refers to the pagan gods of the surrounding nations, like Baal or Asherah, who were not true divine beings but idols or demonic counterfeits.
• whom you have not known: This phrase strongly emphasizes the foreign and illegitimate nature of these proposed deities. Israel had intimately "known" the Lord through His historical acts of deliverance, His covenant, and His presence among them. To serve unknown gods was to reject this unique, redemptive relationship and turn to what was alien and powerless.

Deuteronomy 13 13 Bonus section

The designation "sons of Belial" was not merely a derogatory epithet; it carried significant legal and societal weight in ancient Israel. To be labeled such could indicate individuals who actively subverted communal laws, displayed violent or disruptive behavior, and acted against the well-being of the covenant community, often being seen as deserving of severe societal ostracization or legal penalty. The severity of the laws that follow in Deuteronomy 13 concerning the apostate city (its complete destruction) reveals the profound threat posed by these "sons of Belial" and their success in enticing the populace. It was an attack on the very spiritual foundation of Israel's national existence. Furthermore, this passage emphasizes the concept of communal responsibility; the sin of idolatry was not just an individual transgression but had consequences for the entire city, necessitating radical excision to maintain the holiness and integrity of the whole nation under God's covenant. The narrative stresses that a community could become corrupted through passive acceptance of error or active participation in the sin.

Deuteronomy 13 13 Commentary

Deuteronomy 13:13 serves as a profound caution regarding the vulnerability of a covenanted people to internal spiritual decay. The threat is personified by "sons of Belial"—individuals devoid of moral uprightness and intrinsically antagonistic to divine order. Their insidious method is "enticement," a deceptive persuasion aimed at leading people away from true worship. What makes this threat particularly dangerous is its origin: it "goes out from your midst," implying that those who lead astray are often those closest, capable of exploiting trust and familiarity. The consequence is a complete spiritual perversion, serving "other gods whom you have not known." This phrase highlights the radical breach of the covenant, as Israel's relationship with the Lord was based on intimate knowledge and shared history, distinct from the unknown, powerless deities of the surrounding cultures. This verse underscores God's absolute demand for exclusive worship and calls for vigilant discernment within the community to guard against any form of apostasy, whether subtle or overt, as such defection contaminates the entire collective.