Deuteronomy 13 Footnotes

13:2 False prophets occasionally uttered prophecies that came to pass as this instruction recognizes. This does not contradict the test of a true prophet propounded in 18:20-22. That test is a negative one; it states that if what a prophet predicts does not occur, Israel need not fear him. More importantly, this directive refers to prophets who would entice Israel to the worship of false gods. That, in any case, is the sign of a false prophet regardless of whether or not he is able to predict future events. Often mere common sense allows one accurately to gauge the outcome of current trends; it is no sure sign that a person is an authentic prophet of the Lord. The two passages dealing with criteria concerning false prophets are not inconsistent with one another.

13:5 The death penalty for these false prophets who arise from within Israel seems unduly harsh until we recognize that they are guilty of nothing less than high treason when they encourage the people to defect from the Lord and embrace other gods. Such measures cannot be entertained today, of course, but they were quite appropriate to the OT theocratic community.

13:15 To destroy a whole city because of the idolatry of a few may seem unfair and a miscarriage of justice. However, the modern dichotomy between the individual and his community was unknown in the world of ancient Israel. The sin of the few became the responsibility of all (Gn 18:22-33; Jos 7:10-26). Presumably the citizens of the city in question here had done nothing to expose or punish the sin of the idolatrous offenders.