Deuteronomy 13:5

5 And that prophet, either (that) feigner of dreams, shall be slain; for he spake (so) that he should turn you away from your Lord God, that led you out of the land of Egypt, and again-bought you from the house of servage (and bought you back, or redeemed, or ransomed, you, from the house of servitude, or of slavery), (so) that he make thee to err from the way that thy Lord God commanded to thee; and in (the) killing of him thou shalt do away evil from the midst of thee.

Deuteronomy 13:5 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 13:5

And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to
death
Which death, according to the Targum of Jonathan, was to be killed with the sword:

because he hath spoken to turn you away from the Lord your God;
or "spoken revolt against the Lord" ^F12, high treason against him, delivering out doctrine that tends to cause his subjects to rebel against him, and revolt from him; and therefore he is justly deserving of death, to draw off a people from him he had been so good and kind unto; so that to apostasy would be added the sin of ingratitude:

which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the
house of bondage;
and so was not only their Lord by creation whom they ought to serve, but by redemption, which laid them under double obligation to serve him:

to thrust thee out of the way which the Lord thy God commanded thee to
walk in;
not by external force, but by the power of persuasion, by enticing words and arguments:

so shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee;
the evil man, by putting him to death, and the evil of idolatry, by not listening to the words of the false prophet.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F12 (hro) "apostasiam", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "defectionem", Tigurine version.

Deuteronomy 13:5 In-Context

3 thou shalt not hear the words of that prophet, either of that dreamer; for your Lord God assayeth you, that he know openly whether ye love him, either nay, in all your heart, and in all your soul. (thou shalt not listen to the words of that prophet, or of that dreamer; for the Lord your God trieth, or testeth, you, to clearly know whether ye love him, or not, with all your heart, and with all your soul.)

4 Follow ye your Lord God, and dread ye him; keep ye his commandments, and hear ye his voice; ye shall serve him, and ye shall cleave to him. (Follow ye the Lord your God, and fear ye him; obey ye his commandments, and listen ye to his voice; ye shall serve him, and ye shall cleave to him.)

5 And that prophet, either (that) feigner of dreams, shall be slain; for he spake (so) that he should turn you away from your Lord God, that led you out of the land of Egypt, and again-bought you from the house of servage (and bought you back, or redeemed, or ransomed, you, from the house of servitude, or of slavery), (so) that he make thee to err from the way that thy Lord God commanded to thee; and in (the) killing of him thou shalt do away evil from the midst of thee.

6 If thy brother, the son of thy mother, either thy son, either thy daughter, either the wife which is in thy bosom, either thy friend, whom thou lovest as thy (own) soul, will counsel thee, and saith privily, Go we and serve alien gods, which thou knowest not, and thy fathers know not (will counsel thee, and saith privately, Let us go, and serve foreign, or other, gods, which thou knowest not, nor thy fathers knew),

7 (the gods) of all the folks about, that be nigh either far, from the beginning unto the end of the land,