Deuteronomy 13:12

13:12-18 Here is the case of a city revolting from the God of Israel, and serving other gods. The crime is supposed to be committed by one of the cities of Israel. Even when they were ordered to preserve their religion by force, yet they were not allowed to bring others to it by fire and sword. Spiritual judgments under the Christian dispensation are more terrible than the execution of criminals; we have not less cause than the Israelites had, to fear the Divine wrath. Let us then fear the spiritual idolatry of covetousness, and the love of worldly pleasure; and be careful not to countenance them in our families, by our example or by the education of our children. May the Lord write his law and truth in our hearts, there set up his throne, and shed abroad his love!

If thou shalt hear say in one of thy cities,.... A report concerning them, anyone of them: which the Lord thy God had given thee to dwell there; which he had not only given them, but had put them into the possession of, and it was become their dwelling place, or was inhabited by Israelites; otherwise they were already given unto them, but did not inherit and inhabit them, and it might be possible that there might be some city or cities, at least for a time, which, though given them, were not inhabited by them, but by the Canaanites, and such cities this law did not concern: saying; as follows.

(12) If thou shalt hear say in one of thy cities. —The only case of this kind is the case of Gibeah. We may fairly assume the abominations done there to have been connected with idolatry, from the allusions in Hosea 9:9 ; Hosea 10:9 . But the outrage rather than the idolatry seems to have excited the indignation of Israel (see Judges 20, 21). It is noticeable that in the remonstrance with the Benjamites at Gibeah—( Judges 20:13 ): “Now therefore deliver us the men, the children of Belial, which are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel” —there seems to be an allusion to the language of this chapter in Deuteronomy 13:5 ; Deuteronomy 13:11 .

Verses 12-18. - A third ease supposed is that of the inhabitants of a city being seduced by wicked men into idolatry. In this case inquiry was to be made as to the fact; and if it was found to be so, the inhabitants of that city were to be put to the sword, all their property was to be burnt, and the city itself reduced to a heap; so should the anger of the Lord be averted from Israel, and he would do them good. Verse 12. - Hear in one of thy cities. The Hebrew phrase, "to hear in" ( שָׁמַע בְּ ). has sometimes the meaning of to overhear, as in Genesis 27:5 ; 1 Samuel 17:28 ; Job 15:8 ; sometimes it means simply to hear, as in 2 Samuel 19:36 [35]; in Job 26:14 , it has the force of to hear of or concerning, though some think this questionable. This latter is apparently the meaning here: If thou hear concerning any of thy cities , etc. Baying. This introduces what is heard. Deuteronomy 13:12

City was to keep jealous watch over city, as man over man. The clause "which the Lord thy God hath given thee to dwell in" significantly reminds them that the real ownership of their dwellings rested in the Lord (compare Leviticus 25:23 ), and that they, the mere tenants, must not allow His property to become a center of rebellion against His just authority.

12–18 (13–19 in Heb.). Against a City seduced to Other Gods Deuteronomy 13:12 . in one of thy cities ] So Hebrew. R. V. concerning is hardly possible (though cp. Psalm 92:12 ). As the words define not the place where the report has been heard, but the subject of the report, the guilty city itself; therefore either saying has been carelessly misplaced and should follow hear (tell) (cp. Joshua 22:11 ) or more probably the writer has designedly but awkwardly brought up the object of the law from the subordinate to the principal clause so as to make it prominent from the first: cp. Deuteronomy 31:29 (Dillm., Driv.). Translate: if thou shalt hear tell, that, in one of the cities, which … certain base fellows have gone out , etc. cities ] or towns ; these social forms in Israel are much more frequent in D than tribes which under the settled conditions of the people towns gradually displaced; nearly always (exceptions Deuteronomy 19:1 , Deuteronomy 20:16 and LXX of Deuteronomy 12:5 ) in these laws they are units of judiciary: here, Deuteronomy 19:1-13 (on the cities of refuge ), Deuteronomy 21:2 ff. (with criminal responsibility for murders committed near them), Deuteronomy 21:19 ff., Deuteronomy 22:15 ff., Deuteronomy 22:24 , Deuteronomy 25:8 : their representatives being their elders .

The other phrase within thy gates is used of judiciary matters in Deuteronomy 16:18 , Deuteronomy 17:2 ; Deuteronomy 17:8 (otherwise it is reserved for religious and charitable directions: see on Deuteronomy 12:12 ; Deuteronomy 12:21 ). But judges and officers are to be chosen according to thy tribes , Deuteronomy 16:18 (for tribes see also Deuteronomy 12:5 ; Deuteronomy 12:14 ). giveth ] is about to give . Deuteronomy 13:13 . Certain base fellows ] Hebrew, men, sons of belial usually but doubtfully taken as worthlessness (as if a compound = no use ), good-for-nothing fellows , Scot. ‘ne’er-do-weels.’ In early writings of the churlish, foul-mouthed, violent, drunken, unchaste, perjurers and abandoned criminals, but also of rebels against authority and religion as here ( Jdg 19:22 ; Jdg 20:13 ; 1 Samuel 1:16 ; 1 Samuel 2:12 ; 1 Samuel 10:27 ; 1 Samuel 25:17 ; 1 Samuel 25:25 ; 2 Samuel 16:7 ; 2 Samuel 20:1 ; 1 Kings 21:10 ; 1 Kings 21:13 ). In D only here and Deuteronomy 15:9 (of a base word or thought ), and nowhere else in Hexateuch. are gone out ] The vb. is used of going forth of set purpose to do something ( Jdg 9:8 ; 1 Samuel 23:15 ) or, along with coming in , of all kinds of business ( Deuteronomy 28:6 , Deuteronomy 31:2 ).