a13:5
b17:12
c19:13
d13:6
e13:9
f13:6
gMatt 10:34-39

‏ Deuteronomy 13:5-11

13:5  a visionaries: Literally dreamer of dreams.

• purge (literally burn): God wanted false prophets to be completely eliminated, leaving no residue of their evil ways. See also 17:12  b; 19:13  c.
13:6  d neither you nor your ancestors have known: The Israelites had heard of these false gods before, but they had never worshiped them. Doing so would violate the first two commandments, the essence of the covenant.
13:9  e Strike the first blow yourself: Because the guilty parties would be members of one’s own family (13:6  f), this difficult demand would test the depth of a person’s commitment to worship the Lord exclusively. Love for God must take priority over love for family members and friends (Matt 10:34-39  g).
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