you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. For the LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul. you must not listenThe Hebrew root for "listen" is "שָׁמַע" (shama), which means to hear, listen, or obey. In the ancient Near Eastern context, listening was not merely about auditory reception but involved obedience and adherence to what was heard. This command underscores the importance of discernment and obedience to God's word over any other voice, emphasizing the need for unwavering faithfulness to God's commandments. the words of that prophet or dreamer
The term "prophet" in Hebrew is "נָבִיא" (navi), and "dreamer" is "חֹלֵם" (cholem). Prophets and dreamers were common in ancient Israel and surrounding cultures, often seen as intermediaries between the divine and human realms. However, this passage warns against those who claim divine revelation but lead people away from God's truth. It highlights the necessity of testing the authenticity of spiritual messages against the established word of God. For the LORD your God is testing you
The Hebrew word for "testing" is "נָסָה" (nasah), which implies proving or trying. This concept of divine testing is prevalent throughout the Old Testament, where God tests His people to refine their faith and loyalty. It is a reminder that challenges to faith can serve a divine purpose, revealing the depth of one's commitment to God. to find out whether you love Him
The phrase "to find out" in Hebrew is "לָדַעַת" (lada'at), meaning to know or ascertain. This is not about God needing information, as He is omniscient, but about manifesting the reality of one's love and devotion. Love for God is the central theme of the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-5), and this verse reiterates that true love for God is demonstrated through fidelity and obedience. with all your heart and with all your soul
The Hebrew words for "heart" (לֵבָב, levav) and "soul" (נֶפֶשׁ, nephesh) encompass the entirety of a person's being—emotions, will, intellect, and life force. This comprehensive love and devotion to God is a recurring theme in Deuteronomy, calling believers to a holistic commitment that permeates every aspect of their lives. It is a call to prioritize God above all else, reflecting a deep, personal relationship with the Creator. Persons / Places / Events 1. Prophet or DreamerIndividuals claiming to have received divine revelations or dreams, potentially leading people away from God. 2. The LORD your GodThe one true God of Israel, who is testing His people's faithfulness. 3. IsraelitesThe chosen people of God, receiving these instructions as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. 4. TestingA divine examination of the Israelites' loyalty and love for God. 5. Heart and SoulRepresents the totality of one's being and devotion to God. Teaching Points Discernment in FaithBelievers must exercise discernment when encountering teachings or revelations that claim to be from God. Not all spiritual experiences are from Him. Testing as a Divine ToolUnderstand that God may allow tests to strengthen and reveal the genuineness of our love and commitment to Him. Wholehearted DevotionOur love for God should encompass every aspect of our being—heart, soul, and mind. This requires intentional daily commitment. Guarding Against DeceptionBe vigilant against false teachings and influences that may lead us away from the truth of God's Word. Love as the FoundationOur relationship with God is founded on love, which should be the driving force behind our obedience and faithfulness. Bible Study Questions 1. How can we discern whether a teaching or revelation is truly from God, as instructed in Deuteronomy 13:3? 2. In what ways does God test our love and faithfulness today, and how can we respond to these tests? 3. How does the command to love God with all our heart and soul in Deuteronomy 13:3 relate to Jesus' teaching in the New Testament? 4. What practical steps can we take to ensure our devotion to God remains wholehearted and undivided? 5. How can we guard ourselves and our communities against false prophets or teachings that may lead us away from God? Connections to Other Scriptures Exodus 20:3-6Emphasizes the commandment against idolatry and the importance of loving God exclusively. Matthew 22:37Jesus reiterates the greatest commandment, to love God with all one's heart, soul, and mind. 1 John 4:1Encourages believers to test the spirits to discern whether they are from God, aligning with the need for discernment in Deuteronomy 13:3. James 1:12-15Discusses the concept of testing and temptation, highlighting the reward for those who remain steadfast. People MosesPlaces Beth-baal-peor, EgyptTopics Attention, Dream, Dreamer, Dreams, Hearken, Heart, Listen, Love, Loving, Proof, Prophet, Proves, Proveth, Putteth, Soul, Testing, Trying, WhetherDictionary of Bible Themes Deuteronomy 13:3 5017 heart, renewal Deuteronomy 13:1-3 1409 dream
1450 signs, kinds of
5165 listening
8227 discernment, nature of Deuteronomy 13:1-5 7774 prophets, false Deuteronomy 13:1-9 8771 idolatry, objections Deuteronomy 13:1-11 8706 apostasy, warnings Deuteronomy 13:3-4 8832 testing Library Fifthly, as this Revelation, to the Judgment of Right and Sober Reason,
appears of itself highly credible and probable, and abundantly recommends itself in its native simplicity, merely by its own intrinsic goodness and excellency, to the practice of the most rational and considering men, who are desirous in all their actions to have satisfaction and comfort and good hope within themselves, from the conscience of what they do: So it is moreover positively and directly proved to be actually and immediately sent to us from God, by the many infallible signs and miracles …
Samuel Clarke—A Discourse Concerning the Being and Attributes of GodKnox's Writings from Abroad: Beginning of the Scottish Revolution, 1556-1558
Knox was about this time summoned to be one of the preachers to the English at Geneva. He sent in advance Mrs. Bowes and his wife, visited Argyll and Glenorchy (now Breadalbane), wrote (July 7) an epistle bidding the brethren be diligent in reading and discussing the Bible, and went abroad. His effigy was presently burned by the clergy, as he had not appeared in answer to a second summons, and he was outlawed in absence. It is not apparent that Knox took any part in the English translation of the …
Andrew Lang—John Knox and the Reformation With, Before, After
'Enoch walked with God,'--GENESIS v. 22. 'Walk before Me.'--GENESIS xvii. 1. 'Ye shall walk after the Lord your God.'--DEUTERONOMY xiii. 4. You will have anticipated, I suppose, my purpose in doing what I very seldom do--cutting little snippets out of different verses and putting them together. You see that these three fragments, in their resemblances and in their differences, are equally significant and instructive. They concur in regarding life as a walk--a metaphor which expresses continuity, …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture The Feeding of the Four Thousand - to Dalmanutha - the Sign from Heaven' - Journey to Cæsarea Philippi - what is the Leaven of The
THEY might well gather to Jesus in their thousands, with their wants of body and soul, these sheep wandering without a shepherd; for His Ministry in that district, as formerly in Galilee, was about to draw to a close. And here it is remarkable, that each time His prolonged stay and Ministry in a district were brought to a close with some supper, so to speak, some festive entertainment on his part. The Galilean Ministry had closed with the feeding of the five thousand, the guests being mostly from …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
Text: Colossians 3, 12-17. 12 Put on therefore, as God's elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering; 13 forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a complaint against any; even as the Lord forgave you, so also do ye: 14 and above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to the which also ye were called in one body; and be ye thankful. 16 Let the Word …
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. II Concerning the Power of the Civil Magistrate in Matters Purely Religious, and Pertaining to the Conscience.
Concerning the Power of the Civil Magistrate in Matters purely Religious, and pertaining to the Conscience. Since God hath assumed to himself the power and Dominion of the Conscience, who alone can rightly instruct and govern it, therefore it is not lawful [1226] for any whosoever, by virtue of any authority or principality they bear in the government of this world, to force the consciences of others; and therefore all killing, banishing, fining, imprisoning, and other such things which are inflicted …
Robert Barclay—Theses Theologicae and An Apology for the True Christian Divinity The Medes and the Second Chaldaean Empire
THE FALL OF NINEVEH AND THE RISE OF THE CHALDAEAN AND MEDIAN EMPIRES--THE XXVIth EGYPTIAN DYNASTY: CYAXARES, ALYATTES, AND NEBUCHADREZZAR. The legendary history of the kings of Media and the first contact of the Medes with the Assyrians: the alleged Iranian migrations of the Avesta--Media-proper, its fauna and flora; Phraortes and the beginning of the Median empire--Persia proper and the Persians; conquest of Persia by the Medes--The last monuments of Assur-bani-pal: the library of Kouyunjik--Phraortes …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 8 Jewish Homes
It may be safely asserted, that the grand distinction, which divided all mankind into Jews and Gentiles, was not only religious, but also social. However near the cities of the heathen to those of Israel, however frequent and close the intercourse between the two parties, no one could have entered a Jewish town or village without feeling, so to speak, in quite another world. The aspect of the streets, the building and arrangement of the houses, the municipal and religious rule, the manners and customs …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life Deuteronomy
Owing to the comparatively loose nature of the connection between consecutive passages in the legislative section, it is difficult to present an adequate summary of the book of Deuteronomy. In the first section, i.-iv. 40, Moses, after reviewing the recent history of the people, and showing how it reveals Jehovah's love for Israel, earnestly urges upon them the duty of keeping His laws, reminding them of His spirituality and absoluteness. Then follows the appointment, iv. 41-43--here irrelevant (cf. …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Deuteronomy 13:3 NIVDeuteronomy 13:3 NLTDeuteronomy 13:3 ESVDeuteronomy 13:3 NASBDeuteronomy 13:3 KJV
Deuteronomy 13:3 Commentaries
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