Ulangan 13:1

13:1 Suppose a prophet or one who foretells by dreams ¹  should appear among you and show you a sign or wonder, ² 

Ulangan 13:11

13:11 Thus all Israel will hear and be afraid; no longer will they continue to do evil like this among you. ³ 

Ulangan 13:13-14

13:13 some evil people ⁴  have departed from among you to entice the inhabitants of their cities, ⁵  saying, “Let’s go and serve other gods” (whom you have not known before). ⁶  13:14 You must investigate thoroughly and inquire carefully. If it is indeed true that such a disgraceful thing is being done among you, ⁷ 

Ulangan 19:20

19:20 The rest of the people will hear and become afraid to keep doing such evil among you.

Ulangan 28:43

28:43 The foreigners ⁸  who reside among you will become higher and higher over you and you will become lower and lower.

[13:1]  ¹ tn Heb “or a dreamer of dreams” (so KJV, ASV, NASB). The difference between a prophet (נָבִיא, navi’) and one who foretells by dreams (חֹלֵם אוֹ, ’o kholem) was not so much one of office – for both received revelation by dreams (cf. Num 12:6) – as it was of function or emphasis. The prophet was more a proclaimer and interpreter of revelation whereas the one who foretold by dreams was a receiver of revelation. In later times the role of the one who foretold by dreams was abused and thus denigrated as compared to that of the prophet (cf. Jer 23:28).

[13:1]  ² tn The expression אוֹת אוֹ מוֹפֵת (’ot ’o mofet) became a formulaic way of speaking of ways of authenticating prophetic messages or other works of God (cf. Deut 28:46; Isa 20:3). The NT equivalent is the Greek term σημεῖον (shmeion), a sign performed (used frequently in the Gospel of John, cf. 2:11, 18; 20:30-31). They could, however, be counterfeited or (as here) permitted to false prophets by the Lord as a means of testing his people.

[13:11]  ³ sn Some see in this statement an argument for the deterrent effect of capital punishment (Deut 17:13; 19:20; 21:21).

[13:13]  ⁴ tn Heb “men, sons of Belial.” The Hebrew term בְּלִיַּעַל (bÿliyya’al) has the idea of worthlessness, without morals or scruples (HALOT 133-34 s.v.). Cf. NAB, NRSV “scoundrels”; TEV, CEV “worthless people”; NLT “worthless rabble.”

[13:13]  ⁵ tc The LXX and Tg read “your” for the MT’s “their.”

[13:13]  ⁶ tn The translation understands the relative clause as a statement by Moses, not as part of the quotation from the evildoers. See also v. 2.

[13:14]  ⁷ tc Theodotian adds “in Israel,” perhaps to broaden the matter beyond the local village.

[28:43]  ⁸ tn Heb “the foreigner.” This is a collective singular and has therefore been translated as plural; this includes the pronouns in the following verse, which are also singular in the Hebrew text.