God’s Word Translation
Deuteronomy 13:6
6Your own brother, son, or daughter, the wife you love, or your best friend may secretly tempt you, saying, “Let’s go worship other gods.” (Those gods may be gods that you and your ancestors never knew.
Deuteronomy 13:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers;
- New International Version (NIV)If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known,
- English Standard Version (ESV)"If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or your daughter or the wife you embrace or your friend who is as your own soul entices you secretly, saying, 'Let us go and serve other gods,' which neither you nor your fathers have known,
- New King James Version (NKJV)“If your brother, the son of your mother, your son or your daughter, the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own soul, secretly entices you, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers,
Context of Deuteronomy 13:6
4Worship the Lord your God, fear him, obey his commands, listen to what he says, serve him, and be loyal to him. 5That prophet or dreamer must be put to death because he preached rebellion against the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt and freed you from slavery. He was trying to lead you away from following the directions the Lord your God gave you. You must get rid of this evil. Your own brother, son, or daughter, the wife you love, or your best friend may secretly tempt you, saying, “Let’s go worship other gods.” (Those gods may be gods that you and your ancestors never knew. 7They may be the gods of the people around you, who live near or far, from one end of the land to the other.) 8Don’t be influenced by any of these people or listen to them. Have no pity on them. Don’t feel sorry for them or protect them.
Read all of Deuteronomy 13Deuteronomy 13:6 word by word
כִּ֣י יְסִֽיתְךָ֡ אָחִ֣יךָ בֶן־אִ֠מֶּךָ אֽוֹ־בִנְךָ֨ אֽוֹ־בִתְּךָ֜ א֣וֹ׀ אֵ֣שֶׁת חֵיקֶ֗ךָ א֧וֹ רֵֽעֲךָ֛ אֲשֶׁ֥ר כְּנַפְשְׁךָ֖ בַּסֵּ֣תֶר לֵאמֹ֑ר נֵֽלְכָ֗ה וְנַֽעַבְדָה֙ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁר֙ לֹ֣א יָדַ֔עְתָּ אַתָּ֖ה וַאֲבֹתֶֽיךָ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- If thy brotherאָח'âch · brother: male-siblingH251
- the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of thy motherאֵם'êm · motherH517
- or thy daughterבַּתbath · daughterH1323
- or the wifeאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
- of thy bosomחֵיקchêyq chêq chôq · bosom: embraceH2436
- or thy friendרֵעַrêa‛ rêya‛ · neighborH7453
- as thine own soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soulH5315
- enticeסוּתsûth · to inciteH5496
- thee secretlyסֵ֫תֶרsêther sithrâh · secrecyH5643
- sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Let us goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- and serveעָבַד‛âbad · to serve: ministerH5647
- otherאַחֵר'achêr · anotherH312
- godsאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- which thou hast not knownיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- thou, nor thy fathersאָב'âb · fatherH1
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 13:6
- Deuteronomy 17:2In one of the cities the Lord your God is giving you, there may be a man or woman among you who is doing what the Lord considers evil. This person may be disregarding the conditions of the Lord’s promise
- Deuteronomy 28:54Even the most tender and sensitive man among you will become stingy toward his brother, the wife he loves, and the children he still has left.
- Genesis 16:5So Sarai complained to Abram, “I’m being treated unfairly! And it’s your fault! I know that I gave my slave to you, but now that she’s pregnant, she’s being disrespectful to me. May the Lord decide who is right—you or me.”
- Proverbs 5:20Why should you, my son, be intoxicated with an adulterous woman and fondle a loose woman’s breast?
- Proverbs 18:24Friends can destroy one another, but a loving friend can stick closer than family.
- Micah 7:5Don’t trust your neighbors. Don’t have confidence in ⌞your⌟ friends. Keep your mouth shut even when a woman is lying in your arms.
- Matthew 12:48He replied to the man speaking to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?”
- 2 Corinthians 5:16So from now on we don’t think of anyone from a human point of view. If we did think of Christ from a human point of view, we don’t anymore.
- 1 Samuel 18:1David finished talking to Saul. After that, Jonathan became David’s closest friend. He loved David as much as ⌞he loved⌟ himself.
- 1 Samuel 20:17Once again Jonathan swore an oath to David because of his love for David. He loved David as much as ⌞he loved⌟ himself.
- 2 Samuel 1:26I am heartbroken over you, my brother Jonathan. You were my great delight. Your love was more wonderful to me than the love of women.
- Job 31:27so that my heart was secretly tempted, and I threw them a kiss with my hand,
- Galatians 2:4False Christians were brought in. They slipped in as spies to learn about the freedom Christ Jesus gives us. They hoped to find a way to control us.
- Ephesians 4:14Then we will no longer be little children, tossed and carried about by all kinds of teachings that change like the wind. We will no longer be influenced by people who use cunning and clever strategies to lead us astray.
- Colossians 2:4I say this so that no one will mislead you with arguments that merely sound good.
- 2 Peter 2:1False prophets were among God’s people ⌞in the past⌟, as false teachers will be among you. They will secretly bring in their own destructive teachings. They will deny the Lord, who has bought them, and they will bring themselves swift destruction.
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 13:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6If thy brother - or thy son - The teacher of idolatry was to be put to death; and so strict was this order that a man must neither spare nor conceal his brother, son, daughter, wife, nor friend, because this was the highest offense that could be committed against God, and the most destructive to society; hence the severest laws were enacted against it.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers;Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-11Verses 6-11 It is the policy of Satan to try to lead us to evil by those whom we love, whom we least suspect of any ill design, and whom we are desirous to please, and apt to conform to. The enticement here is supposed to come from a brother or child, who are near by nature; from a wife or friend, who are near by choice, and are to us as our souls. But it is our duty to prefer God and religion, before the nearest and dearest friends we have in the world…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6The Israelites had heard about these false gods before. However, they had not worshiped them. If they began to worship them, they would break the first two commandments. These commandments express the main meaning of the covenant.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 6-186. If thy brother ... entice thee secretly--This term being applied very loosely in all Eastern countries (Ge 20:13), other expressions are added to intimate that no degree of kindred, however intimate, should be allowed to screen an enticer to idolatry, to conceal his crime, or protect his person. Piety and duty must overcome affection or compassion, and an accusation must be lodged before a magistrate.Read the comment
Topics related to Deuteronomy 13:6
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 13
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries