Deuteronomy
Chapter 13
Casuistry Regarding Idolatry
Do all that I command you without adding or taking anything away from it.
Personal Case
What about the prophet or the professional dreamer who gives you signs or miracles?
If these signs or these marvels happen, and he takes advantage of them to say: “Come and let us follow other gods (gods which are not ours), and let us serve them,”
do not pay attention to the words of this prophet or dreamer; because the Lord, your God, is testing you to know if you love him with all your heart and with all your soul.
It is the Lord, your God, you will follow, and him you will fear. Obey his commandments and listen to his voice. Serve him and cling to him.
As for the prophet or dreamer, he must die because he has spoken to draw you away from the Lord, your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery. This prophet must die because he led you astray from the path the Lord commanded you to follow. In this way, you will purge the evil from your midst.
Family Case
If your brother, the child of your father, or if your son or daughter, or the woman you love or your close friend secretly tries to lure you, saying: “Come, let us serve other gods,” gods whom neither you nor your ancestors have known,
the gods of either the neighboring nations that surround you along the boundaries of your land or those far away,
do not yield to him or listen to him. Do not pity, pardon, or cover up for him,
but denounce him. You shall deal him his death, and your hand shall be the first raised against him, and then the hand of all the people.
You shall kill him by stoning because he tried to draw you away from the Lord, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from that house of slavery.
All in Israel will hear of this, and they will fear and never dare to do such evil.
Collective Case
You may hear that in some of the cities that the Lord will give you to dwell in,
some evil people have appeared. You may hear that they have corrupted their fellow residents and invited them to worship new and strange gods.
Then, carefully inquire about them and try to discover the truth of the matter. If it is certain and you have confirmed that such a shameful thing has indeed been done,
you shall kill by the sword all the inhabitants of that city. You shall curse the city, and all that is in it, even the animals.
Then you shall pile up all the plunder in the center of the square and set the city on fire with all the plunder to fulfill the curse of the Lord. This city will forever remain a heap of ruins and will never be rebuilt again.
You shall not take hold of anything from this city, not even the smallest thing, to appease the wrath of the Lord, and that he may have mercy on you. Then, he will bless you and fulfill the promise he has sworn to your ancestors.
If you listen to the voice of the Lord, observe all his commandments that I command you today, and do what is right in the sight of the Lord, your God.
Commentaries
Casuistry Concerning Idolatry.
Building on 12:2-4,29-31, this chapter examines three cases of idolatry. First, a person claiming to be a prophet or visionary tries to persuade others to worship foreign gods (2f). Second, when a family member attempts to seduce a close relative into worshiping other gods (7-12). Third, in a city, a group of men disobeys God and tries to lead others astray by encouraging them to abandon worship and obedience to the true God (13-19). All of these must be removed from the town. However, this should not be taken literally. We know that the true God of life will never ask for the lives of those who oppose him (cf. Lk 9:54f). We must always consider the historical context of these texts. God continues to require that we dedicate ourselves entirely to him alone, for only he can guarantee us freedom and life. But those who act differently are not our enemies, nor are we authorized to “exterminate” them through condemnation, excommunication, or other means. What we can and must do, as individuals and as a community, is act in a way that makes us recognized and respected by all through our acts of fraternity and solidarity (cf. Acts 2:44-47; 4:32-35; 5:13). In this way, they will be drawn to serve God and help build the kingdom in peace and justice.