King James Version

What Does Deuteronomy 13:5 Mean?

Deuteronomy 13:5 in the King James Version says “And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LOR...” — study this verse from Deuteronomy chapter 13 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee. to turn: Heb. revolt against the LORD”

Deuteronomy 13:5 · KJV

Salvation

Context

Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.

And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee. to turn: Heb. revolt against the LORD

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;

Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth;

Read Deuteronomy 13 full chapter

Commentary

KJV Study Commentary

The judgment on false prophets: 'And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God...to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in.' Capital punishment for doctrinal heresy seems extreme but reflects false prophecy's gravity. Leading people away from God (sarah, סָרָה, turn aside) merits death because spiritual destruction is worse than physical death. The phrase 'thrust thee out of the way' (nadach, נָדַח, drive away, seduce) indicates active seduction, not passive error. False teaching actively murders souls. The concluding 'so shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee' shows this protects covenant community from corruption.

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Historical & Cultural Context

Old Testament capital punishment for false prophecy reflected theocracy—civil and spiritual authority united. Elijah executed 450 Baal prophets (1 Kings 18:40). Jeremiah faced death threats for true prophecy (Jeremiah 26:11). After Pentecost, church discipline rather than civil execution addresses heresy (Matthew 18:15-17; 1 Corinthians 5:11-13; Titus 3:10-11). However, Paul invokes divine judgment on false teachers (Galatians 1:8-9), showing God's hatred of soul-destroying lies persists. Church history's tragic errors (Inquisition, burning heretics) misapplied Old Testament theocratic law to New Testament church age.

Reflection Questions

How seriously do we take false teaching's danger compared to God's assessment in this passage?
What is appropriate church response to teachers who lead people away from biblical truth?
How do we balance grace toward erring believers with protection of the flock from destructive heresies?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 32 words

וְהַנָּבִ֣יא1 of 32

“And that prophet”

H5030

a prophet or (generally) inspired man

הַה֡וּא2 of 32

H1931

he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demo

א֣וֹ3 of 32

H176

desire (and so probably in proverbs 31:4); hence (by way of alternative) or, also if

חֹלֵם֩4 of 32

“or that dreamer”

H2492

properly, to bind firmly, i.e., (through the figurative sense of dumbness) to dream

הַֽחֲל֨וֹם5 of 32

“of dreams”

H2472

a dream

הַה֜וּא6 of 32

H1931

he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demo

יוּמָ֗ת7 of 32

“shall be put to death”

H4191

to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill

כִּ֣י8 of 32

H3588

(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed

דִבֶּר9 of 32

“because he hath spoken”

H1696

perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue

סָ֠רָה10 of 32