A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Deuteronomy · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
Verſ. 1. IF there ariſe among you a Prophet or a dreamer of dreams, &.]
Having in the former chapter given the people warning to take heed of being ſeduced to idolatrie by ſtrangers of other nations, here he gives them the like warning to take heed of being ſeduced by thoſe that were their own brethren; If ſaith he, there ariſe a Prophet or a dreamer of dreams (that is, one that is, or pretends himſelf to be ſuch an one, that ſaith he is a Prophet, and that God hath appeared to him in a viſion or in a dream) and that among your own brethren (f…r theſe words, among you, are added to imply that they muſt regard him never a whit the more becauſe he was an Iſraelite ſince amongſt them many falſe Prophets might and did ariſe, 2. Pet. 2. 1.) and, if he, giveth thee a ſigne or a wonder, that is, if, to make good the truth of what he ſaith God hath by viſion or dream revealed to him, he foretells ſome wonderfull and ſupernaturall work that ſhall come to paſſe (ſuch as was the cleaving of Jeroboams altar, which the Prophet told them of beforehand, 1. Kings 13. 3. as a ſure ſigue that God had ſent him) and withall happely acompanieth his prediction with ſome outward ſignificant action or geſture (as when that falſe prophet Zedekiah, 1. Kin. 22. 11. made horns of iron, and ſaid, Thus ſaith the Lord, With theſe ſhalt thou puſh the Syrians untill thou have conſumed them) though this ſigne or wonder come to paſſe, yet if withall he ſhall perſwade thee to worſhip falſe Gods, or to worſhip the true God in a falſe manner (which is all one, for he that pretends to worſhip the true God with falſe worſhip, doth not indeed worſhip the true God, but an idol-god which he pha…cieth to himſelf) thou ſhalt not hearken to him, that is, thou ſhalt not becauſe of his ſignes and wonders regard what he ſaith. And indeed (though a falſe Prophet may be known by his foretelling things which afterwards come not to paſſe, according to that rule, chap. 18. 22. Whou a Prophet ſpeaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to paſſe, that is the thing which the Lord hath not ſpoken, &c. yet) the accompliſhment of what a Prophet foretells is no ſure ſigne that he is a true Prophet nor to be regarded if his doctrine be not according to the truth which God hath taught us.
Verſ. 3. For the Lord your God proveth you, &c.]
Theſe words are added as the reaſon why they were not to hearken to any Prophet that ſhould perſwade them to idolatry, yea though he gave them any ſigne or wonder which ſhould accordingly come to paſſe, to wit, becauſe hereby the Lord did prove them, to ſee whether they did ſincerely love God or no. For the underſtanding whereof we muſt know the Lord is here ſaid to prove them by that which the falſe Prophets did to ſeduce them to idolatry, firſt, becauſe even the Lord himſelf may by the Spirit of prophecy reveal things to come even to wicked men and falſe Prophets, as he did to Balaam and Caiaphas, as knowing how thereby to bring glory to himſelf, though they onelyonly intend to corrupt and ſeduce his people; ſecondly, becauſe though theſe predictions given, and wonders wrought are uſually either mere forgings and impoſtures, or elſe ſatanicall deluſions, whereby men are made to think they ſee thoſe things done which indeed are not done, or laſtly, are ſuch wonders as are indeed done, but by the power of the devil, yet it is of God that either men or devils are permitted to do ſuch things, who could eaſily reſtrain them if he ſaw cauſe to do it; and thirdly, becauſe the Lords aim, in ſuffering the devil and wicked men thus to abuſe men, is to make tryall, that is, by this tryall to make it known, whether they love the Lord their God with all their heart and with all their ſoul, this being a ſure rule, that thoſe whoſe hearts are upright towards God will not be drawn away from the truth of God by ſuch deluſions, according to that of the Apoſtle, 1. John 2. 19. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us.
Verſ. 5. And that Prophet, or that dreamer of dreams ſhall be put to death, &c.]
Here they are enjoyned to put the falſe Prophet to death that ſhall ſo ſeduce the people: for the better underſtanding whereof we muſt note, firſt, that every ſpreading of falſe doctrines in matters of leſſe conſequence was not thus to be puniſhed, but onelyonly the ſeducing of men from the true religion to the direct worſhip of falſe Gods; and in this caſe, though many Expoſitours hold that this Law concerned onelyonly the policie of the Jews, yet I ſee not but that it gives the Chriſtian Magiſtrate power alſo to provide for the ſecuring of his people, even by the capitall puniſhment of thoſe that ſeduce them to an apoſtacy of ſo high a nature; ſecondly, that in the reaſon here rendred why they ſhould put ſuch falſe prophets to death, the phraſe that is uſed, becauſe he had ſpoken—to thrust thee out of the way which the Lord thy God commanded thee to walk in, is intended to imply what a dangerous and ſtrong temptation that of pretended miracles is to ſeduce men from the way of truth; and therefore our Saviour alſo ſpeaking of ſuch, ſaid, Mat. 24. 24. They ſhall deceive (if it were poſſible) the very elect: and thirdly, that the laſt clauſe, ſo ſhalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee, is meant both of the evil men that were the ſeducers, and the hurt which they might have done, to wit, that by cutting off theſe evil men the hurt which they might do amongſt the people ſhould be prevented.
Verſ. 6. If thy brother, the ſonne of thy mother, &c.]
The drift of this place is to let them know, that not onelyonly falſe prophets (of whom he had ſpoken in the former verſes) but all others whatſoever were to be put to death that ſhould ſeduce them to idolatry, not openly but ſecretly, and that they were not to ſpare thoſe that were deareſt to them, &c. And for the fuller clearing of this, we may note, firſt, that this phraſe, If thy brother the ſonne of thy mother, is here uſed, either to diſtinguiſh true brothers from kindred, yea from all other Iſraelites, who are frequently in the Scripture called their brethren; or elſe emphatically to expreſſe that brother that is uſually moſt beloved, to wit, a brother both by father and mother, at leaſt a brother by the mothers ſide, that lay in the ſame belly with them, and that becauſe our love to ſuch is naturally the ſtrongeſt: and ſecondly, that in the particular mention that is here made of the daughter, as well as of the ſonne, as alſo of the wife, there is not onelyonly reſpect had to the love that men bear to them, but alſo to the pity that men are prone to take of that ſex: men are naturally enclined to take compaſſion of that ſex; and therefore this is particularly expreſſed, that in caſe a daughter or wife ſeek to ſeduce them to idolatry, they muſt be put to death, and there muſt be no pity ſhown them becauſe of their ſex. Indeed becauſe there is no mention made here of father and mother, therefore ſome have thought that by this Law the child was not bound to accuſe either father or mother, if they ſought to ſeduce him to idolatry, the Lord not enjoyning this in regard it was ſo much againſt the reverence which children do naturally bear to their parents. But theſe build upon too weak a ground: Doubtleſſe in Gods cauſe there is no more reaſon for the child to regard the parents, then for the husband to regard the wife of his boſome, and Levi in this caſe is commended for cloſing his eyes againſt his parents, becauſe he ſaid unto his father and to his mother, I have not ſeen him, chap. 33. 9. and therefore queſtionleſſe under theſe that are named all other perſons that are moſt dear to men, even parents alſo, are comprehended.
Verſ. 7. Namely of the Gods of the people which are round about you, &c.]
In this clauſe, of the Gods of the people which are round about you, &c. there is a warning couched that they ſhould not be moved with this argument, that the nations round about them, farre and near, all over the face of the earth, went another way in the ſervice of God; but rather ſhould ſay as S. John doth, 1. John 5. 19. We know that we are of God, and the whole world l…eth in wickedneſſe. Yet withall we may underſtand it as intended alſo to ſhew the extent of this Law, to wit, that whatſoever gods they were which they were perſwaded to worſhip, they muſt not conſent to do it, but muſt onelyonly worſhip the Lord their God.
Verſ. 9. But thou ſhalt ſurely kill him; thine hand ſhall be firſt upon him, &c.]
Thou ſhalt ſurely kill him, that is, thou ſhalt inform againſt him to the Magiſtrate, and ſo procure that juſtice may be executed upon him according to this Law, to wit, that he may be put to death; and therefore is that added in the next words, thine hand ſhall be firſt upon him, to wit, as being the party accuſing and giving teſtimonie againſt him; for that was Gods Law that the witneſſes ſhould throw the firſt ſtones at him that was to be ſtoned, Deut. 17. 7.
Verſ. 13. Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, &c.]
That is, certain vild, wicked, and miſchievous perſons. Belial is by inte…pretation without profit, or, without yoke, that is, baſe, lawleſſe, rebellious and wicked; whence this name is given to Satan, or Antichriſt, oppoſed to Chriſt, 2. Corinth. 6. 15. What concord hath Chriſt with Belial? and to men and women given over unto wickedneſſe, Judg. 19. 22. The men of the citie, certain ſonnes of Belial, beſet the houſe round about, &c. and 1. Sam. 1. 16. Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial; and 1. Sam. 25. 25. Let not my Lord—regard this man of Belial, even Nabal. As for the phraſe here uſed of going out from among the Iſraelit…s, certain men, the children of Belial are gone out from among you, it intimates, firſt, their ſeparating of themſelves from Gods people in point of religion, according to that of S. John, 1. John 2. 19. They went out from us but they were not of us, &c. and ſecondly, their bold and preſumptuous carriage of themſelves herein, in that they did it openly, as proclaiming warre againſt the Lord.
Verſ. 14. Then ſhalt thou enquire and make ſearch, &c.]
This is added by way of caution, in two regards▪ firſt, to let them know that though they did but heare ſome flying report of ſuch a wickedneſſe, yet they might not ſlight ſuch a report, but muſt enquire carefully whether it were ſo or no; and ſecondly, to put them in mind that on the other ſide yet they muſt not arm themſelves againſt their brethren (as is afterwards enjoyned) merely upon uncertain reports▪ but muſt firſt make diligent ſearch and enquiry, and if they ſound it evident and certain, then they ſhould proceed againſt them as is here appointed.