Deuteronomy 13:3

you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. For the LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses addresses Israel on the plains of Moab, instructing the community to reject a prophet or dreamer whose miraculous sign occurs but who urges worship of foreign gods.

The words — The Hebrew לֹא (lo') stands as a separate negation before the verb תִשְׁמַע (tishma), which literally means "you will listen," rather than embedding the prohibition within the verb itself.

The thread — The verse cites divine testing that appears in Deuteronomy 8:2, where God leads the wilderness journey to humble the people, and echoes in Psalms 66:10 and 1 Corinthians 11:19 regarding refinement and the revelation of approved believers.

Why it lands — The text states that God is testing Israel to determine whether they love Him with all their heart and soul. Interpreters observe that this examination prioritizes covenant loyalty over the verification of supernatural signs.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

לֹ֣אlo'not תִשְׁמַ֗עtish.Ma'you will listen אֶל־'el-to דִּבְרֵי֙div.Rei[the] words of הַנָּבִ֣יאha./na.Vi'the/ prophet הַה֔וּאha./Hu'<the>/ that א֛וֹ'oor אֶל־'el-to חוֹלֵ֥םcho.Lem[the] dreamer of הַחֲל֖וֹםha./cha.Lomthe/ dream הַה֑וּאha./Hu'<the>/ that כִּ֣יkifor מְנַסֶּ֞הme.na.Seh[is] putting to [the] test יְהוָ֤הYah.wehYahweh אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶם֙'e.lo.hei./KhemGod/ your אֶתְכֶ֔ם'et./Khem<obj.>/ you לָדַ֗עַתla./Da.'atto/ know הֲיִשְׁכֶ֤םha./yish./Khem¿/ [are] there/ you אֹֽהֲבִים֙'o.ha.Vimloving אֶת־'et-<obj.>יְהוָ֣הYah.wehYahweh אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֔ם'e.lo.hei./KhemGod/ your בְּכָל־be./kholwith/ all לְבַבְכֶ֖םle.vav./Khemheart/ your וּבְכָל־u./ve./Khol-and/ with/ all נַפְשְׁכֶֽם׃naf.she./Khembeing/ your

King James Version

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.

Cross-references

Deuteronomy 8:2 Remember that these forty years the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness, so that He might humble you and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commandments.
Psalms 66:10 For You, O God, have tested us; You have refined us like silver.
1 Corinthians 11:19 And indeed, there must be differences among you to show which of you are approved.
Deuteronomy 6:5 And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Isaiah 8:20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn.
Matthew 24:24 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive even the elect, if that were possible.
2 Thessalonians 2:11 For this reason God will send them a powerful delusion so that they believe the lie,
Revelation 13:14 Because of the signs it was given to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived those who dwell on the earth, telling them to make an image to the beast that had been wounded by the sword and yet had lived.
Deuteronomy 8:16 He fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers had not known, in order to humble you and test you, so that in the end He might cause you to prosper.