Deuteronomy 13:9

Instead, you must surely kill him. Your hand must be the first against him to put him to death, and then the hands of all the people.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses addresses the Israelites on the plains of Moab, instructing them on how to respond when a close relative or friend secretly entices them to worship other gods. He commands immediate, uncompromising action against such a person.

The words — The Hebrew הָרֹג (ha.Rog) and תַּהַרְגֶנּוּ (ta.har.Gennu) mean "certainly kill" or "you shall kill," emphasizing absolute obligation. יָדְךָ (ya.de.Kha) "your hand" and בָרִאשֹׁנָה (ba.ri.sho.nah) "at the first" specify that the individual being enticed must personally initiate the execution.

The thread — This command to prioritize loyalty to God over human ties echoes in Deuteronomy 17:2 regarding idolaters in the towns, and later in Matthew 10:37 and Luke 14:26 where Jesus demands supreme allegiance over family.

Why it lands — The text demands that the listener personally execute the judgment rather than delegating it, establishing that devotion to God requires direct, uncompromising action against those who seek to divert it.

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

כִּ֤יkifor הָרֹג֙ha.Rogcertainly <to kill>תַּֽהַרְגֶ֔נּוּta.har.Ge./nuyou will kill/ him יָֽדְךָ֛ya.de./Khahand/ your תִּֽהְיֶה־tih.yeh-it will beבּ֥וֹb/oon/ himבָרִֽאשׁוֹנָ֖הva./ri.sho.Nahat the/ first לַהֲמִית֑וֹla./ha.mi.T/oto/ put to death/ him וְיַ֥דve./Yadand/ [the] hand of כָּל־kol-all הָעָ֖םha./'Amthe/ people בָּאַחֲרֹנָֽה׃ba./'a.cha.ro.Nahat the/ last

King James Version

But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.

Cross-references

Deuteronomy 17:2 If a man or woman among you in one of the towns that the LORD your God gives you is found doing evil in the sight of the LORD your God by transgressing His covenant
Matthew 10:37 Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me;
Luke 14:26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple.
John 8:7 When they continued to question Him, He straightened up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to cast a stone at her.”
Acts 7:58 They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.