“If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,”
Which sayeth that he hath things revealed unto him in dreams.
“And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;”
He showeth whereunto the false prophets tend.
“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.”
God ordaineth all these things that his may be known.
“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”
Being convicted by testimonies, and condemned by the judge.
“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;”
All natural affections must give place to God’s honor. Whom thou lovest as thy life.
“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.”
As the witness is charged, Deut. 17:7 .
“And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you.”
Cross references: : Deut. 17:13
“Then shalt thou enquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought among you;”
Which art appointed to see faults punished.
“And thou shalt gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof, and shalt burn with fire the city, and all the spoil thereof every whit, for the LORD thy God: and it shall be an heap for ever; it shall not be built again.”
Signifying that no idolatry is so execrable, nor more grievously to be punished, than of them which once professed God.
“And there shall cleave nought of the cursed thing to thine hand: that the LORD may turn from the fierceness of his anger, and shew thee mercy, and have compassion upon thee, and multiply thee, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers; cursed: or, devoted”
Of the spoil of that idolatrous and cursed city, Read Deut. 7:26 and Josh. 7:11 .