The Meaning of Deuteronomy 13:2 Explained

Deuteronomy 13:2

KJV: 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;

YLT: and the sign and the wonder hath come which he hath spoken of unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods (which thou hast not known), and serve them,

Darby: and the sign or the wonder come to pass that he told unto thee, when he said, Let us go after other gods, whom thou hast not known, and let us serve them,

ASV: 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;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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; 

What does Deuteronomy 13:2 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 13:1-18 - Cut Out The Plague Spot
How to exterminate sources of disease is a main question with the modern world; but the stamping-out of possible sources of temptation must not less energetically be pursued by each religious soul. The prophet, the beloved associate, the community, that endeavored to turn Israel aside from God, might have no mercy shown. There was no room for those liberal views, in vogue today, that smile on the greatest divergencies of belief, if only their advocates are sincere.
For ourselves the lesson is clear enough. We must dissociate ourselves from companionships, however affectionate, which exert a deleterious effect on our characters, and draw us away from God. There is only one alternative-that we should overcome evil with good and lift them to our own ideals. If that be impossible, our course is clear. Our eye must not pity, nor our hand spare. And Jesus left no other alternative. See Mark 9:42-43. [source]

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 13

1  Enticers to idolatry
6  however near to oneself
9  are to be stoned to death
12  Idolatrous cities are not to be spared

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 13:2 mean?

and comes to pass the sign or the wonder of which he spoke to you saying let us go after gods other which not you have known and let us serve them
וּבָ֤א הָאוֹת֙ וְהַמּוֹפֵ֔ת אֲשֶׁר־ דִּבֶּ֥ר אֵלֶ֖יךָ לֵאמֹ֑ר נֵֽלְכָ֞ה אַחֲרֵ֨י אֱלֹהִ֧ים אֲחֵרִ֛ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־ יְדַעְתָּ֖ם וְנָֽעָבְדֵֽם

וּבָ֤א  and  comes  to  pass 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
הָאוֹת֙  the  sign 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: אֹות  
Sense: sign, signal.
וְהַמּוֹפֵ֔ת  or  the  wonder 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹופֵת  
Sense: wonder, sign, miracle, portent.
אֲשֶׁר־  of  which 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
דִּבֶּ֥ר  he  spoke 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
אֵלֶ֖יךָ  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
לֵאמֹ֑ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
נֵֽלְכָ֞ה  let  us  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect Cohortative, first person common plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
אַחֲרֵ֨י  after 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
אֱלֹהִ֧ים  gods 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אֲחֵרִ֛ים  other 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: אַחֵר  
Sense: another, other, following.
יְדַעְתָּ֖ם  you  have  known 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
וְנָֽעָבְדֵֽם  and  let  us  serve  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hofal, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual, first person common plural, third person masculine plural
Root: עָבַד  
Sense: to work, serve.