The Meaning of Deuteronomy 13:6 Explained

Deuteronomy 13:6

KJV: 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;

YLT: When thy brother -- son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend who is as thine own soul -- doth move thee, in secret, saying, Let us go and serve other gods -- (which thou hast not known, thou and thy fathers,

Darby: If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, who is to thee as thy soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods (whom thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers;

ASV: If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, that 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;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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; 

What does Deuteronomy 13:6 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 13:6 mean?

If entices you your brother the son of your mother or your son your daughter or the wife of your bosom or your friend who is as your own soul secretly saying let us go and serve gods other which not you have known [neither] you nor your fathers
כִּ֣י יְסִֽיתְךָ֡ אָחִ֣יךָ בֶן־ אִ֠מֶּךָ אֽוֹ־ בִנְךָ֨ בִתְּךָ֜ א֣וֹ ׀ אֵ֣שֶׁת חֵיקֶ֗ךָ א֧וֹ רֵֽעֲךָ֛ אֲשֶׁ֥ר כְּנַפְשְׁךָ֖ בַּסֵּ֣תֶר לֵאמֹ֑ר נֵֽלְכָ֗ה וְנַֽעַבְדָה֙ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁר֙ לֹ֣א יָדַ֔עְתָּ אַתָּ֖ה וַאֲבֹתֶֽיךָ

יְסִֽיתְךָ֡  entices  you 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, second person masculine singular
Root: סוּת  
Sense: to incite, allure, instigate, entice.
אָחִ֣יךָ  your  brother 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
בֶן־  the  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אִ֠מֶּךָ  of  your  mother 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֵם  
Sense: mother.
בִנְךָ֨  your  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
בִתְּךָ֜  your  daughter 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
אֵ֣שֶׁת  the  wife 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
חֵיקֶ֗ךָ  of  your  bosom 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: חֹוק 
Sense: bosom, hollow, bottom, midst.
רֵֽעֲךָ֛  your  friend 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: רֵעַ  
Sense: friend, companion, fellow, another person.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר  who  is 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
כְּנַפְשְׁךָ֖  as  your  own  soul 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
בַּסֵּ֣תֶר  secretly 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: סֵתֶר 
Sense: covering, shelter, hiding place, secrecy.
לֵאמֹ֑ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
נֵֽלְכָ֗ה  let  us  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect Cohortative, first person common plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
וְנַֽעַבְדָה֙  and  serve 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative, first person common plural
Root: עָבַד  
Sense: to work, serve.
אֱלֹהִ֣ים  gods 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אֲחֵרִ֔ים  other 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: אַחֵר  
Sense: another, other, following.
יָדַ֔עְתָּ  you  have  known 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
אַתָּ֖ה  [neither]  you 
Parse: Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
וַאֲבֹתֶֽיךָ  nor  your  fathers 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.