Второзаконие 13:13

The third case is that of a town that had been led away to idolatry. "If thou shalt hear in one of thy cities." בּאחת, not de una, of one, which שׁמע with בּ never can mean, and does not mean even in Job 26:14. The thought is not that they would hear in one city about another, as though one city had the oversight over another; but there is an inversion in the sentence, "if thou hear, that in one of thy cities...worthless men have risen up, and led the inhabitants astray to serve strange gods." לאמר introduces the substance of what is heard, which follows in Deu 13:14. יצא merely signifies to rise up, to go forth. מקּרבּך, out of the midst of the people.

Moses is still upon that necessary subject concerning the peril of idolatry. In the close of the foregoing chapter he had cautioned them against the peril that might arise from their predecessors the Canaanites. In this chapter he cautions them against the rise of idolatry from among themselves; they must take heed lest any should draw them to idolatry, 1. By the pretence of prophecy (Deu 13:1-5). II. By the pretence of friendship and relation (Deu 13:6-11). III. By the pretence of numbers (Deu 13:12-18). But in all these cases the temptation must be resolutely resisted and the tempters punished and cut off.

13:13 scoundrels (literally sons of Belial): In Hebrew, “son(s) of” often expresses group affiliation or shared characteristics. Scoundrels typically deceived others and led them astray (Prov 6:12; 16:27; 19:28; Nah 1:11).