Deuteronomy 18:18

18 I will send them a prophet like you from among their own people; I will tell him what to say, and he will tell the people everything I command.

Deuteronomy 18:18 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 18:18

I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren like
unto thee
So that it seems this promise or prophecy was first made at Mount Sinai, but now renewed and repeated, and which is nowhere else recorded; see ( Deuteronomy 18:15 ) when they were not only made easy for the present by appointing Moses to receive from the Lord all further notices of his mind and will, but were assured that when it was his pleasure to make a new revelation, or a further discovery of his mind and will, in future times, he would not do it in that terrible way he had delivered the law to them; but would raise up a person of their own flesh and blood, by whom it should be delivered, which was sufficient to prevent their fears for the future:

and will put my word in his mouth;
the doctrines of the Gospel, which come from God, and are the words of truth, faith, righteousness, peace, pardon, life, and salvation; and which Christ says were not his own, as man and Mediator, but his Father's, which he gave unto him, and put into his mouth, as what he should say, teach, and deliver to others; see ( John 7:16 ) ( 8:28 ) ( John 17:6 John 17:8 )

and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him;
nor did he keep back, but faithfully declared the whole counsel of God; and as he gave him a commandment what he should say, and what he should speak, he was entirely obedient to it; see ( John 12:49 John 12:50 ) ( 15:15 ) .

Deuteronomy 18:18 In-Context

16 "On the day that you were gathered at Mount Sinai, you begged not to hear the Lord speak again or to see his fiery presence any more, because you were afraid you would die.
17 So the Lord said to me, "They have made a wise request.
18 I will send them a prophet like you from among their own people; I will tell him what to say, and he will tell the people everything I command.
19 He will speak in my name, and I will punish anyone who refuses to obey him.
20 But if any prophet dares to speak a message in my name when I did not command him to do so, he must die for it, and so must any prophet who speaks in the name of other gods.'

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. a prophet . . . him . . . he; [or] prophets . . . them . . . they.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.