Deuteronomy 18:16-22

16 "This is 1according to all that you asked of the LORD your God in Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, 'Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, let me not see this great fire anymore, or I will die.'
17 "2The LORD said to me, 'They have spoken well.
18 'I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and 3I will put My words in his mouth, and 4he shall speak to them all that I command him.
19 '5It shall come about that whoever * will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him.
20 'But the prophet who speaks a word 6presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or 7which he speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.'
21 "You may say in your heart, 'How will we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?'
22 "8When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it 9presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.

Deuteronomy 18:16-22 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 18

This chapter gives an account of the provision made for the priests and Levites, with the reason of it, De 18:1-5, of allowance of a country Levite to minister at Jerusalem, and take his portion with the rest, De 18:6-8, and of several persons of bad practices not to be suffered among the people of Israel, De 18:9-14, and of an extraordinary prophet that should be raised up among them, to whom they should hearken, or it would be the worse for them, De 18:15-19, but a false prophet was to be put to death, of whom a sign is given by which he might be known, De 18:20-22.

Cross References 9

  • 1. Exodus 20:18, 19; Deuteronomy 5:23-27
  • 2. Deuteronomy 5:28
  • 3. Isaiah 51:16; John 17:8
  • 4. John 4:25; John 8:28; John 12:49, 50
  • 5. Acts 3:23; Hebrews 12:25
  • 6. Deuteronomy 13:5; Deuteronomy 17:12
  • 7. Deuteronomy 13:1, 2; Jeremiah 14:14; Zechariah 13:3
  • 8. Jeremiah 28:9
  • 9. Deuteronomy 18:20

Footnotes 4

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