Deuteronomy 18:14

14 The nations you will force out listen to people who use magic and witchcraft, but the Lord your God will not let you do those things.

Deuteronomy 18:14 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 18:14

For those nations which thou shall possess hearkened unto
observers of times, and unto diviners
Such as are before mentioned, and did as they directed them:

but as for thee, the Lord thy God hath not suffered thee so to do;
or, "but thou not so" F13 thou shouldest not do so, not hearken to such persons, but to the Lord thy God, and to his law and testimony; nor art thou left to the deception of such persons:

the Lord thy God hath given thee:
his word and statutes, as a rule to go by, which he has not given to other nations: the Targum of Jonathan adds,

``the priests shall ask by Urim and Thummim, and a true prophet shall the Lord your God give unto you;''

so that they had no need to hearken to such impostors and deceivers: or, "as for thee, not so are they whom the Lord thy God giveth thee" {n}; that is, the prophets whom the Lord would give unto them would not be like the diviners of the Heathens, who imposed on the people and deceived them; but would be men sent and inspired by God, and true and faithful in the discharge of their office; and to hearken to these they are encouraged by the promise of a very eminent one, like to Moses, in the next verse.


FOOTNOTES:

F13 (Nk al htaw) "et tu non sic", Montanus.
F14 "De teau tem non ita sunt quos dat tibi Jehova Deus tuus", Junius & Tremellius.

Deuteronomy 18:14 In-Context

12 The Lord hates anyone who does these things. Because the other nations do these things, the Lord your God will force them out of the land ahead of you.
13 But you must be innocent in the presence of the Lord your God.
14 The nations you will force out listen to people who use magic and witchcraft, but the Lord your God will not let you do those things.
15 The Lord your God will give you a prophet like me, who is one of your own people. Listen to him.
16 This is what you asked the Lord your God to do when you were gathered at Mount Sinai. You said, "Don't make us listen to the voice of the Lord our God again, and don't make us look at this terrible fire anymore, or we will die."
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.