Deuteronomy 18:11-21

11 or one who casts magic spells, or one who consults [a] spirit of the dead, or spiritist, or one who inquires of the dead.
12 For everyone doing these [things] [is] detestable to Yahweh, and because of these detestable things Yahweh your God [is] driving them out from {before you}.
13 You must be blameless before Yahweh your God.
14 For these nations that you [are] about to dispossess listen to interpreters of signs and to diviners, but Yahweh your God has not allowed you to do the same.
15 "Yahweh your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your midst, from your countrymen, [and] to him you shall listen.
16 [This is] {according to all that you asked} from Yahweh your God at Horeb, on the day of the assembly, {saying}, '{I do not want again to hear} the voice of Yahweh my God, [and] I do not want to see again this great fire, so that I may not die!'
17 And Yahweh said to me, 'They are right [in] what they have said.
18 I will raise up a prophet for them {from among their countrymen} like you, and I will place my words into his mouth, and he shall speak to them {everything that I command him}.
19 {And then} the man that will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I will hold accountable.
20 However, the prophet that behaves presumptuously by speaking a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, and who speaks in the name of other gods, then that prophet shall die.'
21 And if you say {to yourself}, 'How can we know the word that Yahweh has not spoken to him?'

Deuteronomy 18:11-21 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.

Footnotes 13

  • [a]. Or "medium"
  • [b]. Or "necromancer"
  • [c]. Literally "the face of you"
  • [d]. Or "practice witchcraft"
  • [e]. Or "your brothers"
  • [f]. Literally "[just] as all [of] that you asked"
  • [g]. Literally "to say"
  • [h]. Literally "not I want to do again to hear"
  • [i]. Literally "from the midst of their brothers"
  • [j]. Or "give"
  • [k]. Literally "all [of] what I command him"
  • [l]. Literally "And it will happen"
  • [m]. Literally "in your heart"
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.