Deuteronomy 18:17-22

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?'

22 [Whenever] what the prophet spoke in the name of Yahweh, the thing does not take place and [does] not come [about], that [is] the thing that Yahweh has not spoken to him. Presumptuously the prophet spoke it; you shall not fear that prophet."

Deuteronomy 18:17-22 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "from the midst of their brothers"
• [b]. Or "give"
• [c]. Literally "all [of] what I command him"
• [d]. Literally "And it will happen"
• [e]. Literally "in your heart"
• [f]. Or "that Yahweh has not spoken it"
• [g]. Hebrew "the"