Deuteronomy 18:12-22

12 The Lord your God hates people who do these disgusting things, and that is why he is driving those nations out of the land as you advance.

13 Be completely faithful to the Lord." ¹

14 Then Moses said, "In the land you are about to occupy, people follow the advice of those who practice divination and look for omens, but the Lord your God does not allow you to do this.

15 Instead, he will send you a prophet like me from among your own people, and you are to obey him. ²

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. ³

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.'

21 "You may wonder how you can tell when a prophet's message does not come from the Lord.

22 If a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord and what he says does not come true, then it is not the Lord's message. That prophet has spoken on his own authority, and you are not to fear him.

Deuteronomy 18:12-22 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

• 1. 18.13Matthew 5.48.
• 2. 18.15Acts 3.22; 7.37.
• 3. 18.19Acts 3.23.

Footnotes

• [a]. a prophet . . . him; [or] prophets . . . them.
• [b]. a prophet . . . him . . . he; [or] prophets . . . them . . . they.
• [c]. He will speak . . . and I; [or] When a prophet speaks in my name, I.