Deuteronomy 18:9-22

Occult Practices versus Prophetic Revelation

9 "When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not imitate the detestable customs of those nations.

10 No one among you is to make his son or daughter pass through the fire,^{[a] [b]} practice divination, tell fortunes, interpret omens, practice sorcery,

11 cast spells, consult a medium or a familiar spirit, or inquire of the dead.^[c]

12 Everyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord, and the Lord your God is driving out the nations before you because of these detestable things.

13 You must be blameless before the Lord your God.

14 Though these nations you are about to drive out listen to fortune-tellers and diviners, the Lord your God has not permitted you to do this.

15 "The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him.^[d]

16 This is what you requested from the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, 'Let us not continue to hear the voice of the Lord our God or see this great fire any longer, so that we will not die!'^[e]

17 Then the Lord said to me, 'They have spoken well.

18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. I will put My words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him.

19 I will hold accountable whoever does not listen to My words that he speaks in My name.

20 But the prophet who dares to speak in My name a message I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods-that prophet must die.'

21 You may say to yourself, 'How can we recognize a message the Lord has not spoken?'

22 When a prophet speaks in the Lord's name, and the message does not come true or is not fulfilled, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.

Deuteronomy 18:9-22 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]. Either a Canaanite cult practice or child sacrifice
• [b]. Lv 18:21
• [c]. Lv 20:27; Isa 8:19
• [d]. Ac 3:22; 7:37
• [e]. Dt 5:23-27; Ex 20:19