Deuteronomy 18:14

14 These heathen men, whose land thou shalt wield, hear them that work by chittering of birds, and false diviners; but thou art taught in other manner of thy Lord God. (These heathen, whose land thou shalt possess, listen to those who portend by the twittering of birds, and to false diviners; but thou art taught in another way, by the Lord thy God.)

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.

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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 For the Lord hath abomination of all these things, and for such wickednesses he shall do away them in thine entering. (For the Lord hath abomination for all these things, and for such wickednesses, he shall drive them all out before thee.)

13 Thou shalt be perfect, and without filth, with thy Lord God.

14 These heathen men, whose land thou shalt wield, hear them that work by chittering of birds, and false diviners; but thou art taught in other manner of thy Lord God. (These heathen, whose land thou shalt possess, listen to those who portend by the twittering of birds, and to false diviners; but thou art taught in another way, by the Lord thy God.)

15 Thy Lord God shall raise a prophet of thy folk, and of thy brethren, as me, to thee, (and) thou shalt hear him; (The Lord thy God shall raise up a prophet like me, for thee, from thy nation, or thy people, yea, one of thy brothers, or one of thy kinsmen, and thou shalt listen to him;)

16 as thou askedest of thy Lord God in Horeb, when the company was gathered together, and thou saidest, I shall no more hear the voice of my Lord God, and I shall no more see this greatest fire, lest I die. (as thou askedest of the Lord thy God at Mount Sinai, when the congregation was gathered together, and thou saidest, We shall not hear again the voice of the Lord our God, and we shall not see this great fire again, lest we die.)