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Deuteronomy 18

Deuteronomy book home•Chapter 18 of 34•22 verses

Chapter overviewAt a glance + deeper study

REVIEWED OVERVIEW

Deuteronomy 18 Overview

Moses explains the provision for priests and Levites, then draws a sharp line between Israel and the occult practices of Canaan. Divination, witchcraft, enchantment, necromancy, and similar practices are forbidden. In contrast, God promises to raise up a Prophet like Moses from among Israel’s brethren, whose words the people must hear, while false prophets are to be tested.

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Before you read Deuteronomy 18

Coming from

Chapter 17 regulated judges and the future king, placing Israel’s civil leadership under God’s law.

In this chapter

Chapter 18 addresses priestly provision, forbidden spiritual sources, and the true prophetic word God will provide.

Leads into

Chapter 19 returns to civil justice through cities of refuge, property boundaries, witness standards, and penalties for false testimony.

Key understandingExplore deeper

The Levites do not receive a normal tribal land inheritance; their support is tied to service before the LORD. The occult list describes Canaanite attempts to obtain guidance or power through forbidden spiritual means. Israel does not need such practices because God gives legitimate revelation through his prophets. The promised 'Prophet like unto' Moses has an immediate prophetic-category significance and receives explicit messianic application in the New Testament.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Truth 1

God’s people are not to seek spiritual guidance through occult practices.

Truth 2

Priestly and Levitical service is sustained by the covenant community’s offerings because Levi lacks an ordinary territorial inheritance.

Truth 3

God himself provides true revelation; Israel is not left dependent on pagan divination.

Truth 4

A claimed prophet is accountable both to fidelity and to the truth of what he speaks in the LORD’s name.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Connection 1

Acts 3:22–26 identifies Jesus Christ with the promised Prophet of Deuteronomy 18:15–19.

Connection 2

Acts 7:37 also quotes this promise in Stephen’s retelling of Israel’s history.

Connection 3

Jeremiah 28 illustrates the danger of false prophetic claims and the importance of whether the proclaimed word actually comes to pass.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Keep this clear 1

Do not reduce the promised Prophet to only Joshua or only the general line of prophets; the New Testament explicitly gives the passage a climactic application to Christ.

Keep this clear 2

Do not treat astrology, necromancy, or divination as harmless alternate spiritualities; the chapter explicitly rejects them.

Keep this clear 3

The test of fulfilled prediction does not override the earlier test of doctrinal loyalty in Deuteronomy 13; both standards matter.

Read Deuteronomy 18 watching for…

The reason Levites need provision from Israel.

The specific occult practices Israel must reject.

The contrast between forbidden divination and God-given prophecy.

The promise of a Prophet like Moses.

The tests and consequences attached to false prophetic speech.

Chapter outline3 sections

1-8The priests and Levites receive their portion from Israel 9-14Israel must reject occult practices of the nations 15-22God promises a Prophet like Moses and gives a test for false prophets

The priests the Levites, and all the tribe of Levi, shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel: they shall eat the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and his inheritance.

Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren: the LORD is their inheritance, as he hath said unto them.

And this shall be the priest's due from the people, from them that offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep; and they shall give unto the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the maw.

The firstfruit also of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him.

For the LORD thy God hath chosen him out of all thy tribes, to stand to minister in the name of the LORD, him and his sons for ever.

And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourned, and come with all the desire of his mind unto the place which the LORD shall choose;

Then he shall minister in the name of the LORD his God, as all his brethren the Levites do, which stand there before the LORD.

They shall have like portions to eat, beside that which cometh of the sale of his patrimony.

When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.

There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,

Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.

For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.

The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;

According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.

And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken.

I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.

And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?

When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

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Deuteronomy 18:11

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