I will raise them up a prophet from among their brothers, like you. I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him. It shall happen, that whoever will not listen to my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.”
You may say in your heart, “How shall we know the word which Yahweh has not spoken?” When a prophet speaks in Yahweh’s name, if the thing doesn’t follow, nor happen, that is the thing which Yahweh has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You shall not be afraid of him.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv18, 19, 22 Which promise is not only made to Christ, but…
Which promise is not only made to Christ, but to all that teach in his name, Isa. 59:21.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv18, 22 Deu 18:18 I will raise them up a Prophet…
Deu 18:18 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.
Ver. 18. And he shall speak unto them.] Christ is that palmoni hammedabbar {Dan 10:5-6} that excellent speaker that spake with authority, and so as never man spake, being "mighty in word and deed." See my "True Treasure," p. 1.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv18, 19, 22 Will put my words in his mouth; will instruct…
Will put my words in his mouth; will instruct him what to say, reveal myself and my will to him.
He shall speak unto them all that I shall command him; he will faithfully execute the office and trust I commit him.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv18–21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will…
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words,.... To the doctrines of the Gospel, but slight and despise them:
which he shall speak in my name; in whose name he came, and whose words or doctrines he declared them to be; not as his own, but his Father's, Joh 5:43.
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I will require it of him; or, as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan,"my Word shall require it of him, or take vengeance on him;''as Christ the Word of God did in the destruction of the Jewish nation, city, and temple; see Luk 19:27.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv19, 22 I will require it - I will punish him…
I will require it - I will punish him severely for it. The sad effect of this threatning the Jews have felt for above sixteen hundred years together.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On v22 Verse 22. If the thing follow not] It is…
Verse 22. If the thing follow not] It is worthy of remark that the prophets in general predicted those things which were shortly to come to pass, that the people might have the fullest proof of their Divine mission, and of the existence of God's providence in the administration of the affairs of men.
THE promise contained in the 15th and 18th verses of this chapter has long been considered of the first importance in the controversies between the Christians and Jews. "Christ," says Ainsworth, "was to be a man, and of the stock of the Jews, by promise, because the people could not endure to hear the voice of GOD, De 18:16. And as in respect of his prophecy, so of the priesthood: for every high priest is taken from among men, Heb 5:1; and also of his kingdom, as in De 17:15: From among thy brethren shalt thou set a king over thee like unto me.
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"1. Christ alone was like unto Moses as a PROPHET; for it is written, There arose not a prophet in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, in all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent him to do, De 34:10-12. This therefore cannot be understood of the ordinary prophets which were raised up in Israel, but of Christ only, as the apostles expound it Ac 2:22-26.
2. Christ was like unto Moses in respect to his office of mediation between God and his people, De 5:5; 1Ti 2:5; but greater than Moses as being the mediator of a better covenant, (or testament,) which was established upon better promises, Heb 8:6.
3. Christ was like unto Moses in excellency; for as Moses excelled all the prophets in speaking to God mouth to mouth, Nu 12:6-8, so Christ excelled him and all men in that being in the bosom of the Father, he hath come down from heaven and declared God unto us, Joh 1:18; Joh 3:13.
4. Christ was like to Moses in faithfulness, but therein also excelling; for Moses was faithful in God's house as a servant, but Christ as the son over his own house, Heb 3:2; Heb 3:5-6.
5. Christ was like to Moses in signs and wonders, wherein he also excelled Moses, as the history of the Gospel shows; for he was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, Lu 24:19. A man approved of God among them, by miracles, signs, and wonders, which God did by him in the midst of them, Ac 2:22. For he did among them the works which no other man did, Joh 15:24. Unto him, that is, not unto the diviners, wizards, or any such like, but unto him, and him only; as Him thou shalt serve, De 6:13, is expounded, Him only, Mt 4:10. And though this is principally meant of Christ in person, of whom God said, Hear him, Mt 17:5; yet it implies also his ministers, as himself said, He that heareth you heareth me, Lu 10:16." To these may be added,
6. As Moses was king among his people, in this respect Christ is like to him, but infinitely greater; for he is King of kings and Lord of lords, Re 19:16; 1Ti 6:15. And,
7. He was like to Moses as a legislator. Moses gave laws to Israel by the authority and commandment of God, which the Jews have ever acknowledged as coming from the immediate inspiration of the Almighty: these are contained in the Pentateuch. Christ gave a new law, the Gospel contained in the four Evangelists and Acts of the Apostles, on which the Christian Church is founded, and by which all genuine Christians are governed both in heart and life. To all which may be added,
8. That God never commissioned any human beings to give laws to mankind but Moses and Christ; and therefore, as a lawgiver, Christ alone resembles Moses; for to the present hour none but themselves have given laws in the name of God, which he has ratified and confirmed by the most indubitable and infallible signs, proofs, and miracles.
Dr. Jortin, in his Remarks on Ecclesiastical History, has drawn a parallel between Moses and Christ in a great number of particulars, which he concludes thus: "Let us search all the records of universal history, and see if we can find a man who was so like to Moses as Christ was, and so like to Christ as Moses was. If we cannot find such a one, then have we found HIM of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write to be Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God." On this subject see Ainsworth, Calmet, and Dodd, who have all marked this striking correspondence between Moses and Christ.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On v22 Deu 18:22. If the thing follow not — Which…
Deu 18:22. If the thing follow not — Which he gives as a sign of the truth of his prophecy. That is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken — The falsehood of his prediction shows him to be a false prophet. He hath spoken it presumptuously — Impudently ascribing his own vain and lying fancies to the God of truth. For though the mere fulfilling of a sign, or working of a bare miracle, was not to be considered as sufficient of itself to establish a false and wicked doctrine, as is stated Deu 13:1-3; yet, on the other hand, a man that pretended to work a miracle, or predict a future event, in confirmation of a message said to be received from Jehovah, or from some other god, and who failed in the performance of the miracle, or the thing foretold not coming to pass, evidently proved himself to be an impostor. Thou shalt not be afraid of him — That is, of his predictions or threatenings, so as to be deterred thereby from doing thy duty in bringing him to deserved punishment.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv20–21 Compare the marginal references.
Compare the marginal references.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv18, 19, 20, 22 Mouth. So Christ says, The words that I speak…
Mouth. So Christ says, The words that I speak to you, I speak not of myself, John xiv. 10.
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On v19 whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he…
whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him--The direful consequences of unbelief in Christ, and disregard of His mission, the Jewish people have been experiencing during eighteen hundred years.
Next: Deuteronomy Chapter 19
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv18, 19, 20, 22 18. I will raise them up a Prophet —…
18. I will raise them up a Prophet — A repetition of the statement of the fifteenth verse in Jehovah’s words.
And will put my words in his mouth — The prophet is to be Jehovah’s organ of communication with the people.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv18–22 18. I will raise … like unto thee] These…
18. I will raise … like unto thee] These words are not in Deu_5:25 ff.
put my words in his mouth] Cp. Deu_5:31, Jer_1:9; Jer_5:14.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On v22 (22) If the thing follow not, nor come to…
(22) If the thing follow not, nor come to pass.—This is one form of our Lord’s test for all prophets, “By their fruits (i.e., the ‘results,’ of their teaching, not its first impressions) ye shall know them.”
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv18–21 And will put my words in his mouth; will…
And will put my words in his mouth; will so reveal to him my mind, and so inspire him to utter it, that the words he speaks shall be really my words. The question has been raised whether, by the Prophet like unto Moses, hero promised to the people of Israel, is to be understood some eminent individual, or whether this refers to the prophetic diadoch, or succession, that was to continue under the theocracy. For the latter the context strongly speaks, for
(1) the contrast between what God here forbids the Israelites to do, viz. to resort to diviners and soothsayers, and the provision he would make for them so as to render this needless, point to a succession of prophets rather than to one individual;
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(2) the reference in what follows to the discrimination of false prophets from true prophets, shows that a multiplicity and a succession of prophets was in the view of the speaker, not a single individual; and
(3) as a succession of priests, of judges, and of kings was contemplated in this part of the Mosaic legislation, the presumption is that a succession also of prophets was contemplated. At the same time, the use of the singular here is remarkable, for nowhere else is the singular, nabhi, employed to designate more than one individual; and this suggests that the reference here may be to some individual in whom not only was the succession to culminate as in its crown and eminence, but whose spirit was to pervade the whole succession, that each member of it should exercise his functions only as that Spirit which was in them did signify. (1Pe_1:11) It is possible also, as Oryon Gerlach has suggested, that "Prophet" here may be used as seed" is in Gen_3:15, and that this is a prediction of Christ as the True Prophet, just as the assurance to Eve was a prediction of the Messiah, who, as the Head and Crown of the" godly seed," should end the conflict with the serpent and his seed by a crushing victory. It is to be considered also that, whilst the words "like unto me" do not necessarily imply a resemblance in all respects between Moses and the Prophet here promised, and whilst they may be well applied to One superior in many respects to Moses, it would be taking them at much below their real worth were we to understand them of one greatly inferior to Moses, as all the prophets who succeeded him in Israel were until the Chief came (Deu_34:10; Heb_3:1-6) Finally, there can be no doubt that the Jews expected that the Messiah would appear as the Prophet by pre-eminence, and that they founded that expectation on the promise here recorded (cf. Joh_1:21 Joh_6:14; Act_3:22-26 Act_7:37) It may be added that our Lord seems to apply this to himself, when he says to the Jews, "There is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of Joh_5:45, Joh_5:46. (cf. also Joh_11:48-50) How early and how widespread was the expectation that the Messiah would come as a prophet, may be inferred from the existence of this among the Samaritans. (Joh_4:25) It is to be concluded, then, that this promise has reference ultimately to the Messiah, the Great Revealer of God, between whom and Moses there should be a long succession of prophets, so that there should always be a medium of Divine communication between Jehovah and his people.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain On v20 Of False Prophets
Of False Prophets
v. 20. But the prophet which shall presume to speak a word in My name, with insolent haughtiness, which I have not commanded him to speak, whose message therefore is altogether false, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die, be put to death for promulgating falsehoods which took away the honor of the Lord.
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v. 21. And if thou say in thine heart, how shall we know the word which the Lord hath spoken? How may any one be sure of the truth, since all the false teachers claim a divine call, a divine mission? The Lord gives the answer.
v. 22. 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, the fact that the prophecy is not fulfilled proves it to have been a falsehood, as so many predictions of modern sects regarding the date of the Day of Judgment have been found to be lies, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously; thou shalt not be afraid of him. If, in addition to this, a person compares the teaching of the false prophets with the plain statements of Holy Writ, he will have an infallible guide to keep him from error, Deu 13:2 ff. We Christians have our refuge and our salvation in Christ alone, who as the Prophet of God speaks to us in His Word.
Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv20, 22 General Information:
General Information:
Yahweh continues speaking.
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who speaks a word arrogantly
"who dares to speak a message" or "who is arrogant enough to speak a message"
in my name
Here "my name" refers to Yahweh himself and his authority. AT: "for me" or "with my authority" (See: Metonymy)
a word
"a message"
who speaks in the name of other gods
Here "name" represents the gods themselves or their authority. This means the prophet claims that false gods told him to speak a certain message. (See: Metonymy)
This is what you must say in your heart
Here "heart" represents the thoughts of a person. AT: "You ask yourself" or "You must say to yourself" (See: Metonymy)
How will we recognize a message that Yahweh has not spoken?
"How will we know if the message that the prophet speaks is from Yahweh?" Here "we" refers to the people of Israel.
translationWords
arrogant
name
command
false god
heart
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv18, 19, 22 18:18 The prophet (18:15) would be the Lord’s spokesman,…
18:18 The prophet (18:15) would be the Lord’s spokesman, as Moses was (see 4:10-17; Exod 7:1).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.