Deuteronomy 18
18
Provision for Priests and Levites
1 The Levitical priests#tn The MT places the terms “priests” and “Levites” in apposition, thus creating an epexegetical construction in which the second term qualifies the first, i.e., “Levitical priests.” This is a way of asserting their legitimacy as true priests. The Syriac renders “to the priest and to the Levite,” making a distinction between the two, but one that is out of place here. – indeed, the entire tribe of Levi – will have no allotment or inheritance with Israel; they may eat the burnt offerings of the Lord and of his inheritance.#sn Of his inheritance. This is a figurative way of speaking of the produce of the land the Lord will give to his people. It is the Lord’s inheritance, but the Levites are allowed to eat it since they themselves have no inheritance among the other tribes of Israel. 2 They#tn Heb “he” (and throughout the verse). will have no inheritance in the midst of their fellow Israelites;#tn Heb “brothers,” but not referring to actual siblings. Cf. NASB “their countrymen”; NRSV “the other members of the community.” the Lord alone is their inheritance, just as he had told them. 3 This shall be the priests’ fair allotment#tn Heb “judgment”; KJV, NASB, NRSV “the priest’s due.” from the people who offer sacrifices, whether bull or sheep – they must give to the priest the shoulder, the jowls, and the stomach. 4 You must give them the best of your#tn Heb “the firstfruits of your…” (so NIV). grain, new wine, and olive oil, as well as the best of your wool when you shear your flocks. 5 For the Lord your God has chosen them and their sons from all your tribes to stand#tc Smr and some Greek texts add “before the Lord your God” to bring the language into line with a formula found elsewhere (Deut 10:8; 2 Chr 29:11). This reading is not likely to be original, however. and serve in his name#tn Heb “the name of the Lord.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy. permanently. 6 Suppose a Levite comes by his own free will#tn Heb “according to all the desire of his soul.” from one of your villages, from any part of Israel where he is living,#tn Or “sojourning.” The verb used here refers to living temporarily in a place, not settling down. to the place the Lord chooses 7 and serves in the name of the Lord his God like his fellow Levites who stand there before the Lord. 8 He must eat the same share they do, despite any profits he may gain from the sale of his family’s inheritance.#tn Presumably this would not refer to a land inheritance, since that was forbidden to the descendants of Levi (v. 1). More likely it referred to some family possessions (cf. NIV, NCV, NRSV, CEV) or other private property (cf. NLT “a private source of income”), or even support sent by relatives (cf. TEV “whatever his family sends him”).
Provision for Prophetism
9 When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, you must not learn the abhorrent practices of those nations. 10 There must never be found among you anyone who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire,#tn Heb “who passes his son or his daughter through the fire.” The expression “pass…through the fire” is probably a euphemism for human sacrifice (cf. NAB, NIV, TEV, NLT). See also Deut 12:31. anyone who practices divination,#tn Heb “a diviner of divination” (קֹסֵם קְסָמִים, qosem qÿsamim). This was a means employed to determine the future or the outcome of events by observation of various omens and signs (cf. Num 22:7; 23:23; Josh 13:22; 1 Sam 6:2; 15:23; 28:8; etc.). See M. Horsnell, NIDOTTE 3:945-51. an omen reader,#tn Heb “one who causes to appear” (מְעוֹנֵן, mÿ’onen). Such a practitioner was thought to be able to conjure up spirits or apparitions (cf. Lev 19:26; Judg 9:37; 2 Kgs 21:6; Isa 2:6; 57:3; Jer 27:9; Mic 5:11). a soothsayer,#tn Heb “a seeker of omens” (מְנַחֵשׁ, mÿnakhesh). This is a subset of divination, one illustrated by the use of a “divining cup” in the story of Joseph (Gen 44:5). a sorcerer,#tn Heb “a doer of sorcery” (מְכַשֵּׁף, mikhashef). This has to do with magic or the casting of spells in order to manipulate the gods or the powers of nature (cf. Lev 19:26-31; 2 Kgs 17:15b-17; 21:1-7; Isa 57:3, 5; etc.). See M. Horsnell, NIDOTTE 2:735-38. 11 one who casts spells,#tn Heb “a binder of binding” (חֹבֵר חָבֶר, khover khaver). The connotation is that of immobilizing (“binding”) someone or something by the use of magical words (cf. Ps 58:6; Isa 47:9, 12). one who conjures up spirits,#tn Heb “asker of a [dead] spirit” (שֹׁאֵל אוֹב, sho’el ’ov). This is a form of necromancy (cf. Lev 19:31; 20:6; 1 Sam 28:8, 9; Isa 8:19; 19:3; 29:4). a practitioner of the occult,#tn Heb “a knowing [or “familiar”] [spirit]” (יִדְּעֹנִי, yiddÿ’oniy), i.e., one who is expert in mantic arts (cf. Lev 19:31; 20:6, 27; 1 Sam 28:3, 9; 2 Kgs 21:6; Isa 8:19; 19:3). or a necromancer.#tn Heb “a seeker of the dead.” This is much the same as “one who conjures up spirits” (cf. 1 Sam 28:6-7). 12 Whoever does these things is abhorrent to the Lord and because of these detestable things#tn Heb “these abhorrent things.” The repetition is emphatic. For stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy, the same term used earlier in the verse has been translated “detestable” here. the Lord your God is about to drive them out#tn The translation understands the Hebrew participial form as having an imminent future sense here. from before you. 13 You must be blameless before the Lord your God. 14 Those nations that you are about to dispossess listen to omen readers and diviners, but the Lord your God has not given you permission to do such things.
15 The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you – from your fellow Israelites;#tc The MT expands here on the usual formula by adding “from among you” (cf. Deut 17:15; 18:18; Smr; a number of Greek texts). The expansion seems to be for the purpose of emphasis, i.e., the prophet to come must be not just from Israel but an Israelite by blood.tn “from your brothers,” but not referring to actual siblings. Cf. NAB “from among your own kinsmen”; NASB “from your countrymen”; NRSV “from among your own people.” A similar phrase occurs in v. 17. you must listen to him. 16 This accords with what happened at Horeb in the day of the assembly. You asked the Lord your God: “Please do not make us hear the voice of the Lord our#tn The Hebrew text uses the collective singular in this verse: “my God…lest I die.” God any more or see this great fire any more lest we die.” 17 The Lord then said to me, “What they have said is good. 18 I will raise up a prophet like you for them from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth and he will speak to them whatever I command. 19 I will personally hold responsible#tn Heb “will seek from him”; NAB “I myself will make him answer for it”; NRSV “will hold accountable.” anyone who then pays no attention to the words that prophet#tn Heb “he”; the referent (the prophet mentioned in v. 18) has been specified in the translation for clarity. speaks in my name.
20 “But if any prophet presumes to speak anything in my name that I have not authorized#tn Or “commanded” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV). him to speak, or speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet must die. 21 Now if you say to yourselves,#tn Heb “in your heart.” ‘How can we tell that a message is not from the Lord?’#tn Heb “know the word which the Lord has not spoken.” The issue here is not understanding the meaning of the message, but distinguishing a genuine prophetic word from a false one. – 22 whenever a prophet speaks in my#tn Heb “the Lord’s.” See note on the word “his” in v. 5. name and the prediction#tn Heb “the word,” but a predictive word is in view here. Cf. NAB “his oracle.” is not fulfilled,#tn Heb “does not happen or come to pass.” then I have#tn Heb “the Lord has.” See note on the word “his” in v. 5. not spoken it;#tn Heb “that is the word which the Lord has not spoken.” the prophet has presumed to speak it, so you need not fear him.”
Currently Selected:
Deuteronomy 18: NET
Highlight
Share
Compare
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
1996 - 2007 by Biblical Studies Press, LLC
Deuteronomy 18
18
1 “And there shall not be for the Levitical priests, the whole tribe of Levi, a plot of ground and an inheritance with Israel, rather they may eat an offering made by fire as their inheritance,#The meaning of the Hebrew text here is uncertain; possibly it reads: “rather an offering by fire then they will eat as their inheritance/patrimony” for Yahweh. 2And there shall not be for them#Hebrew “him” an inheritance of land in the midst of his brothers; rather Yahweh is his inheritance, just as he promised#Literally “spoke” to them.#Hebrew “him”
3Now this shall be the share of the priest from the people, from those who sacrifice the sacrifice,#Literally “the sacrificers of the sacrifice” whether it is an ox, sheep, or goat, and they shall give the priest the shoulder and the jawbones and the stomach. 4The firstfruits#Hebrew “firstfruit” of your grain, your wine, and your olive oil and the firstfruits#Hebrew “firstfruit” of the fleece of your sheep you shall give to him. 5For Yahweh your God has chosen him from among all your tribes to stand to minister in the name of Yahweh, he and his sons forever.#Literally “all of the days”
6And if a#Hebrew “the” Levite comes from one of your towns#Literally “gates” from anywhere in Israel#Literally “all of Israel” where he is residing, he may come whenever he desires,#Literally “he may come in all the desire of his soul/inner self” to the place that Yahweh will choose, 7and he may minister in the name of Yahweh his God, just like all his brothers, the Levites who stand there#Literally “the Levites the ones standing there” before#Literally “to the face of” Yahweh. 8They shall eat equal portions,#Literally “a portion like a portion” apart from what he may receive from the sale of his patrimony.#Hebrew meaning of these phrases/words is not certain; also could translate as “except what they receive from the sale of their fathers’ estates” (NASB); or “what he may inherit from his father’s family”
9“When you come to the land that Yahweh your God is giving to you, you must not learn to do like the detestable practices of those nations. 10There shall not be found among you one who makes his son or his daughter go through the fire, or one who practices divination,#Literally “a diviner of divination” or an interpreter of signs,#Or “soothsayer” or an augur,#Or “an interpreter of omens” or sorcerer, 11or one who casts magic spells, or one who consults a spirit of the dead,#Or “medium” or spiritist, or one who inquires of the dead.#Or “necromancer” 12For everyone doing these things is detestable to Yahweh, and because of these detestable things Yahweh your God is driving them out from before you.#Literally “the face of you” 13You must be blameless before Yahweh your God. 14For these nations that you are about to dispossess listen to interpreters of signs#Or “practice witchcraft” and to diviners, but Yahweh your God has not allowed you to do the same.
15“Yahweh your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your midst, from your countrymen,#Or “your brothers” and to him you shall listen. 16This is according to all that you asked#Literally “just as all of that you asked” from Yahweh your God at Horeb, on the day of the assembly, saying,#Literally “to say” ‘I do not want again to hear#Literally “not I want to do again to hear” the voice of Yahweh my God, and I do not want to see again this great fire, so that I may not die!’ 17And Yahweh said to me, ‘They are right in what they have said. 18I will raise up a prophet for them from among their countrymen#Literally “from the midst of their brothers” like you, and I will place#Or “give” my words into his mouth, and he shall speak to them everything that I command him.#Literally “all of what I command him” 19And then#Literally “And it will happen” the man that will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I will hold accountable. 20However, the prophet that behaves presumptuously by speaking a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, and who speaks in the name of other gods, then that prophet shall die.’ 21And if you say to yourself,#Literally “in your heart” ‘How can we know the word that Yahweh has not spoken to him?’ 22Whenever what the prophet spoke in the name of Yahweh, the thing does not take place and does not come about, that is the thing that Yahweh has not spoken to him.#Or “that Yahweh has not spoken it” Presumptuously the prophet spoke it; you shall not fear that#Hebrew “the” prophet.”
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Compare
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
2010 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software