10 There shall not be found H4672 among you any one that maketh his son H1121 or his daughter H1323 to pass H5674 through the fire, H784 or that useth H7080 divination, H7081 or an observer of times, H6049 or an enchanter, H5172 or a witch, H3784
Yea, they sacrificed H2076 their sons H1121 and their daughters H1323 unto devils, H7700 And shed H8210 innocent H5355 blood, H1818 even the blood H1818 of their sons H1121 and of their daughters, H1323 whom they sacrificed H2076 unto the idols H6091 of Canaan: H3667 and the land H776 was polluted H2610 with blood. H1818
Because they have forsaken H5800 me, and have estranged H5234 this place, H4725 and have burned incense H6999 in it unto other H312 gods, H430 whom neither they nor their fathers H1 have known, H3045 nor the kings H4428 of Judah, H3063 and have filled H4390 this place H4725 with the blood H1818 of innocents; H5355 They have built H1129 also the high places H1116 of Baal, H1168 to burn H8313 their sons H1121 with fire H784 for burnt offerings H5930 unto Baal, H1168 which I commanded H6680 not, nor spake H1696 it, neither came H5927 it into my mind: H3820 Therefore, behold, the days H3117 come, H935 saith H5002 the LORD, H3068 that this place H4725 shall no more be called H7121 Tophet, H8612 nor The valley H1516 of the son H1121 of Hinnom, H2011 but The valley H1516 of slaughter. H2028
And when they shall say H559 unto you, Seek H1875 unto them that have familiar spirits, H178 and unto wizards H3049 that peep, H6850 and that mutter: H1897 should not a people H5971 seek H1875 unto their God? H430 for the living H2416 to the dead? H4191 To the law H8451 and to the testimony: H8584 if they speak H559 not according to this word, H1697 it is because there is no light H7837 in them.
And ye shall be holy H6918 unto me: for I the LORD H3068 am holy, H6918 and have severed H914 you from other people, H5971 that ye should be mine. A man H376 also or woman H802 that hath H3588 a familiar spirit, H178 or that is a wizard, H3049 shall surely H4191 be put to death: H4191 they shall stone H7275 them with stones: H68 their blood H1818 shall be upon them.
Again, thou shalt say H559 to the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 Whosoever H376 he be of the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 or of the strangers H1616 that sojourn H1481 in Israel, H3478 that giveth H5414 any of his seed H2233 unto Molech; H4432 he shall surely H4191 be put to death: H4191 the people H5971 of the land H776 shall stone H7275 him with stones. H68 And I will set H5414 my face H6440 against that man, H376 and will cut him off H3772 from among H7130 his people; H5971 because he hath given H5414 of his seed H2233 unto Molech, H4432 to defile H2930 my sanctuary, H4720 and to profane H2490 my holy H6944 name. H8034 And if the people H5971 of the land H776 do any ways H5956 hide H5956 their eyes H5869 from the man, H376 when he giveth H5414 of his seed H2233 unto Molech, H4432 and kill H4191 him not: H1115 Then I will set H7760 my face H6440 against that man, H376 and against his family, H4940 and will cut him off, H3772 and all that go a whoring H2181 after H310 him, to commit whoredom H2181 with Molech, H4432 from among H7130 their people. H5971
And thou shalt not H5414 let any of thy seed H2233 pass H5674 through the fire to Molech, H4432 neither shalt thou profane H2490 the name H8034 of thy God: H430 I am the LORD. H3068 Thou shalt not lie H7901 with mankind, H2145 as with H4904 womankind: H802 it is abomination. H8441 Neither shalt thou H5414 lie H7903 with any beast H929 to defile H2930 thyself therewith: neither shall any woman H802 stand H5975 before H6440 a beast H929 to lie down H7250 thereto: it is confusion. H8397 Defile H2930 not ye yourselves in any of these things: H428 for in all these the nations H1471 are defiled H2930 which I cast out H7971 before H6440 you: And the land H776 is defiled: H2930 therefore I do visit H6485 the iniquity H5771 thereof upon it, and the land H776 itself vomiteth out H6958 her inhabitants. H3427 Ye shall therefore keep H8104 my statutes H2708 and my judgments, H4941 and shall not commit H6213 any of these abominations; H8441 neither any of your own nation, H249 nor any stranger H1616 that sojourneth H1481 among H8432 you: (For all these H411 abominations H8441 have the men H582 of the land H776 done, H6213 which were before H6440 you, and the land H776 is defiled;) H2930 That the land H776 spue not you out H6958 also, when ye defile H2930 it, as it spued out H6958 the nations H1471 that were before H6440 you. For whosoever shall commit H6213 any of these abominations, H8441 even the souls H5315 that commit H6213 them shall be cut off H3772 from among H7130 their people. H5971 Therefore shall ye keep H8104 mine ordinance, H4931 that ye commit H6213 not any one of these abominable H8441 customs, H2708 which were committed H6213 before H6440 you, and that ye defile H2930 not yourselves therein: I am the LORD H3068 your God. H430
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Deuteronomy 18
Commentary on Deuteronomy 18 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 18
De 18:1-8. The Lord Is the Priests' and the Levites' Inheritance.
1. The priests the Levites … shall eat the offerings—As the tribe of Levi had no inheritance allotted them like the other tribes but were wholly consecrated to the priestly office, their maintenance was to arise from tithes, first-fruits, and certain portions of the oblations presented on the altar, which God having by express appointment reserved to Himself made over, after being offered, to His ministers.
3. this shall be the priest's due from the people—All who offered sacrifices of thanksgiving or peace offerings (Le 7:31-33) were ordered to give the breast and shoulder as perquisites to the priests. Here "the two cheeks" or head and "the maw" or stomach, deemed anciently a great dainty, are specified. But whether this is a new injunction, or a repetition of the old with the supplement of more details, it is not easy to determine.
6-8. if a Levite … come with all the desire of his mind—It appears that the Levites served in rotation from the earliest times; but, from their great numbers, it was only at infrequent intervals they could be called into actual service. Should any Levite, however, under the influence of eminent piety, resolve to devote himself wholly and continually to the sacred duties of the sanctuary, he was allowed to realize his ardent wishes; and as he was admitted to a share of the work, so also to a share of the remuneration. Though he might have private property, that was to form no ground for withholding or even diminishing his claim to maintenance like the other ministering priests. The reason or principle of the enactment is obvious (1Co 9:13). At the same time, while every facility was afforded for the admission of such a zealous and self-denying officer, this admission was to be in an orderly manner: he was to minister "as all his brethren"—that is, a Gershonite with Gershonites; a Merarite with Merarites; so that there might be no derangement of the established courses.
De 18:9-14. The Abominations of the Nations Are to Be Avoided.
9-14. thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations—(See on Le 18:21; Le 19:26; Le 19:31; Le 20:4). In spite of this express command, the people of Canaan, especially the Philistines, were a constant snare and stumbling block to the Israelites, on account of their divinations and superstitious practices.
De 18:15-19. Christ the Prophet Is to Be Heard.
15-19. The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet—The insertion of this promise, in connection with the preceding prohibition, might warrant the application (which some make of it) to that order of true prophets whom God commissioned in unbroken succession to instruct, to direct, and warn His people; and in this view the purport of it is, "There is no need to consult with diviners and soothsayers, as I shall afford you the benefit of divinely appointed prophets, for judging of whose credentials a sure criterion is given" (De 18:20-22). But the prophet here promised was pre-eminently the Messiah, for He alone was "like unto Moses" (see on De 34:10) "in His mediatorial character; in the peculiar excellence of His ministry; in the number, variety, and magnitude of His miracles; in His close and familiar communion with God; and in His being the author of a new dispensation of religion." This prediction was fulfilled fifteen hundred years afterwards and was expressly applied to Jesus Christ by Peter (Ac 3:22, 23), and by Stephen (Ac 7:37).
19. 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.