A Prophet Like Moses
Deuteronomy 18:14-22
Deu.18.14 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- הגוים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- האלה: DEM,pl
- אשר: PRON,rel
- אתה: PRON,2,m,sg
- יורש: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- אותם: PRON,3,m,pl,obj
- אל: NEG
- מעננים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ואל: CONJ+PREP
- קסמים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ישמעו: VERB,qal,imf,3,mp
- ואתה: CONJ+PRON,2,m,sg
- לא: PART_NEG
- כן: ADV
- נתן: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- לך: PRON,2,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אלהיך: NOUN,m,sg,prsuf-2ms
Parallels
- Deuteronomy 18:10-12 (structural): Immediate context: the broader prohibition lists divination, mediums, necromancy, and related practices—Deut 18:14 restates that Israel is not to follow those practices.
- Leviticus 19:31 (verbal): Directly forbids turning to mediums and spiritists ('do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists'), closely matching the language and command found in Deut 18:14.
- Leviticus 20:6 (thematic): Condemns consulting mediums and spiritists and places responsibility on parents/Israel for turning to such practices, reinforcing the same prohibition and theological rationale as Deut 18:14.
- Isaiah 8:19 (verbal): Rebukes consultation of mediums and familiar spirits ('Consult the mediums and spiritists?'), echoing Deut 18:14 and framing such consultation as unfaithfulness to God.
- 1 Samuel 28:7-20 (thematic): Narrative example (Saul and the medium at Endor) showing the practice condemned in Deut 18:14 and illustrating its spiritual and royal consequences in Israel’s history.
Alternative generated candidates
- For these nations that you are dispossessing listen to augurs and to diviners; do not do so— the LORD your God has not given this to you.
- For these nations that you are dispossessing listen to diviners and to soothsayers; but as for you, the LORD your God has not given this.
Deu.18.15 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- נביא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מקרבך: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+2ms
- מאחיך: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,2,m,sg
- כמני: PREP,1,sg
- יקים: VERB,hiph,impf,3,m,sg
- לך: PRON,2,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אלהיך: NOUN,m,sg,prsuf-2ms
- אליו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- תשמעון: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,pl
Parallels
- Deut.18.18 (verbal): Immediate parallel in the same context: God promises to raise up a prophet like Moses and to put His words in that prophet's mouth (expands and specifies Deut 18:15).
- Deut.34.10 (thematic): Evaluative reflection on Moses’ uniqueness—'no prophet arose in Israel like Moses'—which frames the expectation and distinctiveness of a prophet 'like me.'
- Acts 3:22-23 (quotation): Peter explicitly cites Deut 18:15–19 as a prophecy about Jesus, applying the Mosaic promise to Christ and warning of judgment for disobedience to that prophet.
- Acts 7:37 (quotation): Stephen identifies Jesus with 'the prophet like Moses' foretold in Deut 18:15, using the Mosaic promise to argue for Jesus’ messianic role.
- John 6:14 (allusion): After the feeding miracle the crowds call Jesus 'the Prophet who is to come into the world,' echoing popular expectation rooted in Deut 18:15 that God would raise a prophet like Moses.
Alternative generated candidates
- The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet from among you, from your brothers, like me; to him you shall listen.
- A prophet will the LORD your God raise up for you from among your brothers, like me; to him you shall listen.
Deu.18.16 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ככל: PREP
- אשר: PRON,rel
- שאלת: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,sg
- מעם: PREP
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אלהיך: NOUN,m,sg,prsuf-2ms
- בחרב: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ביום: PREP
- הקהל: NOUN,m,sg,def
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
- לא: PART_NEG
- אסף: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- לשמע: INF,qal,infc
- את: PRT,acc
- קול: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אלהי: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- ואת: CONJ
- האש: NOUN,f,sg,def
- הגדלה: ADJ,f,sg,def
- הזאת: DEM,f,sg,def
- לא: PART_NEG
- אראה: VERB,qal,impf,1,_,sg
- עוד: ADV
- ולא: CONJ
- אמות: VERB,qal,impf,1,_,sg
Parallels
- Exodus 20:18-19 (verbal): Same Sinai episode: the people, terrified by thunder/fire/voice, tell Moses that God must speak to him and not to them — language and situation parallel Deut 18:16.
- Deuteronomy 5:24-27 (structural): Deuteronomy's retelling of the Horeb revelation; repeats the people's plea not to hear God's voice or see the great fire again for fear of death (very close wording and function).
- Exodus 19:16-19 (thematic): Description of the mountain trembling, smoke, thunder and trumpet that provoked the people's fear and led them to ask that God not speak directly — the narrative background for Deut 18:16.
- Hebrews 12:18-21 (allusion): New Testament contrast with Sinai's terror: the passage recalls the fearful, incommunicable nature of God's voice at Sinai (so that people said they could not endure it), echoing the mood and elements of Deut 18:16.
Alternative generated candidates
- As you asked at Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not again hear the voice of the LORD my God, nor see this great fire any more, lest I die.’
- Just as you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, “I will not again hear the voice of the LORD my God nor see this great fire any more, lest I die,”
Deu.18.17 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אלי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- היטיבו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- אשר: PRON,rel
- דברו: INF,qal,inf+3ms
Parallels
- Deut.18:15-19 (structural): Immediate pericope: verses 15–19 present the promise of a future prophet ‘like you,’ of which v.17 ('They have spoken well') is the divine introduction/affirmation.
- Acts 3:22-23 (quotation): Peter cites the Deuteronomic promise of a coming prophet 'like Moses' (cf. Deut.18:15–19) as fulfilled in Jesus; echoes the same prophecy that v.17 approves.
- Acts 7:37 (quotation): Stephen explicitly quotes Moses’ promise about 'a prophet like Moses' when arguing that God raised up such a prophet, linking the Deut. oracle (introduced in v.17) to Jesus.
- 1 Samuel 8:7 (thematic): Contrast: when Israel demands a king, God tells Samuel 'they have rejected me,' the opposite divine evaluation to Deut.18:17's 'they have spoken well' about asking for a prophet.
- Numbers 11:29 (thematic): Moses’ wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets reflects the same concern for prophetic leadership and popular desire for prophecy that Deut.18:17 affirms.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the LORD said to me, ‘They have spoken well.'”},{
- and the LORD said to me, “They have spoken well.
Deu.18.18 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- נביא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אקים: VERB,qal,impf,1,c,sg
- להם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- מקרב: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אחיהם: NOUN,m,pl,abs,suff,3,m,pl
- כמוך: PREP+PRON,2,m,sg
- ונתתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,_,sg
- דברי: NOUN,m,pl,abs+PRON,1,c,sg
- בפיו: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs,3,m
- ודבר: VERB,qal,fut,3,m,sg
- אליהם: PREP,3,m,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- כל: DET
- אשר: PRON,rel
- אצונו: VERB,qal,fut,1,_,sg,suff3ms
Parallels
- Deut.18.15 (structural): Immediate parallel in the same chapter: the promise of 'a prophet like you' to be raised from among their brothers (earlier formulation of the same promise).
- Acts 3:22-23 (quotation): Peter explicitly quotes and applies Deut.18:15,18 to Jesus, citing Moses' promise that God will raise 'a prophet' whom the people must hear.
- Acts 7:37 (quotation): Stephen cites Moses' words (Deut.18) about 'a prophet like Moses' and identifies that promise as pointing forward to a coming prophet.
- John 6:14 (allusion): After the feeding of the 5,000 the crowd says, 'This is indeed the Prophet,' reflecting popular identification of Jesus with the promised prophet like Moses.
- John 12:49-50 (verbal): Jesus states that he does not speak on his own but speaks what the Father commanded—paralleling Deut.18:18's 'I will put My words in his mouth.'
Alternative generated candidates
- I will raise up for them a prophet from among their brothers like you, and I will put my words in his mouth; he shall speak to them all that I command him.
- I will raise up for them a prophet from among their brothers like you, and I will put my words in his mouth; he shall speak to them all that I command him.
Deu.18.19 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- והיה: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- האיש: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- לא: PART_NEG
- ישמע: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- דברי: NOUN,m,pl,abs+PRON,1,c,sg
- אשר: PRON,rel
- ידבר: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- בשמי: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs,poss:1
- אנכי: PRON,1,sg
- אדרש: VERB,qal,impf,1,_,sg
- מעמו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Deuteronomy 18:15–19 (structural): Immediate context/pericope: promise of a prophet like Moses (v15) and the divine pronouncement that God will hold accountable anyone who does not heed the prophet (v19).
- Deuteronomy 18:20 (verbal): Directly parallel legal warning: a prophet who presumptuously speaks in God's name what He has not commanded will be held responsible (similar vocabulary of God ‘requiring’ account).
- Deuteronomy 13:1–5 (thematic): Law concerning false prophets who entice to idolatry; prescribes rejection and punishment — same concern for prophetic legitimacy and divine accountability.
- Jeremiah 23:21–22 (thematic): Jeremiah condemns false prophets who speak without being sent by God and stresses that God will judge prophetic speech — echoes Deut.'s standard for authentic prophecy and responsibility.
- Acts 3:22–23 (quotation): Peter explicitly cites Deut 18:15–19 about 'the prophet' and repeats the warning that 'every soul who does not hear that prophet shall be destroyed,' applying the Deuteronomic word to Jesus.
Alternative generated candidates
- And whoever will not listen to my words that he speaks in my name, I myself will require it of him.
- Whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.
Deu.18.20 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אך: PART
- הנביא: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- יזיד: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- לדבר: INF,qal
- דבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בשמי: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,poss1s
- את: PRT,acc
- אשר: PRON,rel
- לא: PART_NEG
- צויתיו: VERB,qal,perf,1,sg,obj3,m
- לדבר: INF,qal
- ואשר: CONJ+PRON,rel
- ידבר: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- בשם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אלהים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- אחרים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- ומת: CONJ+VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- הנביא: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ההוא: DEM,ms,sg
Parallels
- Deut.18.21-22 (structural): Direct continuation of the same pericope; gives the test for distinguishing true from false prophets and follows the pronouncement against a prophet who speaks presumptuously.
- Deut.13.1-5 (thematic): Addresses false prophets/prophetic deception who entice Israel to other gods and prescribes death and communal purge—same concern about prophets speaking contrary to YHWH’s command.
- Jeremiah 23:30-32 (verbal): God condemns prophets who ’steal’ words or prophesy lies in His name and declares judgment—language and charge echo Deut 18:20’s indictment of unauthorized prophecy.
- Ezekiel 13:9 (verbal): God declares His hand against prophets who give false visions and lead the people astray—parallels the denunciation and divine judgment of false prophecy.
- Jeremiah 14:14 (allusion): The LORD tells Jeremiah that certain prophets prophesy lies in His name though He did not send them—reiterates the same theological principle as Deut 18:20.
Alternative generated candidates
- But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.
- But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods— that prophet shall die.
Deu.18.21 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וכי: CONJ
- תאמר: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- בלבבך: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,2,m,sg
- איכה: INTJ
- נדע: VERB,qal,impf,1,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- הדבר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- לא: PART_NEG
- דברו: INF,qal,inf+3ms
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Deut.13:1-5 (thematic): Gives a related criterion for testing prophets: a prophet who entices to foreign gods is false and must be rejected — both passages address how to discern true prophecy and protect the community from false prophets.
- Deut.18:22 (structural): The immediate continuation of Deut 18:21 that supplies the concrete test: if a prophet's word does not come to pass, it is not from the LORD.
- Jer.28:9-10 (thematic): Jeremiah challenges Hananiah’s prophetic claim by invoking the criterion of fulfillment: true prophecy is confirmed by its coming to pass, while false prophecy is exposed when it does not.
- Matt.7:15-20 (thematic): Jesus teaches that false prophets are known by their fruits; like Deut 18:21–22, this passage offers a practical means to evaluate prophetic authenticity rather than accepting claims at face value.
- 1 John 4:1-3 (thematic): Urges testing of spirits to discern whether they confess Christ, paralleling Deut 18:21’s concern with evaluating prophetic claims and guarding the community from misleading revelations.
Alternative generated candidates
- And when you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word that the LORD has not spoken?’
- And if you say in your heart, “How shall we know the word that the LORD has not spoken?”
Deu.18.22 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אשר: PRON,rel
- ידבר: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- הנביא: NOUN,m,sg,def
- בשם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- ולא: CONJ
- יהיה: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- הדבר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ולא: CONJ
- יבוא: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- הוא: PRON,3,m,sg
- הדבר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- לא: PART_NEG
- דברו: INF,qal,inf+3ms
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- בזדון: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- דברו: INF,qal,inf+3ms
- הנביא: NOUN,m,sg,def
- לא: PART_NEG
- תגור: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- ממנו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Deuteronomy 13:1-5 (thematic): Like Deut 18:20–22, this passage gives rules for testing prophets and warns that a prophet who leads people to other gods is false — both set criteria for rejecting a prophet.
- Jeremiah 28:9-10 (verbal): Jeremiah explicitly echoes Deut 18:22's language: if a prophet's word does not come to pass, the LORD has not spoken it; thus the prophet has spoken falsely.
- Jeremiah 23:30-32 (allusion): Jeremiah condemns false prophets who prophesy from their own minds and insists God did not send them, echoing Deuternomic criteria for distinguishing true and false prophecy.
- Ezekiel 13:6-9 (thematic): Ezekiel denounces prophets who follow their own spirit and give vain hopes — a prophetic critique parallel to Deut 18's concern with prophets who do not speak the LORD's word.
- 1 Kings 22:6-28 (structural): The Micaiah/false-prophets episode illustrates the Deuteronomic criterion in action: false prophetic speech versus true prophecy and the consequences when a prophet's message does not come to pass.
Alternative generated candidates
- If a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD and the thing does not happen and does not come to pass, that is a word the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously — do not be afraid of him.
- When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, and the thing does not come to pass or prove true, that is the word the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously—you shall not be afraid of him.
For these nations that you are dispossessing listen to those who practice divination and sorcery; you must not do so. The LORD your God has not given you such.
The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet from among you, from your brothers, like me; to him you shall listen.
It is just as you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, 'Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, nor let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.' And the LORD said to me, 'They have spoken well.'
I will raise up for them a prophet from among their brothers like you, and I will put my words in his mouth; he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die. And if you say in your heart, 'How shall we know the word that the LORD has not spoken?'
When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, and the thing does not come to pass and does not occur, that is the word the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously—do not fear him.