Deuteronomy 18:10

_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,_ That useth divination, х_ QOCEEM_ (H7081) _ QªCAAMIYM_ (H7080); Septuagint, manteuomenos manteian]. х_ QAACAM_ (H7080), denotes primarily to divide, and thence to determine by lot or divination, particularly the three favourite methods of divining specified by Ezekiel (Ezekiel 21:21). The verb is applied to soothsayers (Joshua 13:22; 1 Samuel 6:2), to necromancers ...

10._There shall not be found among you. _This horrible and altogether monstrous infatuation, whereby the Gentiles had been possessed, afterwards invaded the Jews also, that they should immolate and even burn their children in honor of the gods to which they had devoted themselves; although it is probable that the greater part of them were not inflamed by such an excess of madness, but satisfied their superstition more easily, by merely making their children to pass through the fire. This was with them a kind of lustration to purge away all filthiness. But their cruel zeal impelled many of them even to murder, so as not even to spare their own flesh and blood. Yet in this they pleaded the example of Abraham, as if there were any similarity between the obedience of that holy man who, led by God’s command, was ready to slay his son Isaac, and this barbarous act of violence in people who, th...

9-14 Was it possible that a people so blessed with Divine institutions, should ever be in any danger of making those their teachers whom God had made their captives? They were in danger; therefore, after many like cautions, they are charged not to do after the abominations of the nations of Canaan. All reckoning of lucky or unlucky days, all charms for diseases, all amulets or spells to prevent evil, fortune-telling, etc. are here forbidden. These are so wicked as to be a chief cause of the rooting out of the Canaanites. It is amazing to think that there should be any pretenders of this kind in such a land, and day of light, as we live in. They are mere impostors who blind and cheat their followers....

Verse Deuteronomy 18:10. _TO PASS THROUGH THE FIRE_] Probably in the way of consecration to Molech, or some other deity. It is not likely that their being _burnt to death_ is here intended. Leviticus 18:21. _DIVINATION_] קסם קסמים _kosem kesamim_, one who endeavours to find out futurity by _auguries_, using lots, c. _OBSERVER OF TIMES_] מעונן _meonen_, one who pretends to foretell future events by present occurrences, and who predicts great political or physical changes from the aspects of the planets, eclipses, motion of the _clouds_, c., c. Genesis 41:8. _ENCHANTER_] מנחש menachesh

TO PASS THROUGH THE FIRE - i. e., to Moloch; compare the Leviticus 20:2 note. THAT USETH DIVINATION - Compare Numbers 23:23 note. OBSERVER OF TIMES ... ENCHANTER - Compare Leviticus 19:26 note. WITCH - Rather “sorcerer,” compare the Exodus 7:11 note....

EXPOSITION RIGHTS OF THE PRIESTS AND THE LEVITES. THE ARTS OF DIVINATION OF THE HEATHEN TO BE AVOIDED. PROPHETS PROMISED WHOM ISRAEL MUST HEAR. THE FALSE AND PRESUMPTUOUS PROPHET TO BE PUT TO DEATH. DEUTERONOMY 18:1 After the ruling powers, the judges and the king, come the priests and the

THERE SHALL NOT BE FOUND AMONG YOU ANYONE THAT MAKETH HIS SON OR HIS DAUGHTER TO PASS THROUGH THE FIRE,.... To Moloch, which was a sort of lustration by fire, two fires being made, and the child led by a priest between them, and which was an initiation of him into the religion of that deity, and devoting him to it; so Jarchi says, this is the service of Moloch, making piles of fire here and there (on this side and on that), and causing (the children) to pass between them both. Besides this they used to burn them with fire to this deity, perhaps after the performance of this ceremony; see Deuteronomy 12:31: or that useth divination: according to Aben Ezra this is a general name, and so Ben Melech, the particulars of which are what follow, AN OBSERVER OF TIMES, c. Cicero says z, there are two sorts of divination, one is of art, the other of nature. What nation or w

14. THE RIGHTS OF THE PRIESTS AND THE LEVITES, THE TRUE AND THE FALSE PROPHET CHAPTER 18 _ 1. The rights of the priests and Levites (Deuteronomy 18:1)_ 2. Forbidden things (Deuteronomy 18:9) kite hate is stirred up in his wicked heart, and he became full of wrath. An unseen being, he who is the murderer from the beginning, told him to make this occasion for destroying all the Jews in the Persian Empire. Esther 3:7. And now Haman waits on his unseen master, the devil. They cast the lot before Haman, from day to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month, which is the month Adar. He wanted to find out the month which would be best suited for the execution of his wicke

CONCERNING THE PROPHET. The Israelites are to consult Yahweh through His accredited messenger the prophet, and not through diviners who seek oracles by heathen methods. There is no parallel law in JE because about 800 B.C. and earlier the religious community was simple and undifferentiated: nor in P, where the priest is everything. For the several technical terms in Deuteronomy 18:10 f. (all denoting diviners of various kinds), see EBi. 1117, 2895, and especially later and longer articles on Divination and Magic in _International Standard Bible Encyclopæ dia.___ Deuteronomy 18:10. maketh. fire, etc.: read (with Geiger) that burneth. in the fire (transposing two consonants). The reference is to child-sacrifice (common among the Phœ nicians, etc.) practised as a means

OR. Note the Figure of speech _Paradiastole._ App-6....