Deuteronomy 18:22

_AND IF THOU SAY IN THINE HEART, HOW SHALL WE KNOW THE WORD WHICH THE LORD HATH NOT SPOKEN?_ If thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken? - (see the notes at Deuteronomy 13:1)...

22._The prophet hath spoken it presumptuously. _He not only condemns the folly and vanity of those who advance their own inventions in the place of God’s commands, but also their arrogance; since doubtless, this is impious and intolerable audacity, to set forth the offspring of man’s earthly brain as if it were a divine revelation. And on this ground it is that their impiety is detestable, who fill the air with the fumes of their revelations in order to alarm the simple. Wherefore, he adds, that they should “not be afraid” of such a prophet; because, as nothing can be more arrogant than the ministers of Satan, they confidently utter their boastings, by which we may be easily moved and even overwhelmed, unless we had this buckler to protect us, viz., that their terrific noise may be safely despised. This doctrine is now-a-days very useful for us. We know how insolently the Papists boast o...

15-22 It is here promised concerning Christ, that there should come a Prophet, great above all the prophets; by whom God would make known himself and his will to the children of men, more fully and clearly than he had ever done before. He is the Light of the world, John 8:12. He is the World by whom God speaks to us, John 1:1; Hebrews 1:2. In his birth he should be one of their nation. In his resurrection he should be raised up at Jerusalem, and from thence his doctrine should go forth to all the world. Thus God, having raised up his Son Christ Jesus, sent him to bless us. He should be like unto Moses, only above him. This prophet is come, even JESUS; and is "He that should come," and we are to look for no other. The view of God which he gives, will...

Verse Deuteronomy 18:22. _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 Deuteronomy 18:15, Deuteronomy 18:15 and Deuteronomy 18:18, Deuteronomy 18:18 verses of this chapter has long been considered of the fi

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

WHEN A PROPHET SPEAKETH IN THE NAME OF THE LORD,.... Says he comes from God, is sent by him, and has a commission from him to say so: IF THE THING FOLLOW NOT, NOR COME TO PASS; as the prophecy of Hananiah, Jeremiah 28:3 that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken; or otherwise it would have come to pass, unless when a condition is either expressed or implied, as the repentance or disobedience of a people; see Jeremiah 18:7 BUT THE PROPHET HATH SPOKEN IT PRESUMPTUOUSLY; in a bold and daring manner, with great impiety and impudence, out of his own head and heart, being a mere device and imagination of his own, which, not having the fear of God, he delivered as coming from the Lord: THOU SHALL NOT BE AFRAID OF HIM; not only to reprove him for h

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

Of Prophets in contrast to Diviners, etc. In the promised land Israel must have nothing to do with the abominations of its peoples (Deuteronomy 18:9); with any one passing his children through the fire, or diviner, soothsayer, augur, sorcerer, spell-binder or trafficker with the dead (Deuteronomy 18:10 f.), for these are abominations to Jehovah to whom Israel must be utterly loyal (Deuteronomy 18:12-14). A prophet shall He raise up from among themselves, to be such a mediator of His word, as in Ḥoreb they had prayed Moses to be; to him shall they hearken (Deuteronomy 18:15-19). The prophe

_VER._ 21, 22. _IF THOU SAY IN THINE HEART,_ &C.— It should be observed, that this is to be understood absolutely of an Israelitish prophet. If such a prophet spoke in the name of any other god than the God of Israel, they needed no farther mark to discover him to be an impostor, see chap. Deuteronomy 13:2 but if he came to them pretending to a commission from Jehovah, it was necessary that they should have some certain criterion, whereby to know whether his pretensions were true or false; and this is laid down in the next words; _if the thing follow not,_ that is, _the thing which the Lord hath not spoken:_ for though the mere fulfilling of a sign, or working of an apparent miracle, is not enough of itself to establish the belief of a false and wicked doctrine; yet, on the other hand, to pretend to miracles and predictions, and not to be able to accomplish them