What words is the promised prophet to speak, and what warning concerns words the Lord did not command?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

The Lord says he will put his words in the prophet’s mouth, and the prophet will speak all he commands. A proud prophet speaking uncommanded words in the Lord’s name or speaking in strange gods’ names must be slain. An unfulfilled prediction made in the Lord’s name is the stated sign that the Lord did not speak that word.

Chapter breakdown

The chapter’s editorial summary identifies the great promised Prophet as Christ; this identification belongs to the summary, separately from the verses. The priests, Levites, and all of their tribe have no part or inheritance with the rest of Israel, because they eat the Lord’s sacrifices and offerings. They receive nothing else from their brothers’ possession, for the Lord is their inheritance, as he has said. The priest’s due from the people offering an ox or sheep is the shoulder and breast. He also receives firstfruits—the first produce—of corn, wine, and oil, and a portion of wool from shearing the sheep. The Lord chose him from all the tribes to stand and minister to his name, him and his sons forever.

If a Levite leaves any city throughout Israel where he lives, with a longing to come to the Lord’s chosen place, he shall minister in the Lord’s name as his fellow Levites then standing before the Lord do. He shall receive the same food portion as the others, besides what is due in his own city by succession from his fathers.

When Israel enters the land the Lord will give it, it must not wish to imitate the nations’ abominations. No one among them is to make a son or daughter pass through fire as expiation, consult soothsayers, observe dreams and omens, or be a wizard. The list also forbids charmers, those consulting pythonic spirits or fortune tellers, and those seeking truth from the dead. These are practices of seeking hidden guidance or using magic; the specific names remain as given. The Lord abhors all these things and will destroy the nations for them at Israel’s coming. Israel must be perfect and without spot before him. Those nations listen to soothsayers and diviners; the Lord has instructed Israel otherwise.

The Lord will raise a prophet from Israel’s nation and brothers, like Moses, whom Israel must hear. Moses relates this to what they asked at Horeb when assembled: not to hear the Lord’s voice or see the exceedingly great fire anymore, lest they die. The Lord told Moses they had spoken well. He said he would raise a prophet from their brothers like Moses, put his words in his mouth, and have him speak everything he commanded. The Lord says he will take vengeance on whoever will not hear the words spoken in his name.

A prophet corrupted with pride who speaks in the Lord’s name things he was not commanded to say, or speaks in strange gods’ names, must be slain. Moses then addresses the silent question of how to know a word the Lord has not spoken. The sign is an event predicted in the Lord’s name that does not come to pass. The Lord has not spoken that word; the prophet forged it through pride of mind. Israel must therefore not fear him.

The story inside

The speech contrasts the guidance Israel is forbidden to seek with the words the Lord promises to give. The nations listen to soothsayers and diviners, while Israel has been instructed otherwise. The prophet promise recalls the assembly’s request at Horeb to hear no more of the voice and see no more of the great fire lest they die. The Lord approves the request and promises a prophet with his words in his mouth. The warning then separates that commanded speech from proud, uncommanded speech or speech in strange gods’ names. The chapter answers how to recognize a word the Lord did not speak by naming a failed prediction. That test does not itself say that any prediction coming true proves the speaker’s authenticity.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The dues are specified rather than left vague. Shoulder, breast, firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and sheared wool are named. The visiting Levite receives the same food portion besides the due inherited in his own city.
2
The promised words respond to the Horeb request. Israel asked not to hear the voice or see the great fire anymore lest it die; the Lord approved and promised a prophet who would speak all he commands.
3
A failed prediction has a stated conclusion. If what is foretold in the Lord’s name does not happen, that word was not spoken by him and the prophet must not be feared. The chapter also names uncommanded and strange-god speech as offenses.

Test your recall

Why is Israel told not to fear the prophet whose prediction in the Lord’s name does not come to pass?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 20490–20512
Deuteronomy Chapter 18 The Lord is the inheritance of the priests and Levites. Heathenish abominations are to be avoided. The great PROPHET CHRIST is promised. False prophets must be slain. 18:1. The priests and Levites, and all that are of the same tribe, shall have no part nor inheritance with the rest of Israel, because they shall eat the sacrifices of the Lord, and his oblations, 18:2. And they shall receive nothing else of the possession of their brethren: for the Lord himself is their inheritance, as he hath said to them. 18:3. This shall be the priest’s due from the people, and from them that offer victims: whether they sacrifice an ox, or a sheep, they shall give to the priest the shoulder and the breast: 18:4. The firstfruits also of corn, of wine, and of oil, and a part of the wool from the shearing of their sheep. 18:5. For the Lord thy God hath chosen him of all thy tribes, to stand and to minister to the name of the Lord, him and his sons for ever.
Lines 20514–20523
18:6. If a Levite go out of any one of the cities throughout all Israel, in which he dwelleth, and have a longing mind to come to the place which the Lord shall choose, 18:7. He shall minister in the name of the Lord his God, as all his brethren the Levites do, that shall stand at that time before the Lord. 18:8. He shall receive the same portion of food that the rest do: besides that which is due to him in his own city, by succession from his fathers.
Lines 20525–20544
18:9. When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God shall give thee, beware lest thou have a mind to imitate the abominations of those nations. 18:10. Neither let there be found among you any one that shall expiate his son or daughter, making them to pass through the fire: or that consulteth soothsayers, or observeth dreams and omens, neither let there be any wizard, 18:11. Nor charmer, nor any one that consulteth pythonic spirits, or fortune tellers, or that seeketh the truth from the dead. 18:12. For the Lord abhorreth all these things, and for these abominations he will destroy them at thy coming. 18:13. Thou shalt be perfect, and without spot before the Lord thy God. 18:14. These nations, whose land thou shalt possess, hearken to soothsayers and diviners: but thou art otherwise instructed by the Lord thy God.
Lines 20546–20561
18:15. The Lord thy God will raise up to thee a PROPHET of thy nation and of thy brethren like unto me: him thou shalt hear: 18:16. As thou desiredst of the Lord thy God in Horeb, when the assembly was gathered together, and saidst: Let me not hear any more the voice of the Lord my God, neither let me see any more this exceeding great fire, lest I die. 18:17. And the Lord said to me: They have spoken all things well. 18:18. I will raise them up a prophet out of the midst of their brethren like to thee: and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him. 18:19. And he that will not hear his words, which he shall speak in my name, I will be the revenger.
Lines 20563–20575
18:20. But the prophet, who being corrupted with pride, shall speak in my name things that I did not command him to say, or in the name of strange gods, shall be slain. 18:21. And if in silent thought thou answer: How shall I know the word that the Lord hath not spoken? 18:22. Thou shalt have this sign: Whatsoever that same prophet foretelleth in the name of the Lord, and it cometh not to pass: that thing the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath forged it by the pride of his mind: and therefore thou shalt not fear him.