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Commentary on Deuteronomy 18 verses 15–22
Here is, I. The promise of the great prophet, with a command to receive him, and hearken to him. Now,
1.Some think it is the promise of a succession of prophets, that should for many ages be kept up in Israel. Besides the priests and Levites, their ordinary ministers, whose office it was to teach Jacob God's law, they should have prophets, extraordinary ministers, to reprove them for their faults, remind them of their duty, and foretel things to come, judgments for warning and deliverances for their comfort. Having these prophets, (1.) They need not use divinations, nor consult with familiar spirits, for they might enquire of God's prophets even concerning their private affairs, as Saul did when he was in quest of his father's asses, Sa1 9:6. (2.) They could not miss the way of their duty through ignorance or mistake, nor differ in their opinions about it, having prophets among them, whom, in every difficult doubtful case, they might advise with and appeal to. These prophets were like unto Moses in some respects, though far inferior to him, Deu 34:10.
2.Whether a succession of prophets be included in this promise or not, we are sure that it is primarily intended as a promise of Christ, and it is the clearest promise of him that is in all the law of Moses. It is expressly applied to our Lord Jesus as the Messiah promised (Act 3:22; Act 7:37), and the people had an eye to this promise when they said concerning him, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world (Joh 6:14); and it was his Spirit that spoke in all the other prophets, Pe1 1:11. Observe,
(1.)What it is that is here promised concerning Christ. What God promised Moses at Mount Sinai (which he relates, Deu 18:18), he promised the people (Deu 18:15) in God's name. [1.] 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 ever he had done before. He is the light of the world, as prophecy was of the Jewish church, Joh 8:12. He is the Word, by whom God speaks to us, Joh 1:1; Heb 1:2. [2.] That God would raise him up from the midst of them. In his birth he should be one of that nation, should live among them and be sent to them. In his resurrection he should be raised up at Jerusalem, and thence his doctrine should go forth to all the world: thus God, having raised up his Son Christ Jesus, sent him to bless us. [3.] That he should be like unto Moses, only as much above him as the other prophets came short of him. Moses was such a prophet as was a law-giver to Israel and their deliverer out of Egypt, and so was Christ: he not only teaches, but rules and saves. Moses was the founder of a new dispensation by signs and wonders and mighty deeds, and so was Christ, by which he proved himself a teacher come from God. Was Moses faithful? So was Christ; Moses as a servant, but Christ as a Son. [4.] That God would put his words in his mouth, Deu 18:18. What messages God had to send to the children of men he would send them by him, and give him full instructions what to say and do as a prophet. Hence our Saviour says, My doctrine is not mine originally, but his that sent me, Joh 7:16. So that this great promise is performed; this Prophet has come, even Jesus; it is he that should come, and we are to look for no other.
(2.)The agreeableness of this designed dispensation to the people's avowed choice and desire at Mount Sinai, Deu 18:16, Deu 18:17. There God had spoken to them in thunder and lightning, out of the midst of the fire and thick darkness. Every word made their ears tingle and their hearts tremble, so that the whole congregation was ready to die with fear. In this fright, they begged hard that God would not speak to them in this manner any more (they could not bear it, it would overwhelm and distract them), but that he would speak to them by men like themselves, by Moses now, and afterwards by other prophets like unto him. "Well," says God, "it shall be so; they shall be spoken to by men, whose terrors shall not make them afraid;" and, to crown the favour beyond what they were able to ask or think, in the fulness of time the Word itself was made flesh, and they saw his glory as of the only-begotten of the Father, not, as at Mount Sinai, full of majesty and terror, but full of grace and truth, Joh 1:14. Thus, in answer to the request of those who were struck with amazement by the law, God promised the incarnation of his Son, though we may suppose it far from the thoughts of those that made that request.
(3.)A charge and command given to all people to hear and believe, hear and obey, this great prophet here promised: Unto him you shall hearken (Deu 18:15); and whoever will not hearken to him shall be surely and severely reckoned with for his contempt (Deu 18:19): I will require it of him. God himself applied this to our Lord Jesus in the voice that came out of the excellent glory, Mat 17:5, Hear you him, that is, this is he concerning whom it was said by Moses of old, Unto him you shall hearken; and Moses and Elias then stood by and assented to it. The sentence here passed on those that hearken not to this prophet is repeated and ratified in the New Testament. He that believeth not the Son, the wrath of God abideth on him, Joh 3:36. And how shall we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven? Heb 12:25. The Chaldee paraphrase here reads it, My Word shall require it of him, which can be no other than a divine person, Christ the eternal Word, to whom the Father has committed all judgement, and by whom he will at the last day judge the world. Whoever turns a deaf ear to Jesus Christ shall find that it is at his peril; the same that is the prophet is to be his judge, Joh 12:48.
II. Here is a caution against false prophets, 1. By way of threatening against the pretenders themselves, Deu 18:20. Whoever sets up for a prophet, and produces either a commission from the true God, shall be deemed and adjudged guilty of high treason against the crown and dignity of the King of kings, and that traitor shall be put to death (Deu 18:20), namely, by the judgment of the great sanhedrim, which, in process of time, sat at Jerusalem; and therefore our Saviour says that a prophet could not perish but at Jerusalem, and lays the blood of the prophets at Jerusalem's door (Luk 13:33, Luk 13:34), whom therefore God himself would punish; yet there false prophets were supported. 2. By way of direction to the people, that they might not be imposed upon by pretenders, of which there were many, as appears, Jer 23:25; Eze 13:6; Kg1 22:6. It is a very proper question which they are supposed to ask, Deu 18:21. Since it is so great a duty to hearken to the true prophets, and yet there is so much danger of being misled by false prophets, how shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken? By what marks may we discover a cheat? Note, It highly concerns us to have a right touchstone wherewith to try the word we hear, that we may know what that word is which the Lord has not spoken. Whatever is directly repugnant to sense, to the light and law of nature, and to the plain meaning of the written word, we may be sure is not that which the Lord has spoken; nor that which gives countenance and encouragement to sin, or has a manifest tendency to the destruction of piety or charity: far be it from God that he should contradict himself. The rule here given in answer to this enquiry was adapted chiefly to that state, Deu 18:22. If there was any cause to suspect the sincerity of a prophet, let them observe that if he gave them any sign, or foretold something to come, and the event was not according to his prediction, they might be sure he was not sent of God. This does not refer so much to the foretelling of mercies and judgments (though as to these, and the difference between the predictions of mercies and judgments, there is a rule of discerning between truth and falsehood laid down by the prophet, Jer 28:8, Jer 28:9), but rather to the giving of signs on purpose to confirm their mission. Though the sign did come to pass, yet this would not serve to prove their mission if they called them to serve other gods; this point had been already settled, Deu 13:1-3. But, if the sign did not come to pass, this would serve to disprove their mission. "When Moses cast his rod upon the ground (it is bishop Patrick's explanation of this), and said it would become a serpent, if it had not accordingly been turned into a serpent, Moses had been a false prophet: if, when Elijah called for fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice, none had come, he had been no better than the prophets of Baal." Samuel's mission was proved by this, that God let none of his words fall to the ground, Sa1 3:19, Sa1 3:20. And by the miracles Christ wrought, especially by that great sign he gave of his resurrection the third day, which came to pass as he foretold, it appeared that he was a teacher come from God. Lastly, They are directed not to be afraid of a false prophet; that is, not to be afraid of the judgments such a one might denounce to amuse people and strike terror upon them; nor to be afraid of executing the law upon him when, upon a strict and impartial scrutiny, it appeared that he was a false prophet. This command not to fear a false prophet implies that a true prophet, who proved his commission by clear and undeniable proofs, was to be feared, and it was at their peril if they offered him any violence or put any slight upon him.
This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush. He brought them out, after that he had showed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years. This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear. [Deuteronomy 18:18-19] This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us
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SUMMARY
Deuteronomy 18:18 stands as a profound prophetic declaration from God to Israel, promising the advent of a unique and authoritative prophet. This divinely appointed messenger, explicitly likened to Moses, would emerge from within the Israelite community, serving as God's direct and infallible spokesman. His mission would be to faithfully declare all that God commanded, establishing a legitimate and pure channel of divine revelation in stark contrast to the forbidden practices of divination prevalent among surrounding nations, thereby laying a foundational expectation for the ultimate revelation of God's will.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: This verse is strategically situated within a larger section of Deuteronomy (chapters 12-26) that meticulously outlines the statutes and ordinances for Israel as they prepare to inherit the Promised Land. Specifically, Deuteronomy 18 addresses the proper worship of Yahweh and the imperative avoidance of pagan practices. Verses 9-14 sternly condemn various forms of divination, sorcery, necromancy, and consulting mediums, which were considered abhorrent to God and common among the Canaanite nations. In direct antithesis to these illicit means of seeking knowledge and guidance, verses 15-19 present God's legitimate and divinely sanctioned method of communication: the true prophet. This immediate context highlights the purity, authority, and exclusivity of God's chosen messenger, sharply distinguishing Israel's divine guidance from the deceptive and idolatrous practices of their neighbors, establishing a clear boundary for covenant faithfulness.
Historical & Cultural Context: Ancient Near Eastern cultures were deeply immersed in various forms of divination, seeking to discern the will of their gods or predict the future through omens, augury, magic, and consulting spirits of the dead. As Israel stood on the precipice of entering Canaan, they would be exposed to these pervasive practices. God's explicit prohibition of such abominations and His simultaneous provision of a true prophet were critically important for maintaining Israel's distinct identity and their unique covenant relationship with Yahweh. Moses, as the unparalleled mediator of the Old Covenant and the one through whom God delivered the Law and spoke "face to face" (Deuteronomy 34:10), served as the quintessential prophet for Israel. The promise of a prophet "like unto thee" would resonate deeply with a people who had experienced God's direct and powerful communication through Moses, setting an exceptionally high standard for future divine spokesmen and distinguishing Yahweh's personal, authoritative revelation from the impersonal, often manipulative, practices of other religions.
Key Themes: Deuteronomy 18:18 contributes significantly to several overarching themes within Deuteronomy and the broader Pentateuch. It profoundly underscores the theme of divine revelation, emphasizing God's unwavering commitment to communicate His will directly, clearly, and authoritatively to His people, in stark contrast to the pagan practices condemned in Deuteronomy 18:9-14. The verse also develops the crucial theme of covenant faithfulness, as God graciously provides a legitimate means for Israel to remain obedient and guided within the covenant relationship, ensuring they do not stray after false gods or deceptive spiritual practices. Furthermore, it introduces a profound messianic expectation, though initially understood in a broader sense of a prophetic succession, ultimately pointing to a singular, ultimate prophet. The phrase "like unto thee" links this future prophet directly to Moses' unique role as lawgiver, mediator, and one who spoke with God "face to face" as seen in Deuteronomy 34:10, setting the stage for a figure of unparalleled authority, intimacy with God, and definitive revelation.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Deuteronomy 18:18 employs several potent literary devices to convey its profound and enduring message. The most prominent is Prophecy, as the verse explicitly foretells the coming of a future, divinely appointed messenger, thereby establishing a foundational expectation for ongoing divine revelation beyond Moses. The phrase "like unto thee" functions as a powerful Simile and Typology, drawing a direct and significant parallel between the promised prophet and Moses, not merely in the office they hold but in their unique intimacy with God and the unparalleled authority of their message. This simile elevates the future prophet to an unparalleled status, hinting at a figure of immense and singular significance in salvation history. Furthermore, the declaration "I will put my words in his mouth" uses Metonymy, where "words in his mouth" stands for the divine inspiration, authoritative nature, and direct origin of the prophet's message from God Himself. This emphasizes that the prophet is merely the faithful instrument through whom God's own truth is conveyed. This combination of devices imbues the verse with both predictive power and profound theological weight, setting the stage for a pivotal figure in the unfolding drama of God's redemptive plan.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Deuteronomy 18:18 is a cornerstone prophecy concerning divine revelation and the very nature of God's communication with humanity. It establishes the theological principle that God, in His faithfulness and love, will not leave His people without guidance, actively providing a legitimate and authoritative voice in stark contrast to the deceptive and destructive practices of the surrounding nations. The promise of a prophet "like Moses" elevates this future figure to a unique and unparalleled status, implying a mediator of a new covenant or a new, definitive phase of divine revelation, one who would possess an intimacy with God and an authority to speak His very words that would surpass all others. This verse sets the stage for the entire prophetic tradition in Israel, establishing the criteria for true prophecy and culminating in the ultimate Prophet who would perfectly fulfill this promise. It underscores God's active and continuous involvement in human history, guiding His people through His chosen spokesmen, and highlights the imperative for humanity to heed His divinely inspired and authoritative word.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Deuteronomy 18:18 calls us to a profound appreciation for God's unwavering commitment to communicating His truth to humanity. In a world saturated with competing voices, false prophecies, and deceptive ideologies, this verse serves as a timeless reminder that God has provided a clear, authoritative, and utterly trustworthy channel for His truth. Just as ancient Israel was sternly warned against seeking guidance from illicit and forbidden sources, we too must exercise rigorous discernment, diligently grounding our understanding of truth in God's revealed word through His appointed messenger. The promise of a prophet "like Moses" invites us to consider the unparalleled authority, intimate relationship with God, and perfect faithfulness that such a figure would possess, urging us to listen attentively, obediently, and exclusively to His voice. This passage profoundly challenges us to examine where we seek guidance, wisdom, and ultimate authority in our lives, encouraging us to turn always and unreservedly to the ultimate source of truth and life, embracing the words of the One sent by God to speak His perfect and complete will. Our spiritual nourishment, moral direction, and eternal destiny depend entirely on our willingness to hear and obey the divine message.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Was Deuteronomy 18:18 fulfilled by other prophets before Jesus?
Answer: While Deuteronomy 18:18 certainly established the office of the prophet in Israel, and many subsequent prophets like Samuel, Elijah, and Isaiah did indeed speak God's words with authority, they were not "like Moses" in the unique, comprehensive sense implied by this prophecy. Moses was unparalleled as the lawgiver, the mediator of the covenant, and one who spoke with God "face to face" (Deuteronomy 34:10). No other Old Testament prophet fully embodied this singular likeness. The New Testament explicitly and emphatically applies this prophecy to Jesus, indicating that He is the ultimate, definitive, and complete fulfillment, surpassing all other prophets in His nature, authority, and mediatorial role.
Why is it important that the prophet comes "from among their brethren"?
Answer: The phrase "from among their brethren" emphasizes that the promised prophet would be a fellow Israelite, identifiable with the people, rather than a foreign figure or a divine being appearing in an unmediated way. This ensures relatability, accessibility, and trust, as the prophet would understand the people's context and speak in a way they could comprehend. More profoundly, for the ultimate fulfillment in Jesus, it highlights His full humanity and His identification with humanity, being "born of a woman, born under the law" (Galatians 4:4). This human connection is essential for His unique mediatorial role, as He can fully represent both God to humanity and humanity to God, bridging the chasm created by sin.
How does this verse relate to the warnings against divination in the preceding verses?
Answer: Deuteronomy 18:18 stands in direct and powerful contrast to the warnings against divination, sorcery, and other forbidden occult practices detailed in Deuteronomy 18:9-14. The preceding verses condemn all illicit means of seeking knowledge or guidance that involve manipulating spiritual forces or consulting sources other than God Himself. In response to these abominations, God graciously promises a legitimate, pure, and divinely sanctioned channel of communication: a true prophet who speaks only what God commands. This juxtaposition highlights God's absolute sovereignty over revelation and His desire for His people to seek Him exclusively through His appointed and holy means, sharply distinguishing Israel's unique relationship with Yahweh from the deceptive and idolatrous practices of surrounding pagan nations.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Deuteronomy 18:18 finds its ultimate, comprehensive, and perfect fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The early church, particularly Peter in Acts 3:22-23 and Stephen in Acts 7:37, explicitly identified Jesus as "the Prophet like Moses." Jesus, indeed, was raised "from among their brethren," fully human, yet uniquely divine, the Son of God incarnate. He surpassed Moses in every conceivable way: Moses mediated the Old Covenant of law, but Jesus inaugurated the New Covenant of grace through His atoning blood (Luke 22:20). While Moses spoke with God face-to-face, Jesus is God, the eternal Word made flesh, existing in perfect communion with the Father (John 1:1; John 1:14). Crucially, God "put His words in His mouth" to an unparalleled degree, for Jesus spoke not His own words, but the very words of the Father, revealing God perfectly and completely (John 12:49-50; John 14:10). He is the final, supreme, and definitive revelation of God, through whom God has spoken His last and most complete word to humanity (Hebrews 1:1-2). Therefore, to hear Jesus is to hear God Himself, and to obey Him is to obey God, making Him the ultimate Prophet to whom all must listen and submit.