New King James Version
Deuteronomy 18:21
21And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?’—
Deuteronomy 18:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken?
- New International Version (NIV)You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And if you say in your heart, 'How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?'—
- New Living Translation (NLT)“But you may wonder, ‘How will we know whether or not a prophecy is from the Lord?’
Context of Deuteronomy 18:21
19And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him. 20But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which 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 which the Lord has not spoken?’— 22when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.
Read all of Deuteronomy 18Deuteronomy 18:21 word by word
וְכִ֥י תֹאמַ֖ר בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ אֵיכָה֙ נֵדַ֣ע אֶת־הַדָּבָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־דִבְּר֖וֹ יְהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 18:21
- 1 Thessalonians 5:24He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
- 1 John 4:1Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
- Revelation 2:2“I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars;
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 18:21
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21And if thou say in thine heart, How - The passage evidently assumes such an occasion for consulting the prophet as was usual among the pagan, e. g., an impending battle or other such crisis (compare 1 Kings 22:11), in which his veracity would soon be put to the test. Failure of a prediction is set forth as a sure note of its being “presumptuous.” But from Deuteronomy 13:2 ff we see that the fulfillment of a prediction would not decisively accredit him…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-22Verses 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, Joh 8:12. He is the World by whom God speaks to us, Joh 1:1; He 1:2. In his birth he should be one of their nation. In his resurrection he should be raised up at Jerusalem, and from…Read the comment
Topics related to Deuteronomy 18:21
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries