New Living Translation
Deuteronomy 18:10
10For example, never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering. And do not let your people practice fortune-telling, or use sorcery, or interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft,
Deuteronomy 18:10 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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,
- New International Version (NIV)Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft,
- English Standard Version (ESV)There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer
- New King James Version (NKJV)There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer,
Context of Deuteronomy 18:10
8He may eat his share of the sacrifices and offerings, even if he also receives support from his family. 9“When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, be very careful not to imitate the detestable customs of the nations living there. For example, never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering. And do not let your people practice fortune-telling, or use sorcery, or interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, 11or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead. 12Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord. It is because the other nations have done these detestable things that the Lord your God will drive them out ahead of you.
Read all of Deuteronomy 18Deuteronomy 18:10 word by word
לֹֽא־יִמָּצֵ֣א בְךָ֔ מַעֲבִ֥יר בְּנֽוֹ־וּבִתּ֖וֹ בָּאֵ֑שׁ קֹסֵ֣ם קְסָמִ֔ים מְעוֹנֵ֥ן וּמְנַחֵ֖שׁ וּמְכַשֵּֽׁף׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- There shall not be foundמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
- that maketh his sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- or his daughterבַּתbath · daughterH1323
- to passעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
- through the fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
- that usethקָסַםqâsam · to divineH7080
- divinationקֶ֫סֶםqesem · divinationH7081
- an observer of timesעָנַן‛ânan · to divineH6049
- or an enchanterנָחַשׁnâchash · to divineH5172
- or a witchכָּשַׁףkâshaph · to practice sorceryH3784
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 18:10
- Deuteronomy 12:31You must not worship the Lord your God the way the other nations worship their gods, for they perform for their gods every detestable act that the Lord hates. They even burn their sons and daughters as sacrifices to their gods.
- Leviticus 18:21“Do not permit any of your children to be offered as a sacrifice to Molech, for you must not bring shame on the name of your God. I am the Lord.
- Leviticus 20:2“Give the people of Israel these instructions, which apply both to native Israelites and to the foreigners living in Israel. “If any of them offer their children as a sacrifice to Molech, they must be put to death. The people of the community must stone them to death.
- 2 Kings 16:3Instead, he followed the example of the kings of Israel, even sacrificing his own son in the fire. In this way, he followed the detestable practices of the pagan nations the Lord had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites.
- 2 Kings 17:17They even sacrificed their own sons and daughters in the fire. They consulted fortune-tellers and practiced sorcery and sold themselves to evil, arousing the Lord’s anger.
- 2 Kings 21:6Manasseh also sacrificed his own son in the fire. He practiced sorcery and divination, and he consulted with mediums and psychics. He did much that was evil in the Lord’s sight, arousing his anger.
- 2 Chronicles 28:3He offered sacrifices in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, even sacrificing his own sons in the fire. In this way, he followed the detestable practices of the pagan nations the Lord had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites.
- Psalms 106:37They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons.
- Jeremiah 19:4“‘For Israel has forsaken me and turned this valley into a place of wickedness. The people burn incense to foreign gods—idols never before acknowledged by this generation, by their ancestors, or by the kings of Judah. And they have filled this place with the blood of innocent children.
- Jeremiah 32:35They have built pagan shrines to Baal in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, and there they sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molech. I have never commanded such a horrible deed; it never even crossed my mind to command such a thing. What an incredible evil, causing Judah to sin so greatly!
- Exodus 22:18“You must not allow a sorceress to live.
- Leviticus 19:26“Do not eat meat that has not been drained of its blood. “Do not practice fortune-telling or witchcraft.
- Leviticus 20:26You must be holy because I, the Lord, am holy. I have set you apart from all other people to be my very own.
- 1 Samuel 28:3Meanwhile, Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him. He was buried in Ramah, his hometown. And Saul had banned from the land of Israel all mediums and those who consult the spirits of the dead.
- 1 Chronicles 10:13So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord. He failed to obey the Lord’s command, and he even consulted a medium
- 2 Chronicles 33:6Manasseh also sacrificed his own sons in the fire in the valley of Ben-Hinnom. He practiced sorcery, divination, and witchcraft, and he consulted with mediums and psychics. He did much that was evil in the Lord’s sight, arousing his anger.
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 18:10
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 10To 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. See on Leviticus 18:21; (note). Divination - קסמים קסם kosem kesamim, one who endeavors to find out futurity by auguries, using lots, etc. Observer of times - מעונן meonen, one who pretends to foretell future events by present occurrences, and who predicts great political or physical changes from…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 10To 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.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-14Verses 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, &c. are here forbidden. These…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 10Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire: Some Canaanite religions practiced child sacrifice to please their gods. God strictly warned Israel against participating in this practice (Exodus 34:15–16; Leviticus 18:21; 20:2–5). When they did, it brought God's judgment (2 Kings 17:16–17; 21:6; Ezekiel 23:37). divination: In the ancient Near East, diviners (people who tried to learn the future) were seen as experts at…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 9-149-14. thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations--(See on Le 18:21; Le 19:26; Le 19:31; Le 20:4). In spite of this express command, the people of Canaan, especially the Philistines, were a constant snare and stumbling block to the Israelites, on account of their divinations and superstitious practices.Read the comment
Topics related to Deuteronomy 18:10
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
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