Deuteronomy 18:21

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 King James Version (NKJV)And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?’—

Context of Deuteronomy 18:21

19And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. 20But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which Yhwh hath not spoken? 22When a prophet speaketh in the name of Yhwh, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which Yhwh hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

Deuteronomy 18:21 word by word

וְכִ֥י תֹאמַ֖ר בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ אֵיכָה֙ נֵדַ֣ע אֶת־הַדָּבָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־דִבְּר֖וֹ יְהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear

• And if thou sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• in thine heartלֵבָבlêbâb · heartH3824
• How shall we knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• the wordדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• which Yhwhיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• hath not spokenדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 18:21

• 1 Thessalonians 5:24Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
• 1 John 4:1Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
• Revelation 2:2I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast 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

• Minister, Christian

In the dictionaries

• Consulter
• Midst
• Raise
• Atonement, Day of
• Christ, Offices of
• Criticism
• Exodus, the Book of
• Genesis
• Give
• Leviticus

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