Deuteronomy 18:20

18:15-22 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; Heb 1:2. In his birth he should be one of their nation. In his resurrection he should be raised up at Jerusalem, and from thence his doctrine should go forth to all the world. Thus God, having raised up his Son Christ Jesus, sent him to bless us. He should be like unto Moses, only above him. This prophet is come, even JESUS; and is He that should come, and we are to look for no other. The view of God which he gives, will not terrify or overwhelm, but encourages us. He speaks with fatherly affection and Divine authority united. Whoever refuses to listen to Jesus Christ, shall find it is at his peril; the same that is the Prophet is to be his Judge, Joh 12:48. Woe then to those who refuse to hearken to His voice, to accept His salvation, or yield obedience to His sway! But happy they who trust in Him, and obey Him. He will lead them in the paths of safety and peace, until He brings them to the land of perfect light, purity, and happiness. Here is a caution against false prophets. 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.

But the prophet which shall presume to speak in my name,.... Pretending a mission and commission from God, and yet was never sent by him, like the prophets in Jeremiah 23:21 , which I have not commanded him to speak; which though true was not to be spoken in a public manner, by assuming a public office, without a divine authority or a commission from God, and much less what was false, and never commanded to be spoken at all by any: or, that shall speak in the name of other gods; the idols of the people, as the Targum; as if any should affirm they were sent by Jove, or inspired by Apollo, as some are said to prophesy by Baal, as if they had received their orders and instructions from him, and were inspired by him, Jeremiah 2:8. even that prophet shall die; the Targum of Jonathan is, be killed by the sword, but the Jews (q) generally interpret it of strangling. (q) Misn. Sanhedrin, c. 10. sect. 1. Bartenora in ib sect. 5. and Jarchi in loc.

Verse 20. - If, however, a prophet should presume to speak in the Name of the Lord what the Lord had not commanded him to speak, or if he should speak in the name of other gods, not only was no regard to be paid to his words, but he was himself to be treated as a blasphemer, and to be put to death. Deuteronomy 18:20

20 . the prophet , etc.] These special cases prove that throughout this passage no single prophet but a succession of prophets is meant. which shall speak presumptuously , etc.] Heb. who shall be presumptuous ( Deuteronomy 17:12 , see on Deuteronomy 1:43 ) to speak a word , etc. It is notorious how many such ‘prophets’ appeared in Israel both before and during the seventh century (see Jeremiah passim ). On the rest of the v . see on Deuteronomy 13:1-5 .

With this assurance the Lord had fully granted the request of the people, "according to all that thou desiredst of the Lord thy God;" and Israel, therefore, was all the more bound to hearken to the prophets, whom God would raise up from the midst of itself, and not to resort to heathen soothsayers. (On the fact itself, comp. Deuteronomy 5:20 . with Exodus 20:15-17 .) "In the day of the assembly," as in Deuteronomy 9:10 ; Deuteronomy 10:4 . - The instructions as to their behaviour towards the prophets are given by Moses ( Deuteronomy 18:19 , Deuteronomy 18:20 ) in the name of the Lord, for the purpose of enforcing obedience with all the greater emphasis. Whoever did not hearken to the words of the prophet who spoke in the name of the Lord, of him the Lord would require it, i.e., visit the disobedience with punishment (cf. Psalm 10:4 , Psalm 10:13 ). On the other hand, the prophet who spoke in the name of the Lord what the Lord had not commanded him, i.e., proclaimed the thoughts of his own heart as divine revelations (cf. Numbers 16:28 ), should die, like the prophet who spoke in the name of other gods. With וּמת, the predicate is introduced in the form of an apodosis.

The terms of the promise are strongly Deuteronomic: see Deuteronomy 6:2 ; Deuteronomy 25:15 , and (in the form ‘prolong days’) Deuteronomy 4:26 ; Deuteronomy 4:40 , Deuteronomy 5:33 , Deuteronomy 11:9 , Deuteronomy 17:20 , Deuteronomy 22:7 , Deuteronomy 30:18 , Deuteronomy 32:47 ; and, for the following clause, upon the land , &c., Deuteronomy 3:20 , Deuteronomy 11:17 ; Deuteronomy 11:31 , Deuteronomy 15:7 , Deuteronomy 16:20 , Deuteronomy 17:14 , Deuteronomy 18:9 , &c., and especially Deuteronomy 4:40 , Deuteronomy 25:15 . giveth ] is giving (i.e. is in the course of giving, is about to give); so in all the passages of Dt. just quoted (and in many similar ones in the same book besides). The standpoint of the Exodus is assumed. The land is not, as ‘giveth’ in itself might suggest, the possession of the individual Israelite, but Canaan.