ris3n's Apologetics Codex
Deuteronomy 18.20-22
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Passage

Deuteronomy 18.20-22

Book: Deuteronomy · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

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ASV

18. I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. 19. And 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.

20. But the prophet, that shall speak a word presumptuously in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die. 21. And if thou say in thy heart, How shall we know the word which Jehovah hath not spoken? 22. when a prophet speaketh in the name of Jehovah, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which Jehovah hath not spoken: the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously, thou shalt not be afraid of him. (Deuteronomy 18:18-22, ASV)

WEB

18. I will raise them up a prophet from among their brothers, like you. I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him. 19. It shall happen, that whoever will not listen to my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

20. But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.” 21. You may say in your heart, “How shall we know the word which Yahweh has not spoken?” 22. When a prophet speaks in Yahweh’s name, if the thing doesn’t follow, nor happen, that is the thing which Yahweh has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You shall not be afraid of him. (Deuteronomy 18:18-22, WEB)

KJV

18. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. 19. And 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.

20. But 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. 21. And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? 22. When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him. (Deuteronomy 18:18-22, KJV)

YLT

18. a prophet I raise up to them, out of the midst of their brethren, like to thee; and I have given my words in his mouth, and he hath spoken unto them all that which I command him; 19. and it hath been, the man who doth not hearken unto My words which he doth speak in My name, I require [it] of him.

20. 'Only, the prophet who presumeth to speak a word in My name, that which I have not commanded him to speak, and who speaketh in the name of other gods, even that prophet hath died. 21. 'And when thou sayest in thy heart, How do we know the word which Jehovah hath not spoken? 22. that which the prophet speaketh in the name of Jehovah, and the thing is not, and cometh not, it [is] the word which Jehovah hath not spoken; in presumption hath the prophet spoken it;, thou art not afraid of him. (Deuteronomy 18:18-22, YLT)

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Setting

  • Speaker: Moses, reporting what Jehovah said to him at Horeb (18:17-20), with verses 21-22 answering the question Israel would ask
  • Audience: Israel, the generation about to cross the Jordan into Canaan
  • Location: "beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab" (1:5)
  • Time period: On the book's own dating, the fortieth year after the Exodus (1:3), shortly before Moses' death (34:5). Many critical scholars connect the book's final form with the reform under King Josiah in the late seventh century BC (2 Kings 22-23)

Theological reading

"But the prophet, that shall speak a word presumptuously in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die. And if thou say in thy heart, How shall we know the word which Jehovah hath not spoken? when a prophet speaketh in the name of Jehovah, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which Jehovah hath not spoken: the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously, thou shalt not be afraid of him."

Two kinds of false prophet. Verse 20 names two: one who speaks in God's name a word God did not command, and one who speaks "in the name of other gods." The verb "presume" (Strong's H2102) and the noun "presumptuously" in verse 22 (H2087) are the same words Deuteronomy uses for the man who defies the priest and the judge: "the man that doeth presumptuously ... even that man shall die" (17:12-13, ASV). False prophecy is treated as arrogant defiance of God's authority, not an innocent mistake.

A test that only works one way. Verse 22 answers Israel's question with a negative test. A prediction made in Jehovah's name that fails shows that Jehovah did not speak it. It does not say that a fulfilled prediction proves a prophet true, and 13:1-3 says plainly that it does not. A true prophet must pass both tests: his predictions come to pass, and his message agrees with what God has already revealed. "Thou shalt not be afraid (H1481) of him" frees Israel from the threats of a prophet who has failed.

Conditional warnings. Scripture records warnings that did not come to pass because the hearers repented. Jonah announced, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown," and when Nineveh turned, "God repented of the evil which he said he would do unto them; and he did it not" (Jonah 3:4, 10, ASV). Jeremiah 18:7-8 states the principle. The test therefore applies to unconditional predictions, not to warnings that call for repentance.

Applying it today. Christians, Jews and Muslims all invoke this passage. Christians commonly apply it to Joseph Smith. Doctrine and Covenants 84 (1832) says a temple in Zion, at Independence, Missouri, "shall be reared in this generation," and that "this generation shall not all pass away" until it is built. No such temple was built. Latter-day Saints reply that the command was conditional and point to Doctrine and Covenants 124:49, where God accepts the work of those prevented by their enemies. Christians answer that 84:4-5 is framed as a prediction about what would happen, not as a command. Watch Tower publications once set out expectations for 1914, 1925 and 1975. Jehovah's Witnesses today say their leaders are not inspired prophets and that those expectations were mistakes in understanding, while critics answer that the organization presented itself as God's channel. See Book of Mormon, Jehovahs Witnesses, Prophet and Biblical Prophecy.

Key words

Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap.

Quoted in

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Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

  • ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
  • WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
  • KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
  • YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.