18:15 The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you – from your fellow Israelites; 1 you must listen to him.
18:20 “But if any prophet presumes to speak anything in my name that I have not authorized 3 him to speak, or speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet must die.
1 tc The MT expands here on the usual formula by adding “from among you” (cf. Deut 17:15; 18:18; Smr; a number of Greek texts). The expansion seems to be for the purpose of emphasis, i.e., the prophet to come must be not just from Israel but an Israelite by blood.
2 sn See Num 12:8; Deut 18:15-18.
3 tn Or “commanded” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV).
4 tn Heb “the
5 tn Heb “the word,” but a predictive word is in view here. Cf. NAB “his oracle.”
6 tn Heb “does not happen or come to pass.”
7 tn Heb “the
8 tn Heb “that is the word which the Lord has not spoken.”
5 tn Heb “or a dreamer of dreams” (so KJV, ASV, NASB). The difference between a prophet (נָבִיא, navi’) and one who foretells by dreams (חֹלֵם אוֹ, ’o kholem) was not so much one of office – for both received revelation by dreams (cf. Num 12:6) – as it was of function or emphasis. The prophet was more a proclaimer and interpreter of revelation whereas the one who foretold by dreams was a receiver of revelation. In later times the role of the one who foretold by dreams was abused and thus denigrated as compared to that of the prophet (cf. Jer 23:28).
6 tn The expression אוֹת אוֹ מוֹפֵת (’ot ’o mofet) became a formulaic way of speaking of ways of authenticating prophetic messages or other works of God (cf. Deut 28:46; Isa 20:3). The NT equivalent is the Greek term σημεῖον (shmeion), a sign performed (used frequently in the Gospel of John, cf. 2:11, 18; 20:30-31). They could, however, be counterfeited or (as here) permitted to false prophets by the
6 tn Heb “or dreamer of dreams.” See note on this expression in v. 1.
7 tn Heb “the
8 tn Heb “all your heart and soul” (so NRSV, CEV, NLT); or “heart and being” (NCV “your whole being”). See note on the word “being” in Deut 6:5.
7 tn Heb “or dreamer of dreams.” See note on this expression in v. 1.
8 tn Heb “your midst” (so NAB, NRSV). The severity of the judgment here (i.e., capital punishment) is because of the severity of the sin, namely, high treason against the Great King. Idolatry is a violation of the first two commandments (Deut 5:6-10) as well as the spirit and intent of the Shema (Deut 6:4-5).