Deuteronomy 18:10
8 They shall eat equal portions, even though he has received money from the sale of his father’s estate.
9 When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not imitate the detestable ways of the nations there.
Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery,
11 casts spells, consults a medium or spiritist, or inquires of the dead.
12 For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD. And because of these detestable things, the LORD your God is driving out the nations before you.
This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery,
- 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,
- WEB
- There shall not be found with you anyone who makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who tells fortunes, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer,
- ASV
- There shall not be found with thee any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, one that useth divination, one that practiseth augury, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer,
- DARBY
- There shall not be found among you he that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, that useth divination, that useth auguries, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer,
- BLB
- There shall not be found among you one who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, a user of divinations, a soothsayer, or a diviner, or a sorcerer,
- ÅB
- Det skal ikke finnes hos deg noen som lar sin sønn eller datter gå gjennom ilden, eller som gir seg av med spådomskunster, eller som spår av skyene eller tyder varsler eller er en trollmann,
- OTB
- La ingen bli funnet blant dere som lar sin sønn eller datter gå gjennom ilden, som driver med spådomskunst, eller trolldom, tyder varsler, eller driver med heksekunst,
- B1930
- Det skal ikke finnes hos dig nogen som lar sin sønn eller datter gå gjennem ilden, eller som gir sig av med spådomskunster, eller som spår av skyene eller tyder varsler eller er en trollmann,
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Leviticus 19:31
You must not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out, or you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.
Read in contextExodus 22:18
You must not allow a sorceress to live.
Read in contextLeviticus 19:26
You must not eat anything with blood still in it. You must not practice divination or sorcery.
Read in contextDeuteronomy 12:31
You must not worship the LORD your God in this way, because they practice for their gods every abomination which the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.
Read in contextActs 19:19
And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books and burned them in front of everyone. When the value of the books was calculated, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.
Read in context2 Chronicles 33:6
He sacrificed his sons in the fire in the Valley of Hinnom. He practiced sorcery, divination, and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did great evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.
Read in contextLeviticus 20:2–5
“Tell the Israelites, ‘Any Israelite or foreigner living in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech must be put to death. The people of the land are to stone him.
Read in context1 Samuel 28:9
But the woman replied, “Surely you know what Saul has done, how he has killed the mediums and spiritists in the land. Why have you set a trap to get me killed?”
Read in context