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Deuteronomy 18 (Devarim)

Deuteronomy 18

Deuteronomy 18 (Devarim) Summary

Deuteronomy 18 (Devarim) discusses three topics the role and rewards of the tribe of Levites, the abominations of the nations in the land, and the coming prophet and prophecy. 

The instructions concerning the tribe Levi is they have no land inheritance as YHWH is their inheritance. As far as the sacrifice of oxen or sheep are concerned the Levites are to be given the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the maw. The first fruits of wheat, barley, wine, oil and the fleece of the sheep belong to the priests. The role of the Levites is explained.

The abominations of the nations in the land are discussed. They are listed as children offered as sacrifices, divination, soothsayer, enchanter, sorcerer, charmer, one that consults with a ghost or a familiar spirit, or a necromancer. The people of the land are being driven out because they practice these things. Israel is encouraged to be wholehearted towards YHWH.

The promise of a prophet like Moshe was given. The promise is given because the people of Israel only wanted to hear from YHWH through Moshe. The role of the prophet is given. Also, the indication of who is a legitimate prophet is explained.

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Deuteronomy 18 (Devarim) Outline

Deuteronomy 18 (Devarim) can be navigated in three possible ways. (1) Jewish tradition of daily reading called Torah Portions. (2) Rabbi Johnathan Sacks proposed treaty (covenant) layout and finally (3) theme based verses.

Click to see Deuteronomy 18 Links

Torah Portions:

  1. Third Reading vv 1 – 5
  2. Fourth Reading vv 6 – 13
  3. Fifth Reading vv 15 – 19.13 – continues in chapter 19

Treaty (Covenant):

  1. Stipulations – Specific Provision: The details of the law, with special reference to how they are to be carried out by the people as a whole in the Land of Israel.

Verses Topics:

  1. vv 1-8 – The instructions concerning the Levites and their portion
  2. vv 9-14 – Warning against the abominations of the nations in the Land. Encouragement to be whole-hearted towards YHWH
  3. vv 15-22 – A promised prophet like Moshe. True and false prophecy explained

Deuteronomy 18 (Devarim) Verses

Parsha Shoftim #48
~ Judges~

THIRD READING

→ Stipulations – Specific Provision:

1 The priests the Levites, even all the tribe of Levi, shall have no portion nor inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and His inheritance.

Notes on Deuteronomy 18:1

Deuteronomy 18:1

*

2 And they shall have no inheritance among their brethren; the LORD is their inheritance, as He hath spoken unto them.
3 And this shall be the priests’ due from the people, from them that offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep, that they shall give unto the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the maw.
4 The first-fruits of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him.
5 For the LORD thy God hath chosen him out of all thy tribes, to stand to minister in the name of the LORD, him and his sons for ever.

FOURTH READING

6 And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourneth, and come with all the desire of his soul unto the place which the LORD shall choose;
7 then he shall minister in the name of the LORD his God, as all his brethren the Levites do, who stand there before the LORD.
8 They shall have like portions to eat, beside that which is his due according to the fathers’ houses.

9 When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.
10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, one that useth divination, a soothsayer, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer,
11 or a charmer, or one that consulteth a ghost or a familiar spirit, or a necromancer.
12 For whosoever doeth these things is an abomination unto the LORD; and because of these abominations the LORD thy God is driving them out from before thee.
13 Thou shalt be whole-hearted with the LORD thy God.

FIFTH READING

14 For these nations, that thou art to dispossess, hearken unto soothsayers, and unto diviners; but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.

15 A prophet will the LORD thy God raise up unto thee, from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;
16 according to all that thou didst desire of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying: ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.’
17 And the LORD said unto me: ‘They have well said that which they have spoken.
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 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; the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously, thou shalt not be afraid of him.

Deuteronomy 18 (Devarim) Verses

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דברים  מח 48

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שופטים מח 48

יח  Chapter 18

[שלישי] א לֹא־יִֽהְיֶה לַכֹּֽהֲנִים הַֽלְוִיִּם כָּל־שֵׁבֶט לֵוִי חֵלֶק וְנַֽחֲלָה עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵל אִשֵּׁי יְהוָֹה וְנַֽחֲלָתוֹ יֹֽאכֵלֽוּן: ב וְנַֽחֲלָה לֹא־יִֽהְיֶה־לּוֹ בְּקֶרֶב אֶחָיו יְהוָֹה הוּא נַֽחֲלָתוֹ כַּֽאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר־לֽוֹ: ס ג וְזֶה יִהְיֶה מִשְׁפַּט הַכֹּֽהֲנִים מֵאֵת הָעָם מֵאֵת זֹֽבְחֵי הַזֶּבַח אִם־שׁוֹר אִם־שֶׂה וְנָתַן לַכֹּהֵן הַזְּרֹעַ וְהַלְּחָיַיִם וְהַקֵּבָֽה: ד רֵאשִׁית דְּגָֽנְךָ תִּירֽשְׁךָ וְיִצְהָרֶךָ וְרֵאשִׁית גֵּז צֹֽאנְךָ תִּתֶּן־לֽוֹ: ה כִּי בוֹ בָּחַר יְהוָֹה אֱלֹהֶיךָ מִכָּל־שְׁבָטֶיךָ לַֽעֲמֹד לְשָׁרֵת בְּשֵׁם־יְהוָֹה הוּא וּבָנָיו כָּל־הַיָּמִֽים: ס [רביעי] ו וְכִֽי־יָבֹא הַלֵּוִי מֵֽאַחַד שְׁעָרֶיךָ מִכָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר־הוּא גָּר שָׁם וּבָא בְּכָל־אַוַּת נַפְשׁוֹ אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר־יִבְחַר יְהוָֹֽה: ז וְשֵׁרֵת בְּשֵׁם יְהוָֹה אֱלֹהָיו כְּכָל־אֶחָיו הַֽלְוִיִּם הָעֹֽמְדִים שָׁם לִפְנֵי יְהוָֹֽה: ח חֵלֶק כְּחֵלֶק יֹאכֵלוּ לְבַד מִמְכָּרָיו עַל־הָֽאָבֽוֹת: ס ט כִּי אַתָּה בָּא אֶל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יְהוָֹה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ לֹֽא־תִלְמַד לַֽעֲשׂוֹת כְּתֽוֹעֲבֹת הַגּוֹיִם הָהֵֽם: י לֹֽא־יִמָּצֵא בְךָ מַֽעֲבִיר בְּנֽוֹ־וּבִתּוֹ בָּאֵשׁ קֹסֵם קְסָמִים מְעוֹנֵן וּמְנַחֵשׁ וּמְכַשֵּֽׁף: יא וְחֹבֵר חָבֶר וְשֹׁאֵל אוֹב וְיִדְּעֹנִי וְדֹרֵשׁ אֶל־הַמֵּתִֽים: יב כִּי־תֽוֹעֲבַת יְהוָֹה כָּל־עֹשֵׂה אֵלֶּה וּבִגְלַל הַתּֽוֹעֵבֹת הָאֵלֶּה יְהוָֹה אֱלֹהֶיךָ מוֹרִישׁ אוֹתָם מִפָּנֶֽיךָ: יג תָּמִים תִּֽהְיֶה עִם יְהוָֹה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ: [חמישי] יד כִּי ׀ הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה יוֹרֵשׁ אוֹתָם אֶל־מְעֹֽנְנִים וְאֶל־קֹֽסְמִים יִשְׁמָעוּ וְאַתָּה לֹא כֵן נָתַן לְךָ יְהוָֹה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ: טו נָבִיא מִקִּרְבְּךָ מֵֽאַחֶיךָ כָּמֹנִי יָקִים לְךָ יְהוָֹה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֵלָיו תִּשְׁמָעֽוּן: טז כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־שָׁאַלְתָּ מֵעִם יְהוָֹה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּחֹרֵב בְּיוֹם הַקָּהָל לֵאמֹר לֹא אֹסֵף לִשְׁמֹעַ אֶת־קוֹל יְהוָֹה אֱלֹהָי וְאֶת־הָאֵשׁ הַגְּדֹלָה הַזֹּאת לֹֽא־אֶרְאֶה עוֹד וְלֹא אָמֽוּת: יז וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָֹה אֵלָי הֵיטִיבוּ אֲשֶׁר דִּבֵּֽרוּ: יח נָבִיא אָקִים לָהֶם מִקֶּרֶב אֲחֵיהֶם כָּמוֹךָ וְנָֽתַתִּי דְבָרַי בְּפִיו וְדִבֶּר אֲלֵיהֶם אֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר אֲצַוֶּֽנּוּ: יט וְהָיָה הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר לֹֽא־יִשְׁמַע אֶל־דְּבָרַי אֲשֶׁר יְדַבֵּר בִּשְׁמִי אָֽנֹכִי אֶדְרשׁ מֵֽעִמּֽוֹ: כ אַךְ הַנָּבִיא אֲשֶׁר יָזִיד לְדַבֵּר דָּבָר בִּשְׁמִי אֵת אֲשֶׁר לֹֽא־צִוִּיתִיו לְדַבֵּר וַֽאֲשֶׁר יְדַבֵּר בְּשֵׁם אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים וּמֵת הַנָּבִיא הַהֽוּא: כא וְכִי תֹאמַר בִּלְבָבֶךָ אֵיכָה נֵדַע אֶת־הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר לֹֽא־דִבְּרוֹ יְהוָֹֽה: כב אֲשֶׁר יְדַבֵּר הַנָּבִיא בְּשֵׁם יְהֹוָה וְלֹא־יִֽהְיֶה הַדָּבָר וְלֹא יָבֹא הוּא הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר לֹֽא־דִבְּרוֹ יְהוָֹה בְּזָדוֹן דִּבְּרוֹ הַנָּבִיא לֹא תָגוּר מִמֶּֽנּוּ: ס

דברים  מח 48

Deuteronomy 18 (Devarim) ברים Interlinear Verses


18.1 The priests the Levites, even all the tribe of Levi, shall have no portion nor inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and His inheritance.

א לֹא־יִֽהְיֶה לַכֹּֽהֲנִים הַֽלְוִיִּם כָּל־שֵׁבֶט לֵוִי חֵלֶק וְנַֽחֲלָה עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵל אִשֵּׁי יְהוָֹה וְנַֽחֲלָתוֹ יֹֽאכֵלֽוּן

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Covenant & Conversation Commentary – The Late Chief Rabbi Johnanath Sacks’ last published commentary on the Torah.

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