Deuteronomy 18:10-12
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This verse doesn't just list forbidden practices; it exposes the core motivation behind them: a desperate attempt to seize control and know the unknowable, a direct affront to trusting God's sovereignty. It highlights that these ancient "abominations" are rooted in the same human insecurity that drives us to seek answers outside of God today.
There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD. And because of these abominations the LORD your God is driving them out before you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
As Israel prepares to enter and conquer the land of Canaan, God warns them not to adopt the detestable practices of the nations living there. This passage lists several forbidden activities, including child sacrifice and various forms of magic and divination, emphasizing that these are abominations that led to the downfall of the existing inhabitants. God wants His people to rely solely on Him for guidance and protection, not on occult practices.
Some practices mentioned here are so extreme they shock us even today. What does 'passing a child through the fire' truly mean, and why was it so abhorrent to God?
The verse begins with a chilling prohibition: 'There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering.' This refers to the horrific practice of child sacrifice, most notably to the pagan god Moloch.
A Perverted Devotion
This act represents the absolute corruption of devotion – turning the most innocent into fuel for pagan rituals. It was a sign of a society utterly lost to horrific spiritual darkness.
Beyond outright sacrifice, the verse lists several other forbidden practices. What unites these seemingly diverse activities, and why did God forbid them so strongly?
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The latter part of Deuteronomy 18:10 details various forms of seeking forbidden knowledge and power:
The Danger of Illicit Means
Calvin notes that while humans naturally desire knowledge, these forbidden practices represent two corruptions: an 'immoderate desire of knowing more than is lawful' and resorting to 'illicit means.'
God wanted His people to trust Him fully, receiving guidance through His appointed channels, not through the manipulative arts of the surrounding nations.
Understand the original words
qesem · Hebrew Noun
The act of attempting to obtain secret knowledge or divine guidance through supernatural or occult means, forbidden by God because it seeks knowledge apart from His revealed word and providence.
kashaph · Hebrew Verb/Noun
One who engages in occult arts, spells, or witchcraft to influence events or gain forbidden power, acting in direct rebellion against God's sovereign control.
chabar · Hebrew Noun
A person who practices magic, spells, or incantations to influence events or people; biblically forbidden as it seeks power outside of God’s authority.
yidde'oniy · Hebrew Noun
One who acts as a channel or intermediary for spirits; biblically prohibited because it involves seeking forbidden supernatural knowledge rather than relying on God.
doresh el-hametim · Hebrew Noun Phrase
A person who claims to communicate with the spirits of the dead, usually to obtain hidden knowledge or guidance; strictly forbidden in Scripture as a form of rebellion against God.
to'ebah · Hebrew Noun
That which is morally detestable, repugnant, or offensive in the sight of God, especially pertaining to practices that violate His holiness and exclusive claim on His people.
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The covenant name of the Creator and Redeemer God, revealed to Israel; it signifies His eternal existence, faithfulness to His promises, and absolute sovereignty.
This passage directly prohibits passing children through fire to Molek, the very practice condemned in Deuteronomy 18:10, highlighting the severity of this forbidden ritual sacrifice.
Jeremiah 7:31The prophet Jeremiah condemns the very same practice of sacrificing children to Molek, demonstrating that this abomination persisted and was a significant reason for God's judgment on His people.
Isaiah 8:19This verse warns against seeking guidance from the dead and resorting to sorcery, directly paralleling the prohibition against divination and sorcery in Deuteronomy 18:10 and showing the consistent opposition of God's Word to such practices.
1 Samuel 28:3-25This narrative shows Saul seeking counsel from a medium (a 'witch' in this context) after God had stopped speaking to him, illustrating the desperate and destructive path taken when people turn away from seeking God through lawful means and resort to forbidden practices.
Galatians 5:19-21The Apostle Paul lists 'sorcery' among the 'acts of the flesh,' underscoring that these forbidden practices are not merely cultural taboos but deeply rooted spiritual rebellions against God's will, which exclude one from His kingdom.
gillDeuteronomy 18:10: "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,"
There shall not be found among you anyone that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire,.... To Moloch, which was a sort of lustration by fire, two fires being made, and the child led by a priest between them, and which was an initiation of him into the religion of that deity,…
pooleDeuteronomy 18:10: "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,"
To pass through the fire; either by a superstitious lustration or purgation, or by a cruel sacrificing of them. See Leviticus 18:21 2 Kings 17:31 23:10 2 Chronicles 28:3 Psalm 106:37 Jeremiah 7:31 19:5 Ezekiel 16:20,21 Eze 23:37-39 . That useth divination, i.e. foretelleth things secret or to…
This verse doesn't just list forbidden practices; it exposes the core motivation behind them: a desperate attempt to seize control and know the unknowable, a direct affront to trusting God's sovereignty. It highlights that these ancient "abominations" are rooted in the same human insecurity that drives us to seek answers outside of God today.
As Israel prepares to enter and conquer the land of Canaan, God warns them not to adopt the detestable practices of the nations living there. This passage lists several forbidden activities, including child sacrifice and various forms of magic and divination, emphasizing that these are abominations that led to the downfall of the existing inhabitants. God wants His people to rely solely on Him for guidance and protection, not on occult practices.
As Israel prepares to enter and conquer the land of Canaan, God warns them not to adopt the detestable practices of the nations living there. This passage lists several forbidden activities, including child sacrifice and various forms of magic and divination, emphasizing that these are abominations that led to the downfall of the existing inhabitants. God wants His people to rely solely on Him for guidance and protection, not on occult practices.
"There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires…" — This verse doesn't just list forbidden practices; it exposes the core motivation behind them: a desperate attempt to seize control and know the unknowable, a direct affront to trusting God's sovereig…
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Last reviewed October 2026
