Deuteronomy 18:14
for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune-tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the LORD your God has not allowed you to do this.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse highlights a profound contrast: the Canaanite nations relied on human-devised methods for knowledge, while God explicitly withheld such practices from Israel. This wasn't a lack of guidance for Israel, but rather a specific gifting of divine access through prophets and direct instruction, positioning God as their sole, sufficient source of wisdom.
As the Israelites prepare to enter and conquer the land of Canaan, Moses issues a stark warning against adopting the wicked practices of its inhabitants. This warning explicitly lists various forms of forbidden divination and sorcery, which were deeply ingrained in the culture of the nations they were about to dispossess. The prohibition highlights that God has not provided Israel with such means of seeking hidden knowledge, contrasting their reliance on forbidden practices with Israel's unique access to God's guidance.
Why do people constantly seek answers from fortune-tellers and diviners? It's a desire deeply wired into us, but often misdirected.
The nations surrounding Israel were obsessed with controlling the future. They used various methods—observing times, divination, astrology, sorcery—to gain knowledge they felt was hidden from them.
This wasn't just a superficial interest; it stemmed from a deep human longing for certainty and understanding. As Calvin notes, this desire to know is natural, but it becomes sinful when we pursue it through illicit means or out of unhealthy curiosity, trying to be 'as gods' who know everything.
These practices were a
God didn't leave Israel in the dark. He established a unique way for them to receive guidance, setting them apart.
The stark contrast in Deuteronomy 18:14 is crucial: 'But as for you, the LORD your God has not allowed you to do this.' This isn't a prohibition stemming from a lack of provision; it's the opposite.
God Israel from adopting these pagan practices. Why? Because He had already provided for them in a superior way. As Ellicott and Poole suggest, God gave them His Word, statutes, prophets, and later, the Urim and Thummim (priestly lots for seeking divine counsel).
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This shows God's deep care for His people, ensuring they wouldn't fall prey to the deceptive and destructive practices of the nations. Their inheritance of the land was contingent on their faithfulness to His prescribed way of seeking guidance, not theirs.
The Bible calls these practices 'abominations.' What makes them so offensive to God?
The reason God labels these practices 'abominations' is profound. It's not just about 'bad luck' or superstition; it's about fundamentally rejecting God's authority and His covenant promises.
By turning to fortune-tellers and diviners, Israel would have been mimicking the very nations God was driving out—nations whose practices were so vile and corrupt they incurred God's judgment (Deuteronomy 18:12). These practices, as Calvin points out, were often mixed with horrific acts, like child sacrifice, showing a complete perversion of God's design.
To 'listen to fortune-tellers' was to say, in effect, 'I don't trust You, God, to guide me. I don't believe Your promises or Your provision are enough.' It was a spiritual unfaithfulness that tainted the purity of their relationship with the One True God.
Understand the original words
me'onanim · Hebrew Noun
Individuals or groups who practice divination to predict the future or uncover hidden knowledge; forbidden by God because they compete with His revealed Word and sovereignty.
qosemim · Hebrew Noun
Those who practice divination, using various methods to discern the secret will of gods or spirits; biblically viewed as a form of idolatrous reliance on created things rather than the Creator.
This passage directly lists prohibitions against practices like sorcery and fortune-telling, echoing the spirit of Deuteronomy 18:14 by forbidding superstitious consultation and divination.
1 Samuel 15:23This verse equates stubbornness with rebellion and idolatry, highlighting the deep connection between rejecting God's direct commands and turning to illicit means of seeking knowledge or control, which is central to the prohibition in Deuteronomy.
Isaiah 8:19This prophetic passage condemns those who consult mediums and spiritists, directly referencing the forbidden practices mentioned in Deuteronomy and warning against seeking guidance from the dead instead of the living God.
Acts 16:16-18This New Testament account shows the Apostle Paul confronting a spirit-filled slave girl who practiced divination, demonstrating the ongoing struggle against such practices and the authority of Christ's followers to cast them out.
Colossians 2:8Paul warns believers against being taken captive by hollow and deceptive philosophies that depend on human tradition and basic spiritual principles rather than on Christ, which aligns with Deuteronomy's call to rely solely on God and reject deceptive practices.
calvinDeuteronomy 18:9-14: "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."
- When thou art come. It is too well known from experience how eagerly the human race lays hold of bad examples, and how prone it is to imitate them. Especially those who come into a foreign land, accustom themselves readily to its manners and customs. This is the reason why God expressly commands the Israelites to beware, lest, when th…
ellicottDeuteronomy 18:14: "For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do."
(14) The Lord thy God hath not suffered thee so to do. —More literally, As for thee, not so hath Jehovah thy God given unto thee. A prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me, will Jehovah thy God raise up unto thee. Him shall ye hear. The contrast between the miserable resources of idolatrou…
The verse highlights a profound contrast: the Canaanite nations relied on human-devised methods for knowledge, while God explicitly withheld such practices from Israel. This wasn't a lack of guidance for Israel, but rather a specific gifting of divine access through prophets and direct instruction, positioning God as their sole, sufficient source of wisdom.
As the Israelites prepare to enter and conquer the land of Canaan, Moses issues a stark warning against adopting the wicked practices of its inhabitants. This warning explicitly lists various forms of forbidden divination and sorcery, which were deeply ingrained in the culture of the nations they were about to dispossess. The prohibition highlights that God has not provided Israel with such means of seeking hidden knowledge, contrasting their reliance on forbidden practices with Israel's unique access to God's guidance.
As the Israelites prepare to enter and conquer the land of Canaan, Moses issues a stark warning against adopting the wicked practices of its inhabitants. This warning explicitly lists various forms of forbidden divination and sorcery, which were deeply ingrained in the culture of the nations they were about to dispossess. The prohibition highlights that God has not provided Israel with such means of seeking hidden knowledge, contrasting their reliance on forbidden practices with Israel's unique access to God's guidance.
"for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune-tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the LORD your God has not allowed you to do this." — The verse highlights a profound contrast: the Canaanite nations relied on human-devised methods for knowledge, while God explicitly withheld such practices from Israel. This wasn't a lack of guidance…
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