Deuteronomy 18:15
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The promise here isn't just about a prophet, but emphasizes that God will raise up this prophet from "among you, from your brothers." This means the one they are to listen to won't be an outsider or someone completely alien, but one intimately connected to their own people and identity. This detail highlights the personal and relatable nature of God's revelation through this coming prophet.
“The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—
English Standard Version (ESV)
As Moses prepares to leave the people of Israel, he reassures them that God will continue to guide them, not by resorting to pagan practices like consulting mediums or sorcerers, but by raising up prophets among them. He emphasizes that these prophets will be like himself in their role as messengers from God, and crucially, the people are commanded to listen to this future prophet, even more so than to Moses. This promise anticipates a central figure who will surpass Moses and fulfill God's plan for His people.
Moses was more than just a prophet; he was a unique mediator. Who could possibly fill those shoes? This verse points to someone even greater.
Deuteronomy 18:15 promises a prophet 'like me.' This isn't just any prophet; it's a specific kind of prophetic figure. Moses himself was a unique mediator, lawgiver, and leader for Israel. He spoke with God face-to-face in a way no other prophet did. The verse clearly points beyond a mere succession of prophets to a singular individual who would embody and surpass Moses's role. This ultimate prophet, identified in the New Testament as Jesus, is like Moses in being a mediator and lawgiver, but infinitely greater, bringing grace and truth where Moses brought the Law.
God establishes a clear directive: 'it is to him you shall listen.' This isn't optional advice; it's a divine command with serious implications.
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The command 'unto him you shall listen' is the core of this promise. It's not just about hearing words, but about obedient reception. For the Israelites, this meant acknowledging and following the divine instruction delivered through this appointed prophet, just as they were to follow the Law. This prophet's words were to be God's words, carrying divine authority.
Understand the original words
nabi' · Hebrew Noun
One called by God to speak His message, receive revelations, and serve as His mouthpiece to the people; ultimately fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ.
Peter explicitly identifies Jesus as the Prophet like Moses that God promised to raise up, fulfilling this prophecy.
John 5:46Jesus himself states that if they believed Moses, they would believe Him, because Moses wrote about Him, directly linking Moses' writings to this prophecy.
Hebrews 1:1-2This passage parallels the promise of God speaking through prophets with the ultimate way He speaks through His Son, Jesus, highlighting Him as the fulfillment of prophetic communication.
Matthew 17:5During the Transfiguration, God directly commands the disciples to 'listen to Him,' echoing the command in Deuteronomy to 'hearken' to the promised Prophet.
John 1:45Philip tells Nathanael that they have found Jesus of Nazareth, 'the one Moses wrote about in the Law and about whom the prophets also wrote,' directly connecting Jesus to Mosaic prophecy.
pooleDeuteronomy 18:15: "The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;"
Will raise up, i.e. will produce and send into the world in due time. A Prophet: those words may be understood secondarily concerning the succession of prophets which God would raise for the instruction of his church, both because this is alleged as an argument why they need not consult with diviners, &c., because they should have prophets at…
calvinDeuteronomy 18:15-18: "The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;"
According to all that thou desiredst 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.
Secundum omnia quae petiisti a Jehova Deo tuo in Horeb, in die conventus, dicendo, Non adjiciam audire vocem Jehovae…
The promise here isn't just about a prophet, but emphasizes that God will raise up this prophet from "among you, from your brothers." This means the one they are to listen to won't be an outsider or someone completely alien, but one intimately connected to their own people and identity. This detail highlights the personal and relatable nature of God's revelation through this coming prophet.
As Moses prepares to leave the people of Israel, he reassures them that God will continue to guide them, not by resorting to pagan practices like consulting mediums or sorcerers, but by raising up prophets among them. He emphasizes that these prophets will be like himself in their role as messengers from God, and crucially, the people are commanded to listen to this future prophet, even more so than to Moses. This promise anticipates a central figure who will surpass Moses and fulfill God's plan for His people.
As Moses prepares to leave the people of Israel, he reassures them that God will continue to guide them, not by resorting to pagan practices like consulting mediums or sorcerers, but by raising up prophets among them. He emphasizes that these prophets will be like himself in their role as messengers from God, and crucially, the people are commanded to listen to this future prophet, even more so than to Moses. This promise anticipates a central figure who will surpass Moses and fulfill God's plan for His people.
"“The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—" — The promise here isn't just about a prophet, but emphasizes that God will raise up this prophet from "among you, from your brothers." This means the one they are to listen to won't be an outsider…
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Last reviewed October 2026
