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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, 11 or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. 12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee. 13 Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God.

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10 There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter (A)pass[a] through the fire, (B)or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11 (C)or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or (D)one who calls up the dead. 12 For all who do these things are [b]an abomination to the Lord, and (E)because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you. 13 You shall be [c]blameless before the Lord your God.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 18:10 Be burned as an offering to an idol
  2. Deuteronomy 18:12 detestable
  3. Deuteronomy 18:13 Lit. perfect

10 There shall not be found among you anyone (A)who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one (B)who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11 or one who casts a spell, (C)or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. 12 For whoever does these things is detestable to the Lord; and (D)because of these detestable things the Lord your God will drive them out before you. 13 (E)You shall be [a]blameless before the Lord your God.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 18:13 Lit complete, perfect; or having integrity

10 There shall not be found among you anyone (A)who burns his son or his daughter as an offering,[a] anyone who (B)practices divination or (C)tells fortunes or interprets omens, or (D)a sorcerer 11 or a charmer or (E)a medium or a necromancer or (F)one who inquires of the dead, 12 (G)for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And (H)because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you. 13 You shall be blameless before the Lord your God,

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 18:10 Hebrew makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire

10 There must never be found among you anyone who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire,[a] anyone who practices divination,[b] an omen reader,[c] a soothsayer,[d] a sorcerer,[e] 11 one who casts spells,[f] one who conjures up spirits,[g] a practitioner of the occult,[h] or a necromancer.[i] 12 Whoever does these things is abhorrent to the Lord, and because of these detestable things[j] the Lord your God is about to drive them out[k] from before you. 13 You must be blameless before the Lord your God.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 18:10 tn Heb “who passes his son or his daughter through the fire.” The expression “pass…through the fire” is probably a euphemism for human sacrifice (cf. NAB, NIV, TEV, NLT). See also Deut 12:31.
  2. Deuteronomy 18:10 tn Heb “a diviner of divination” (קֹסֵם קְסָמִים, qosem qesamim). This was a means employed to determine the future or the outcome of events by observation of various omens and signs (cf. Num 22:7; 23:23; Josh 13:22; 1 Sam 6:2; 15:23; 28:8; etc.). See M. Horsnell, NIDOTTE 3:945-51.
  3. Deuteronomy 18:10 tn Heb “one who causes to appear” (מְעוֹנֵן, meʿonen). Such a practitioner was thought to be able to conjure up spirits or apparitions (cf. Lev 19:26; Judg 9:37; 2 Kgs 21:6; Isa 2:6; 57:3; Jer 27:9; Mic 5:11).
  4. Deuteronomy 18:10 tn Heb “a seeker of omens” (מְנַחֵשׁ, menakhesh). This is a subset of divination, one illustrated by the use of a “divining cup” in the story of Joseph (Gen 44:5).
  5. Deuteronomy 18:10 tn Heb “a doer of sorcery” (מְכַשֵּׁף, mekhashef). This has to do with magic or the casting of spells in order to manipulate the gods or the powers of nature (cf. Lev 19:26-31; 2 Kgs 17:15b-17; 21:1-7; Isa 57:3, 5; etc.). See M. Horsnell, NIDOTTE 2:735-38.
  6. Deuteronomy 18:11 tn Heb “a binder of binding” (חֹבֵר חָבֶר, khover khaver). The connotation is that of immobilizing (“binding”) someone or something by the use of magical words (cf. Ps 58:6; Isa 47:9, 12).
  7. Deuteronomy 18:11 tn Heb “asker of a [dead] spirit” (שֹׁאֵל אוֹב, shoʾel ʾov). This is a form of necromancy (cf. Lev 19:31; 20:6; 1 Sam 28:8, 9; Isa 8:19; 19:3; 29:4).
  8. Deuteronomy 18:11 tn Heb “a knowing [or “familiar”] [spirit]” (יִדְּעֹנִי, yiddeʿoniy), i.e., one who is expert in mantic arts (cf. Lev 19:31; 20:6, 27; 1 Sam 28:3, 9; 2 Kgs 21:6; Isa 8:19; 19:3).
  9. Deuteronomy 18:11 tn Heb “a seeker of the dead.” This is much the same as “one who conjures up spirits” (cf. 1 Sam 28:6-7).
  10. Deuteronomy 18:12 tn Heb “these abhorrent things.” The repetition is emphatic. For stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy, the same term used earlier in the verse has been translated “detestable” here.
  11. Deuteronomy 18:12 tn The translation understands the Hebrew participial form as having an imminent future sense here.