Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 18:9–14

⁹When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. ¹⁰Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire,^a practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery, ¹¹casts spells, consults a medium or spiritist, or inquires of the dead. ¹²For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD. And because of these detestable things, the LORD your God is driving out the nations before you.

¹³You must be blameless before the LORD your God. ¹⁴Though these nations, which you will dispossess, listen to conjurers and diviners, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so.

Footnotes

a 18:10 Literally makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire

Read all of Deuteronomy 18

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Deuteronomy 18:9

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
When	כִּ֤י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
you	אַתָּה֙	’at·tāh	Pronoun - second person masculine singular	H859 thou
enter	בָּ֣א	bā	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H935 come in, come, go in, go
the land	הָאָ֔רֶץ	hā·’ā·reṣ	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H776 earth, land
that	אֲשֶׁר־	’ă·šer-	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
the LORD	יְהוָ֥ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
your God	אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ	’ĕ·lō·he·ḵā	Noun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singular	H430 God
is giving	נֹתֵ֣ן	nō·ṯên	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H5414 give, put, set
you	לָ֑ךְ	lāḵ	Preposition; second person masculine singular
do not	לֹֽא־	lō-	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
imitate	לַעֲשׂ֔וֹת	la·‘ă·śō·wṯ	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H6213 do, make
the detestable ways	כְּתוֹעֲבֹ֖ת	kə·ṯō·w·‘ă·ḇōṯ	Preposition-k; Noun - feminine plural construct	H8441 abomination
of the nations	הַגּוֹיִ֥ם	hag·gō·w·yim	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H1471 nation, people
there	הָהֵֽם׃	hā·hêm	Article; Pronoun - third person masculine plural	H1992 they, them

Deuteronomy 18:10

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Let no one	לֹֽא־	lō-	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
be found	יִמָּצֵ֣א	yim·mā·ṣê	Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H4672 attain to, find
among you	בְךָ֔	ḇə·ḵā	Preposition; second person masculine singular
who sacrifices	מַעֲבִ֥יר	ma·‘ă·ḇîr	Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular	H5674 pass over, through, by, pass on
his son	בְּנֽוֹ־	bə·nōw-	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H1121 son
or daughter	וּבִתּ֖וֹ	ū·ḇit·tōw	Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H1323 daughter
in the fire	בָּאֵ֑שׁ	bā·’êš	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - common singular	H784 fire
practices divination	קְסָמִ֔ים	qə·sā·mîm	Noun - masculine plural	H7081 divination
conjury	מְעוֹנֵ֥ן	mə·‘ō·w·nên	Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular	H6049 practice soothsaying
interprets omens	וּמְנַחֵ֖שׁ	ū·mə·na·ḥêš	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular	H5172 hiss, whisper, prognosticate
practices sorcery	וּמְכַשֵּֽׁף׃	ū·mə·ḵaš·šêp̄	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular	H3784 practice sorcery

Deuteronomy 18:11

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
casts spells	וְחֹבֵ֖ר	wə·ḥō·ḇêr	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H2266 unite
consults	וְשֹׁאֵ֥ל	wə·šō·’êl	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H7592 ask, inquire
a medium	אוֹב֙	’ō·wḇ	Noun - masculine singular	H178 skin-bottle, necromancer
or spiritist	וְיִדְּעֹנִ֔י	wə·yid·də·‘ō·nî	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H3049 familiar spirit
or inquires	וְדֹרֵ֖שׁ	wə·ḏō·rêš	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H1875 resort to, seek
of	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
the dead	הַמֵּתִֽים׃	ham·mê·ṯîm	Article; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural	H4191 die

Deuteronomy 18:12

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
For whoever	כָּל־	kāl-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
does	עֹ֣שֵׂה	‘ō·śêh	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct	H6213 do, make
these things	אֵ֑לֶּה	’êl·leh	Pronoun - common plural	H428 these
is detestable	תוֹעֲבַ֥ת	ṯō·w·‘ă·ḇaṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H8441 abomination
to the LORD	יְהוָ֖ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
And because	וּבִגְלַל֙	ū·ḇiḡ·lal	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct	H1558 account
of these	הָאֵ֔לֶּה	hā·’êl·leh	Article; Pronoun - common plural	H428 these
detestable things	הַתּוֹעֵבֹ֣ת	hat·tō·w·‘ê·ḇōṯ	Article; Noun - feminine plural	H8441 abomination
the LORD	יְהוָ֣ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
your God	אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ	’ĕ·lō·he·ḵā	Noun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singular	H430 God
is driving out	מוֹרִ֥ישׁ	mō·w·rîš	Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular	H3423 take possession of, inherit, dispossess
before you	מִפָּנֶֽיךָ׃	mip·pā·ne·ḵā	Preposition-m; Noun - common plural construct; second person masculine singular	H6440 face, before

Deuteronomy 18:13

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
You must be	תִּֽהְיֶ֔ה	tih·yeh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
blameless	תָּמִ֣ים	tā·mîm	Adjective - masculine singular	H8549 complete, sound
before	עִ֖ם	‘im	Preposition	H5973 with
the LORD	יְהוָ֥ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
your God	אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃ס	’ĕ·lō·he·ḵā	Noun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singular	H430 God

Deuteronomy 18:14

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Though	כִּ֣י׀	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
these	הָאֵ֗לֶּה	hā·’êl·leh	Article; Pronoun - common plural	H428 these
nations	הַגּוֹיִ֣ם	hag·gō·w·yim	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H1471 nation, people
which	אֲשֶׁ֤ר	’ă·šer	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
you	אַתָּה֙	’at·tāh	Pronoun - second person masculine singular	H859 thou
will dispossess	יוֹרֵ֣שׁ	yō·w·rêš	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H3423 take possession of, inherit, dispossess
listen	יִשְׁמָ֑עוּ	yiš·mā·‘ū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H8085 hear
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
conjurers	מְעֹנְנִ֥ים	mə·‘ō·nə·nîm	Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural	H6049 practice soothsaying
and diviners	קֹסְמִ֖ים	qō·sə·mîm	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural	H7080 practise divination
the LORD	יְהוָ֥ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
your God	אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃	’ĕ·lō·he·ḵā	Noun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singular	H430 God
has not	לֹ֣א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
permitted you	נָ֛תַן	nå̄·ṯan	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H5414 give, put, set
to do so	כֵ֔ן	ḵên	Adverb	H3651 right, veritable, honest