The Meaning of Deuteronomy 18:10 Explained

Deuteronomy 18:10

KJV: 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,

YLT: there is not found in thee one causing his son and his daughter to pass over into fire, a user of divinations, an observer of clouds, and an enchanter, and a sorcerer,

Darby: There shall not be found among you he that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, that useth divination, that useth auguries, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer,

ASV: There shall not be found with thee any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, one that useth divination, one that practiseth augury, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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, 

What does Deuteronomy 18:10 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 18:1-22 - The Prophet Who Was To Come
Those that serve the altar may live by the altar. Let us not forget the needs of those who serve us in holy things. It is a blessed thing when an individual desires "the place that the Lord chooses." Let us be true to the inner prompting, at whatever cost. We shall be fully repaid. When Peter loaned his boat Jesus returned it, filled with fish!
We are to be "perfect with the Lord"-i.e., we are not knowingly to permit things that hurt or grieve His Holy Spirit. If the question should arise, how we are to know God's way, we must take our question to the true Prophet. See Acts 3:22; Acts 7:37. He can answer our hard question; but we are strictly forbidden to go to crystal-gazers, palmists, fortune-tellers, and those who profess to read the future. How serious is their fault who refuse Him! Compare Deuteronomy 18:19 with Hebrews 10:28-29. Let thy Urim and Thummim be with the Holy One! 1 Samuel 23:11-12; 1 Samuel 30:7-8. [source]

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 18

1  The LORD is the priests and Levites' inheritance
3  The priests' due
6  The Levites' portion
9  The abominations of the nations are to be avoided
15  Christ the Prophet is to be heard
20  The presumptuous prophet is to die

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 18:10 mean?

Not there shall be found among you [anyone] who makes pass through his son or his daughter the fire [or one] who practices witchcraft [or] a soothsayer or one who interprets omens or a sorcerer
לֹֽא־ יִמָּצֵ֣א בְךָ֔ מַעֲבִ֥יר בְּנֽוֹ־ וּבִתּ֖וֹ בָּאֵ֑שׁ קֹסֵ֣ם קְסָמִ֔ים מְעוֹנֵ֥ן וּמְנַחֵ֖שׁ וּמְכַשֵּֽׁף

יִמָּצֵ֣א  there  shall  be  found 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָצָא  
Sense: to find, attain to.
בְךָ֔  among  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
מַעֲבִ֥יר  [anyone]  who  makes  pass  through 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
בְּנֽוֹ־  his  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
וּבִתּ֖וֹ  or  his  daughter 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
בָּאֵ֑שׁ  the  fire 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.
קֹסֵ֣ם  [or  one]  who  practices 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: קֶסֶם  
Sense: divination, witchcraft.
קְסָמִ֔ים  witchcraft 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: קָסַם  
Sense: (Qal) to practice divination, divine.
מְעוֹנֵ֥ן  [or]  a  soothsayer 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular
Root: עָנַן 
Sense: (Piel) to make appear, produce, bring (clouds).
וּמְנַחֵ֖שׁ  or  one  who  interprets  omens 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular
Root: נָחַשׁ  
Sense: to practice divination, divine, observe signs, learn by experience, diligently observe, practice fortunetelling, take as an omen.
וּמְכַשֵּֽׁף  or  a  sorcerer 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular
Root: כָּשַׁף  
Sense: (Piel) to practice witchcraft or sorcery, use witchcraft.