The Meaning of Deuteronomy 18:2 Explained

Deuteronomy 18:2

KJV: Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren: the LORD is their inheritance, as he hath said unto them.

YLT: and he hath no inheritance in the midst of his brethren; Jehovah Himself is his inheritance, as He hath spoken to him.

Darby: but they shall have no inheritance among their brethren: Jehovah, he is their inheritance, as he hath said unto them.

ASV: And they shall have no inheritance among their brethren: Jehovah is their inheritance, as he hath spoken unto them.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Therefore shall they have no inheritance  among  their brethren:  the LORD  [is] their inheritance,  as he hath said  unto them. 

What does Deuteronomy 18:2 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 18:2 mean?

Therefore inheritance no shall have they among their brothers Yahweh is their inheritance as He said to them -
וְנַחֲלָ֥ה לֹא־ יִֽהְיֶה־ לּ֖וֹ בְּקֶ֣רֶב אֶחָ֑יו יְהוָה֙ ה֣וּא נַחֲלָת֔וֹ כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר דִּבֶּר־ לֽוֹ ס

וְנַחֲלָ֥ה  Therefore  inheritance 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: נַחֲלָה  
Sense: possession, property, inheritance, heritage.
לֹא־  no 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יִֽהְיֶה־  shall  have 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
אֶחָ֑יו  their  brothers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
נַחֲלָת֔וֹ  their  inheritance 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: נַחֲלָה  
Sense: possession, property, inheritance, heritage.
דִּבֶּר־  He  said 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
לֽוֹ  to  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation