The Meaning of Deuteronomy 18:11 Explained

Deuteronomy 18:11

KJV: Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

YLT: and a charmer, and one asking at a familiar spirit, and a wizard, and one seeking unto the dead.

Darby: or a charmer, or one that inquireth of a spirit of Python, or a soothsayer, or one that consulteth the dead.

ASV: or a charmer, or a consulter with a familiar spirit, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Or a charmer,  or a consulter  with familiar spirits,  or a wizard,  or a necromancer. 

What does Deuteronomy 18:11 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 18:11 mean?

or one who conjures spells or consults a medium or a spiritist or one who calls up the dead
וְחֹבֵ֖ר חָ֑בֶר וְשֹׁאֵ֥ל אוֹב֙ וְיִדְּעֹנִ֔י וְדֹרֵ֖שׁ אֶל־ הַמֵּתִֽים

וְחֹבֵ֖ר  or  one  who  conjures 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: הִתְחַבְּרוּת 
Sense: to unite, join, bind together, be joined, be coupled, be in league, heap up, have fellowship with, be compact, be a charmer.
חָ֑בֶר  spells 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֶבֶר  
Sense: association, company, band.
וְשֹׁאֵ֥ל  or  consults 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאַל 
Sense: to ask, enquire, borrow, beg.
אוֹב֙  a  medium 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֹוב 
Sense: water skin bottle.
וְיִדְּעֹנִ֔י  or  a  spiritist 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִדְּעֹנִי  
Sense: a knower, one who has a familiar spirit.
וְדֹרֵ֖שׁ  or  one  who  calls 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: דַּרְיׄושׁ 
Sense: to resort to, seek, seek with care, enquire, require.
אֶל־  up 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הַמֵּתִֽים  the  dead 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.

What are the major concepts related to Deuteronomy 18:11?

Loading Information...