The Meaning of Deuteronomy 18:6 Explained

Deuteronomy 18:6

KJV: And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourned, and come with all the desire of his mind unto the place which the LORD shall choose;

YLT: 'And when the Levite cometh from one of thy cities out of all Israel, where he hath sojourned, and hath come with all the desire of his soul unto the place which Jehovah doth choose,

Darby: And if the Levite shall come from one of thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourneth, and shall come according to all the desire of his soul unto the place which Jehovah will choose,

ASV: And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourneth, and come with all the desire of his soul unto the place which Jehovah shall choose;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And if a Levite  come  from any  of thy gates  out of all Israel,  where he sojourned,  and come  with all the desire  of his mind  unto the place  which the LORD  shall choose; 

What does Deuteronomy 18:6 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 18:6 mean?

So if comes a Levite from one of your gates among all Israel from where he dwells there and comes with all the desire of his mind to the place which chooses Yahweh
וְכִֽי־ יָבֹ֨א הַלֵּוִ֜י מֵאַחַ֤ד שְׁעָרֶ֙יךָ֙ מִכָּל־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁר־ ה֖וּא גָּ֣ר שָׁ֑ם וּבָא֙ בְּכָל־ אַוַּ֣ת נַפְשׁ֔וֹ אֶל־ הַמָּק֖וֹם אֲשֶׁר־ יִבְחַ֥ר יְהוָֽה

וְכִֽי־  So  if 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
יָבֹ֨א  comes 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
הַלֵּוִ֜י  a  Levite 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֵוִי  
Sense: the descendants of Levi, the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah.
מֵאַחַ֤ד  from  one 
Parse: Preposition-m, Number, masculine singular construct
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
שְׁעָרֶ֙יךָ֙  of  your  gates 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.
מִכָּל־  among  all 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
אֲשֶׁר־  from  where 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
גָּ֣ר  dwells 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: גּוּר 
Sense: to sojourn, abide, dwell in, dwell with, remain, inhabit, be a stranger, be continuing, surely.
וּבָא֙  and  comes 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
בְּכָל־  with  all 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
אַוַּ֣ת  the  desire 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אַוָּה  
Sense: desire, lust, will (not necessarily evil).
נַפְשׁ֔וֹ  of  his  mind 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
הַמָּק֖וֹם  the  place 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָקֹום  
Sense: standing place, place.
יִבְחַ֥ר  chooses 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּחוּר 
Sense: to choose, elect, decide for.
יְהוָֽה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.