Deuteronomy 18:10 · Bible study
Deuteronomy 18:10 Commentary: Child Sacrifice & Occult Forbidden
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Study the banned practices in Deuteronomy 18:10, child sacrifice, divination, sorcery.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God absolutely forbids child sacrifice, divination, and sorcery as abominations that characterize the nations and disqualify them from the land.
- Key words: ma‘avir (makes pass; Hiphil participle of ‘avar) shows an intentional, repeated action of leading children through fire; kosem (diviner) comes from a root meaning to decide or cut, denoting one who issues oracles.
- Main debate: Whether “pass through the fire” always meant actual burning or was sometimes a symbolic rite; commentators acknowledge both possibilities.
- Theological theme: Exclusive trust in Yahweh as the only source of revelation and power, contrasted with the demonized cultus of the nations (Lange).
- Best use: A clear biblical foundation for teaching against occult involvement and for directing people to God’s word and the Prophet Jesus Christ.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery,
WEB World English Bible 2000
There shall not be found with you anyone who makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who tells fortunes, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer,
KJV King James Version 1769
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,
ASV American Standard Version 1901
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,
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
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 Darby Bible 1890
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,
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Neither let there be found among you any one that shall expiate his son or daughter, making them to pass through the fire: or that consulteth soothsayers, or observeth dreams and omens, neither let there be any wizard,
Translations in other languages (10 available)
No sea hallado en ti quien haga pasar su hijo ó su hija por el fuego, ni practicante de adivinaciones, ni agorero, ni sortílego, ni hechicero,
Não seja achado em ti quem faça passar seu filho ou sua filha pelo fogo, nem praticante de adivinhações, nem agoureiro, nem interpretador de presságios, nem feiticeiro,
Qu’ on ne trouve chez toi personne qui fasse passer son fils ou sa fille par le feu, personne qui exerce le métier de devin, d’ astrologue, d’ augure, de magicien,
daß nicht jemand unter dir gefunden werde, der seinen Sohn oder seine Tochter durchs Feuer gehen lasse, oder ein Weissager oder Tagewähler oder der auf Vogelgeschrei achte oder ein Zauberer
Onder u zal niet gevonden worden, die zijn zoon of zijn dochter door het vuur doet doorgaan, die met waarzeggerijen omgaat, een guichelaar, of die op vogelgeschrei acht geeft, of tovenaar.
Non si trovi in mezzo a te chi faccia passare il suo figliuolo o la sua figliuola per il fuoco, né chi eserciti la divinazione, né pronosticatore, né augure, né mago,
Niech się między wami nie znajduje, któryby przewodził syna swego, albo córkę swoję przez ogień; także wieszczek, guślarz, i wróżek, i czarownik.
не должен находиться у тебя проводящий сына своего или дочь свою чрез огонь, прорицатель, гадатель, ворожея, чародей,
你們中間 不可 有人使兒 女 經 火，也不可有占 卜的、觀兆的、用法術的、行邪術的、
Let there not be seen among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter go through the fire, or anyone using secret arts, or a maker of strange sounds, or a reader of signs, or any wonder-worker,
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Deuteronomy 18:10
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this verse lists practices common among the Canaanite nations, which Israel must never adopt. The first prohibition, making a son or daughter pass through the fire, refers to consecration or sacrifice to the god Molech (Clarke, Gill, Calvin). The Hebrew participle ma‘avir describes one who causes a child to pass through fire, likely as a purifying rite that sometimes led to burning (Lange, Calvin). The remaining terms cover forms of divination and sorcery seeking hidden knowledge or power apart from God: kosem (a diviner who decides or gives an oracle), me’onen (a soothsayer who interprets clouds or omens), menachesh (an augurer reading signs, possibly from serpents), and mekhashef (a sorcerer using drugs or incantations). Barnes, Matthew Henry, and Wesley all stress that these violate Israel’s exclusive trust in Yahweh, who reveals His will through prophets, not through dark arts. The practices are called abominations (v.12) because they substitute human manipulation for humble dependence on God.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: God absolutely forbids child sacrifice, divination, and sorcery because they are abominations that lead away from trust in Him and characterize the nations He judges.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 'pass through the fire' | All commentators understand this as a sacrificial or consecratory rite associated with Molech worship, often involving children. | Some (Gill, Jarchi) describe it as a lustration between two fires; others (Calvin, Matthew Henry) see it as escalating to actual burning. Both possibilities exist in the ancient texts. |
| Scope of the prohibition | All traditions agree the verse forbids all forms of divination and sorcery, treating them as incompatible with faith in Yahweh. | The precise identification of each term (e.g., 'observer of times' as astrologer vs. cloud-interpreter) varies among commentators, but none disputes the overarching prohibition. |
| Reason for the prohibition | Christians agree these practices are abominations because they replace trust in God with human manipulation or demonic contact. | Some emphasize the social harm (especially child sacrifice), while others stress the theological offense of attributing divine prerogatives to other powers. Both are complementary. |
| Relevance to prophecy (v.15-22) | The passage contrasts these forbidden practices with God's provision of a prophet, showing that Israel has a legitimate way to hear from God. | Interpreters differ on whether the prophet refers primarily to Joshua and subsequent prophets or is a messianic prophecy; but all see it as God's positive alternative to divination. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The first practice in this verse, passing children through fire, connects directly to Molech worship, which was widespread in Canaan and Ammon (Leviticus 18:21, 20:2, 5). The surrounding nations believed that offering a child to Molech secured fertility, protection, or favor from the underworld deity. Calvin and Lange note that the rite often began as a lustration, a symbolic cleansing by walking between two fires, but frequently escalated to actual child sacrifice, as seen in later Israelite history (2 Kings 16:3, 23:10). The Hebrew verb ‘avar (to pass over) echoes the national name “Hebrew,” which some commentators see as a deliberate contrast: Israel is to “pass over” into covenant life, not into idolatrous fire.
The remaining terms describe the web of occult arts that surrounded ancient Near Eastern religion. Divination (qesem) was a broad category: practitioners used rods, arrows, or animal entrails to discern the future or the will of the gods (Gill cites Cicero’s classification of natural and artificial divination). “Observer of times” (me’onen) likely referred to those who read omens in clouds, stars, or seasons, pronouncing certain days lucky or unlucky (Wesley). The “enchanter” (menachesh) inspected birds, snakes, or other creatures for auguries (Clarke, Lange). The “sorcerer” (mekhashef) used drugs, perfumes, and spells to manipulate spiritual forces (Clarke). All these practices deny God’s sovereignty and His chosen channels of revelation. As the surrounding context makes clear, the Canaanites’ devotion to these abominations was the reason God drove them out of the land (vv.12, 14). Israel was called to be blameless before Yahweh, trusting His word rather than seeking hidden knowledge.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries note no significant textual variants for Deuteronomy 18:10. The Hebrew text is stable across the major manuscripts and versions. The only variation among English translations lies in rendering the specific Hebrew terms for divinatory practices, not in the wording of the verse itself.
Reception History
From the early church onward, Christians have understood this verse as part of a clear biblical prohibition against all forms of occultism. Fathers like Tertullian and Augustine cited Deuteronomy to oppose pagan practices, including astrology and child sacrifice. Throughout the medieval period, the verse was used in pastoral teaching against consulting witches or soothsayers. The Reformers, Calvin, Luther, and the Geneva Bible, reiterated that these practices violate the first commandment by seeking knowledge or power apart from God. In modern times, the passage continues to be cited by churches across traditions to warn against involvement in the occult and to affirm that God alone is the source of guidance and life.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- What God forbids, Child sacrifice, divination, sorcery (v.10). Each practice attempts to gain power or knowledge outside of covenant relationship with Yahweh.
- Why God forbids it, These practices are abominations that characterize the nations being judged (vv.12, 14). They deny God’s exclusive authority and His ways of revelation.
- What God provides instead, The passage leads directly to the promise of a prophet like Moses (v.15). God does not leave His people guessing; He speaks through His appointed messengers.
Five-point outline
- Child sacrifice, trusting death rather than the God of life, and the most extreme form of treating children as bargaining chips.
- Divination, seeking hidden knowledge by human techniques, refusing to wait on God’s revealed word.
- Soothsaying, reading omens from clouds, stars, or animals, attributing control of events to impersonal forces.
- Enchantment, interpreting signs (often from birds or serpents) to predict outcomes, replacing trust with superstition.
- Sorcery, using incantations or drugs to compel spiritual power, rejecting humble prayer and submission.
Illustration hooks
- A parent scrolling through a horoscope app each morning, looking for direction rather than opening Scripture or praying.
- The social pressure in a workplace to consult a psychic or use crystals for success, framed as harmless curiosity.
- Desperate families in some cultures who still seek healers who demand costly sacrifices, thinking they must pay to appease unseen powers.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “Is it okay to read my horoscope for fun, or is that the kind of divination God condemns?”
- “What about items like crystals, tarot cards, or lucky charms? Are they just cultural, or do they cross a line?”
- “Does God really see child sacrifice in the same category as checking a horoscope?”
Leading a Discussion
This verse forbids practices that treat the spiritual world as something to be manipulated. In their place, God invites His people to trust His revealed word and to wait on Him. Use these questions to help your group explore why God draws such a firm line and what it means for daily decision-making.
Discussion questions
- Read Deuteronomy 18:9, 14. What is the stated reason the Canaanites are being driven out of the land? How does that connect to the prohibitions in verse 10?
- The first practice listed is child sacrifice. Why do you think God mentions this first? What does it reveal about the seriousness of the other practices?
- Look at the Hebrew terms used here: kosem (diviner), me’onen (soothsayer), menachesh (augurer), mekhashef (sorcerer). Each represents a different way people try to access hidden knowledge or power. In what ways do people today seek the same things?
- Verse 13 says, “You shall be blameless with Yahweh your God.” How does this call to blamelessness relate to avoiding occult practices? Does it extend to our thought life and motives?
- Why do you think God’s people are tempted to consult such sources when they already have His law and prophets? What fears or desires drive that temptation?
- How does the promise of a prophet like Moses in verses 15, 19 answer the human longing for guidance? What makes it superior to divination?
- In what area of your life are you most tempted to seek guidance apart from God’s word? What would it look like to trust Him instead this week?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 22:18 | “You shall not allow a sorceress to live. |
| Leviticus 18:21 | “‘You shall not give any of your children as a sacrifice to Molech. You shall not profane the name of your God. I am Yahweh. |
| Leviticus 18:30 | Therefore you shall keep my requirements, that you do not practice any of these abominable customs which were practiced before you, and that you do not defile yourselves with them. I am Yahweh your God.’” |
| Leviticus 19:26 | “‘You shall not eat any meat with the blood still in it. You shall not use enchantments, nor practice sorcery. |
| Leviticus 19:31 | “‘Don’t turn to those who are mediums, nor to the wizards. Don’t seek them out, to be defiled by them. I am Yahweh your God. |
| Leviticus 20:2 | “Moreover, you shall tell the children of Israel, ‘Anyone of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners in Israel, who gives any of his offspring to Molech shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone that person with stones. |
| Leviticus 20:5 | then I will set my face against that man and against his family, and will cut him off, and all who play the prostitute after him to play the prostitute with Molech, from among their people. |
| Leviticus 20:26 | You shall be holy to me, for I, Yahweh, am holy, and have set you apart from the peoples, that you should be mine. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke distinguishes each forbidden practice by its Hebrew root and specific method. He argues that passing through the fire was a consecration rite to Molech, not execution by burning. He then defines divination, observing times, enchantment, and witchcraft by their distinct ancient techniques such as augury, planetary observation, and drug-based magic.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes points out that the phrase “pass through the fire” refers directly to worshiping Molech, not a generic purification rite. He also clarifies that “witch” is better understood as “sorcerer,” and he directs readers to the notes on Exodus and Leviticus for the remaining terms.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin draws a sharp line between Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac and the pagan practice of child sacrifice: Abraham acted on God's direct command, while the pagans murdered their children despite God's prohibition. He observes that people often show more fervor in self-made religious rites than in obeying God's clear instructions.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible Schools commentary stresses that Deuteronomy's law of the prophet forms a unified, natural contrast to foreign divination. It defends the passage's integrity against critics and notes that the test of a false prophet by non-fulfillment mirrors how Jeremiah himself relied on events to verify his word from the Lord.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Let none be founde among you that maketh his sonne or his daughter to goe thorough the fire, or that vseth witchcraft, or a regarder of times, or a marker of the flying of foules, or a sorcerer,
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill catalogs the forbidden pagan practices Israel must shun, drawing on Jewish and ancient sources to describe each one. He notes that passing children through fire was a specific Moloch ritual, while divination, time-watching, enchantment, and witchcraft cover a broad range of methods used to seek hidden knowledge or guidance from spirits and omens.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange underscores that the prophetic office is God's answer to Israel's need for ongoing divine revelation after Moses. Unlike the surrounding nations who turn to dark arts and divination, Israel is promised a line of prophets who, like Moses, speak God's words directly. This prophetic order forms the living, authentic word that guides and corrects the people.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry is astonished that Israel, so blessed with divine institutions, could ever be tempted by the brutish, barbarous customs of the Canaanites they conquered. He specifies child sacrifice to Moloch, an idol representing the sun, and divination arts that attribute God's power to the devil as the particular abominations forbidden.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley defines each forbidden practice with concrete examples: divination uncovers secrets through unlawful arts; observing times labels days lucky or unlucky by celestial or bird signs; an inchanter uses superstitious words or water/smoke; a witch makes a covenant with the devil.