Bible Strands
Deuteronomy 18:21
You may ask in your heart, “How can we recognize a message that the LORD has not spoken?”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Moses addresses the Israelites on the plains of Moab, providing legal criteria for evaluating future prophetic claims before they enter the land. The words — תֹאמַר (to.Mar) means "you will say," and אֵיכָה (ei.Khah) means "how?" These terms frame the internal inquiry about distinguishing divine speech from human invention. The thread — The mandate to evaluate prophetic claims echoes in 1 John 4:1, which commands testing spirits, and 1 Thessalonians 5:24, which grounds reliability in God's faithfulness. Why it lands — The verse demands that readers verify spiritual messages against observable fulfillment and authoritative origin rather than accepting claims passively.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken?
Cross-references
- 1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:24 The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.
- Revelation 2:2 I know your deeds, your labor, and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate those who are evil, and you have tested and exposed as liars those who falsely claim to be apostles.