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Question: Good afternoon, I had a question on Deut 18 The bible says a prophet will be raised amongst YOU (singular) from amongst YOUR (singular) countrymen/brothers. I have higlighted the word you and your since it is singular not plural in herbrew. If moses was talking to the israeilites here, and used the singular form of you, is he talking about the arabs as they were brothers of isaacs descendants? Since israel is regarded as one entity here, how can an an isrsaeilte of israel be a brother of israel? I wanted to know the persepctive here at GGMs if that was Ok. Thanks mo.
Profile: Male, Europe
Answered by: Barbara Reynolds, who has been a volunteer with us since July, 2012.
Answer: Thank you for your perceptive question. I commend you for paying extreme attention to the text of the Bible.
In preparation to answer your question, I followed the first rule of interpretation and reviewed the context of the passage in question by reviewing chapters 1 through 18. The first chapter of Deuteronomy attributes the words of Deuteronomy to Moses as he addresses ALL Israel. Deuteronomy 1:5-6 explicitly state that Moses expounded the law. The translators used the English grammatical convention of quotation marks to indicate a direct quotation by Moses. As you look at each chapter you will see quotation marks beginning nearly every verse with the additional use of a single quotation mark if Moses is quoting someone.
Generally the use of “you” in the many chapters that follow is in the plural. I did not look at every use of “you,” but checked randomly. Chapter 4 contains the plural and singular forms of you. For instance, verse 29 contains both plural and singular forms of you. Perhaps an in-depth study would reveal the reason.
Also note that Moses continues to address Israel; “’Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes…’” (Deuteronomy 4:1). This is also the case in 5:5; 6:4; and 9:1.
Deuteronomy 17:14 begins to lay out the governmental function of leaders (a king in the future) even though Israel is structured as a theocracy under the direct control of God. In Deuteronomy 18 the religious authority of the nation is given to the tribe of Levi: the priests and Levites. There is a strong contrast which follows in a discussion of the detestable paganism of the people of the land.
Deuteronomy 18:15 goes back to the basic functioning of the nation of Israel and the specific role of the prophet who is to speak for God. Moses is considered to be the greatest of the prophets and the greatest figure in Judaism, even today. This prophecy given by Moses was fulfilled in Jesus the Messiah who fulfilled the Mosaic Covenant/Law and ushered in the New Covenant of grace.
I looked at every “you/your” in Deuteronomy 18. The only occurrence of the second person plural form is in the final phrase of verse 15. I do not know why there is a predominance of the plural form of “you” in the early chapter of this book, and then the use of the singular form particularly in chapter 18. A review of the Hebrew conjugation forms did not provide any insight.
Your question also related to the use of the Hebrew word א?ח ?a?. The Word Study Dictionary provides this definition: “A masculine noun meaning brother. The word is used not only of those with common parents but also of those with common ancestors. Thus, the descendants of Israel are brothers (Lev. 19:17; 25:46), as are two nations with common ancestors (Amos 1:11, Obad. 1:10, 12). It further describes a close friend outside the immediate physical family (2 Sam. 1:26).”[1]
Amos 1:11 identifies these close relatives as the descendants of Edom, or Esau. This article will be helpful. Who were the Edomites? | GotQuestions.org. The Edomites appear to have disappeared from history. The Edomites are not considered Arabs.
The New King James Version translates this Hebrew word as “brethren.” The NIV translates the word as “fellow Israelites,” taking some liberties with the Hebrew text as is common with a dynamic translation of Scripture. The NASB translates “ ‘ah “ as “countrymen.” All three have merit in their translation.
But once again, context rules and will provide the most understanding. Does this refer to Arabs? Their brothers according to Scripture? Remember Moses has repeatedly and specifically addressed “Israel.” Jacob, the brother of Esau, was given the name “Israel” by God (Genesis 32:22-32). When the name “sons of Israel” or “children of Israel” or “Israel” (based on context) is used, it refers to the direct descendants of Jacob through his twelve sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. As our definition clarifies, the descendants of ISRAEL are brothers, with a common ancestor in Jacob. The descendants of Esau or any other semitic group are not the “brothers” referenced in this passage.
These two articles may also be interesting to you. Is Jesus the prophet that Moses spoke of in Deuteronomy 18? Is Jesus the Messiah? | GotQuestions.org. What does it mean that Jesus is prophet, priest, and king? | GotQuestions.org.
Finally, do you know Jesus the Messiah (Christ) as your personal savior? He is both the Son of God and the son of man; He is fully God and fully man. He was born without sin, lived without sinning, died on the cross as a substitute for us, was buried, and rose again the third day. This article explains how you can have a personal relationship with Jesus the Messiah. How can I be saved? | GotQuestions.org.
May the Lord Jesus Messiah reveal Himself to you.
[1] Warren Baker and Eugene E. Carpenter, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: Old Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2003), 31–32.
