Deuteronomy 18:10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

As it is written: ‘When thou shalt enter into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, then thou shalt not learn to do the abominations which these nations have done… for every one that doeth these things is abominable before the Lord’ (Deuteronomy 18:9-12). And shortly thereafter He states, ‘Be blameless before the Lord your God; for these nations whom you cast out listen to fortune-tellers and soothsayers, but to you the Lord your God has not given you that’ (Deuteronomy 18:13-16). Cyril. Indeed, my friend. Therefore, we ought not to follow the interpreters of omens or those who consult the dead, nor should we take seriously any matters based on the flight of birds, whether they fly to the left or the right, for this reflects deep ignorance. Rather, acknowledging Christ, our leader, who became like us for our sake, we must gain the knowledge necessary from Him, remaining united with Him while firmly rejecting the falsehoods of demons. Since all revitalization and creation exclusively belong to God, it follows that true knowledge also resides solely in His nature. Does this reasoning not strike you as wise and accurate? Palladius. Indeed. Cyril. To believe that unclean spirits are part of what God embodies and that they are glorious would be a sin against Him and an affront to His majesty. Such folly implies that Satan can create if we attribute divine attributes to him, including the knowledge of the future, which belongs only to God. Do you not agree? Palladius. Very much so. As Isaiah proclaims to those who wrongfully ascribe divine qualities to creations, ‘I am God, and there is no other God’ (Isaiah 46:8-10). He clearly indicates that He alone can declare the future before it comes to pass. Cyril. Well said, Palladius. Now, having carefully considered these truths, let us examine: if we wish to lead lives faithful to the Gospel, how can we heed the snares of false prophecies? By believing in them as truth, do we not cast doubt on the words of our Savior? For He rebuked the proud Jews, saying, ‘Your father is the devil, and you want to fulfill the lusts of your father’ (John 8:44). How can a liar impart the truth? How can someone who does not abide in truth ever speak rightly? Therefore, does it not become evident that by attributing truth to demons’ words, we accuse Christ of falsehood? Palladius. Indeed, that is quite clear. Cyril. Moreover, Christ instructs us not to accept anything said by unclean spirits, even if they sometimes utter truths not intended for them. Palladius. How can this be so? Cyril. Have you not heard the holy Evangelists recounting how demons cried out to Christ, ‘Leave us alone! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?’ (Mark 1:24). He commanded them not to speak about His identity (Luke 4:41). One may rightfully question why Christ silenced them when they revealed the truth. This serves to teach us not to cling to their words, as even when they proclaim what is evidently true, they can corrupt it with falsehood, much like someone attempting to disguise bitterness with honey. Palladius. Thus, it is undeniably perilous to heed diviners. Cyril. What then? Should we not also view the love of purifications, such as fire and water, as a disdainful and shameful aspect of pagan practices? Palladius. Certainly. Thus, the Divine revelation expressly states: ‘He that leadeth his son or his daughter through the fire shall not be with thee’ (Deuteronomy 18:10). Cyril. How fortunate it is that the law warns us against these practices! This notion is utterly foolish and lacks any rational foundation. How does fire purify us? Can torches spun around really save a sinner? Fire may purify metals, but how can it cleanse a soul or mind? Is this not ludicrous, merely a product of imaginative fables? Palladius. Exactly. Cyril. I would gladly confront those among the Greeks who devised these shameful customs: what do you propose when you torment Titius in hell, inflicting suffering for a brief moment of desire for a woman? Why do you tell tales of Tantalus who is eternally plagued by hunger and thirst, or of Ixion bound to a wheel for deceit? Why do you spare yourselves from punishment for your shameful lives while imposing endless torment on these figures? And what of Prometheus, the supposed bringer of fire to humanity? If he existed, he would have possessed fire earlier, yet your myths have him shackled with no less torment than Titius. If you believe in the purifying power of fire, then apply it equally to those who yield to lust and commit acts they ought not. Why do you seek to absolve yourselves while condemning others? You, who engage in the most disgraceful lives, consider yourselves above reproach while mocking the seriousness of sin, and you enlist the lowest among you as shamans and miracle-workers, abandoning the dignity of manhood. How then will such individuals find cleansing? It is akin to one who, covered in filth, thinks they can mask their stench with fragrant perfumes. Palladius. You speak truthfully, and I concur. Cyril. I could elaborate further on their madness regarding purification, yet I will return to the core issue and assert that idolaters indeed lead the most irrational and ignorant lives, lacking understanding of true purification and the nature of defilement. Adultery, grievous desires, sodomy, murder, envy, false prophecies, and deceit—these are the stains that corrupt body and soul and cannot be cleansed by fire or water. They remain oblivious to how their vices taint their very being while shying away from corpses, as if so doing honors nature’s laws. They cling to an erroneous view, worrying more about trivial matters than what truly corrupts them, engaging in vain rituals for fleeting purity while neglecting the weightier matters of the law. It could be rightly said of them, ‘Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!’ (Matthew 23:23-24). They fear what harms them little, while ignoring that which genuinely defiles. Should one venture into a grave and accidentally touch the remains, they would become frantic in pursuit of cleansing. Their incantations, often trivial and akin to witchcraft, only muddy their understanding of the true purity God desires. Moses clarified these truths, aligning sorcery and witchcraft with the gravest offenses, saying, ‘Let there be no soothsayer, diviner, fortune-teller among you’ (Deuteronomy 18:10-11). Some, perplexingly, seem to honor these vile practices, claiming that those who call upon the Lord invoke His name to perform acts of magic. Such thinking narrows their perception, leading them into darkness. The title ‘Lord of hosts’ is sacred, meant solely for God, a recognition we cannot shamelessly bestow on those who commune with demons. They twist reverence for a single God into homage for an array of spirits, and their so-called miracles steal glory meant for God alone. The demons remain adversaries of the truth, always seeking to mislead. Hence, we must not be swayed by their deceitful enticements but rather distance ourselves from them, avoiding these false teachers. Should you find yourself afflicted, earnestly call upon the name of the Lord, and seek healing through prayer; this will be more beneficial than resorting to their sorcery. Remember the scripture that says: ‘If any of you be sick, let him call for the elders of the Church’ (James 5:14-15). Palladius. Thus, let divination and incantations be justly condemned and recognized as abominations in the sight of God.