Deuteronomy 18:9Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Palladius: You are correct; the sacred scripture commands us to detest these abominations. It is written: "When you enter the land which the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to do the detestable things of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes, or interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or a charmer, or a medium, or a necromancer, or one who inquires of the dead. For whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord" (Deuteronomy 18:9-12). Moments later, it is stated, "You shall be blameless before the Lord your God; for these nations which you are about to dispossess listen to fortune-tellers and to diviners; but as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do so. The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet" (Deuteronomy 18:13-16).

Cyril: Indeed, my friend. We shall not heed divinators or the dead, nor will we regard the flight of birds—whether right or left, west or east—as significant, for such behavior stems from utter ignorance. Instead, let us acknowledge Christ, our leader, who, becoming like us for our sake, imparts the true knowledge we need. In His presence, we choose to remain closely united while entirely casting aside the falsehoods of demonic spirits. Just as the renewal and creation of all things inherently belong to God, so too does all knowledge. His nature is uniquely suited to know the future and to encompass all wisdom within Himself. Do you not find this reasoning wise and true?

Palladius: Certainly.

Cyril: We would sin against Him and tarnish His glorious nature if we believed that vile and impure spirits could be part of what He embodies, which is pure glory. If we assume that Satan possesses the ability to create and is indeed a creator, we are foolishly attributing divine qualities to him—in particular, the supreme good, which is the knowledge of the future. Is this not true?

Palladius: Indeed, it is. As Isaiah declared to those who mistakenly assign divine prerogatives to creatures: "Remember this, and be men; consider it, O transgressors! Recall the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose'" (Isaiah 46:8-10). Thus, He makes it known to His audience that there is no other true God, being able to announce the future before it occurs.

Cyril: Excellent, Palladius. However, I desire that as we thoroughly examine the truth, we also evaluate whether we genuinely wish to live in accordance with the Gospel. How can we then be drawn into the allure of false prophecies? If we give credence to their claims, do we not, in essence, question the veracity of the Lord's words? He proclaimed to the prideful Jews, "You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44). How can a liar speak truth? Moreover, how can one who does not stand in the truth communicate anything other than falsehoods?

Is it not evident, Palladius, that by attributing truth to the utterances of demons, we cast accusations of untruth upon Christ, declaring that truth speaks falsehoods?

Palladius: That seems very likely.

Cyril: Additionally, I would assert that Christ instructs us to disregard the speeches of unclean spirits, even if they were to present truths in a misleading manner.

Palladius: But how is this possible?

Cyril: Have you not heard from the holy Evangelists that the demons approached Christ, crying out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!" (Mark 1:24)? He "rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew him to be the Christ" (Luke 4:41). Why would Christ silence them for proclaiming the truth? This serves as a lesson to us that we should not cling to their declarations, even if they happen to be true, for by mixing lies with truth, they harm their listeners, akin to those who sweeten bitter medicine with honey, masking its unpleasant taste.

Palladius: Clearly, it is perilous to heed the deceits of soothsayers.

Cyril: So what shall we say? Should we also regard practices like purification through fire and water as loathsome and indicative of Hellenic idolatry?

Palladius: Certainly. Thus, the Divine law clearly states: "Anyone who burns a son or daughter in the fire shall be put to death" (Deuteronomy 18:10).

Cyril: How wonderful that the law warns us against such practices! It seems utterly nonsensical, devoid of rational foundation. How can fire serve as purification for our nature? How can torches, swung in circles, cleanse the guilty? While fire may consume the corruption of physical substances, can it remove the impurity of thoughts and spirit? Is it not absurd and a product of human fantasy?

Palladius: Indeed.

Cyril: I would love to address those esteemed Hellenists who devised these disgraceful practices and transmitted them. What do you mean, wise men, when you invent tales of Titius, whom you claim was born from the earth and tortured in hell, having vultures devour his liver because he was captivated by a woman’s beauty? Why do you narrate that Tantalus suffers beneath a rock, and instruct young men that he is thus punished for his gluttony? Why do you bind Ixion to a wheel that eternally revolves, claiming he suffers punishment for deceit that offends your gods, while you yourselves, steeped in the worst vices, free yourselves through fire and branches of laurel or olive as you wish, granting absolution from sin even to the most egregious offenders? Explain to me why you impose relentless punishment upon Titius and others alike, devoid of legal reprisal? Yet, the infamous Prometheus, who supposedly stole fire for mankind, lives in your tales bound by unbreakable chains, with vultures harassing him in the same manner.

If purification by fire should apply to them, should it not also extend to those who have violated your daughters, wives, or the wives of strangers? Should they not receive absolution through fire and escape judgment for their sins? In contrast, for others, you quickly mobilize legal proceedings and the full force of the law against them, while you, who live your lives shamefully, consider yourselves innocent of all defilement, seduced by frivolous pursuits and choosing the most unsuitable among men to minister to you—those who have abandoned their male distinction, adopting female ways in word and manner of living. After this, how could such a person find purification? If one were to attempt to cleanse themselves with fragrant oils, while filthy and covered in dirt, would that be deemed genuine cleansing?

Palladius: You speak the truth, and I concur with your assessment.

Cyril: I shall refrain from delving into their folly further, nor shall I discuss those who purport to be agents of purification at this moment; rather, I will return to the substance of our discussion. It’s clear that idolaters lead lives filled with madness and ignorance, misunderstanding purification and the true nature of defilement. Crimes of adultery, unrestrained desires, sodomy, murder, deceit, and false oaths are the true impurities that soil the soul and body—dirtied beyond the reach of fire or water. Not grasping the connection between their vices and their spiritual contamination, they recoil from corpses and disdain decayed remains, while neglecting natural laws. They regard their food as unfit and, should they inadvertently touch something classified as unclean, they hastily resort to purification rituals through fire and water, foolishly believing that mere avoidance makes them holy. They are so misled that it can be fittingly said, "Woe to you, blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel" (Matthew 23:23-24). In their excessive fear of harmless things, they disregard true defilement—if they enter a tomb, they strip themselves of garments and shave their heads, fearing contamination. This shows the trivial nature of incantation and whispering—practices often reduced to mere sorcery.

Thus, divine Moses admonished us against these errors, linking incantation with poison by saying, "There shall not be found among you anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or is a medium" (Deuteronomy 18:10-11). Although the act of casting spells is vile, some, for reasons unknown, esteem it, insisting that practitioners, when attempting to heal the afflicted, invoke the name of the Lord of hosts, erroneously asserting that this makes their endeavor permissible. Such misguided reasoning leads them into darkness. With the title "Lord of hosts," we invoke the God of all creation to offer praise; we shall not permit this name to be attributed to anything else, serving only the One True Lord. The vanity of naming unfit spirits "masters" and granting them glory due solely to the Almighty leads to deception and seduction; in exchange for their false assistance, they demand compliance with their wickedness. The army of demons remains eternally hostile to God. Therefore, we ought to resist their deceitful counsel, distancing ourselves as much as possible from their influence and ignoring their unholy teachings. However, if you find yourself ailing, truly believing that invoking the names of God will bring you healing, then in prayer, call upon these names, and you will achieve far better, giving glory to God rather than to unclean spirits. Let me remind you of the scriptures: "Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven" (James 5:14-15).

Palladius: Therefore, let us condemn divination by birds and incantation, considering them along with other practices denounced by the law, which God deems utterly shameful.