Deuteronomy 18

Deuteronomy 18:6

Augustine of Hippo: If a Levite comes from one of your cities, where he resides, from among all the children of Israel, according to what his soul wants, to the place that the Lord has chosen - that is, if he wished to go to the place where the Lord is invoked. Lord - and he will officiate in the name of the Lord his God, like all his brothers the Levites who are there before the Lord; will eat the distributed portion, in addition to the sale that corresponds by family. It is not clear what this sale refers to. Perhaps it is the tithes and the first fruits, which are sent to those who live far away, so that they are not forced to take many things to the place where the Lord is invoked or to take the cattle to buy them there again for the same price. The Lord had commanded him to have there the portion corresponding to the Levites who remained in that city in which the tithes and firstfruits were to be given. And the text says that this should be given to the Levites according to their family, because it is necessary to preserve what comes as an inheritance, for the fact of succeeding their parents, and this is what has been shown to the parents. — QUESTIONS ON DEUTERONOMY, Q. 28 (tr. J. Litteral, draft)

Deuteronomy 18:10

Augustine of Hippo: As the Lord forbids there to be seekers of wonders in the people of God, it is necessary to investigate how these wonders, whose search is forbidden, can be distinguished from those that have divine origin and are given in a way that their meaning must be indicated. Thus, for example, all the miracles found in the Scriptures and mean something relative to the rule of faith. In this way we explain, for example, the meaning of the dry fleece, the era being full of dew, or the fleece full of dew, the dry era being (Cf Jdt 6,37-39), or the rod of Aaron that flourished (Cf Numbers 17,8) and produced almonds, and other similar examples. Therefore, as divinations are distinguished, which are then forbidden, from the predictions and announcements of the prophets, so must we distinguish those searches from the wonders of the meanings of divine miracles. — QUESTIONS ON DEUTERONOMY, Q. 29 (tr. J. Litteral, draft)

Deuteronomy 18:15

Augustine of Hippo: “Like me,” says Moses. This means according to the form of the flesh, not to the eminence of majesty. Therefore we find the Lord Jesus called a prophet. Accordingly that woman is no longer greatly in error when she says, “I see that you are a prophet.” She begins to call her husband, to exclude the adulterer. “I see that you are a prophet.” And she begins to ask about a thing that constantly disturbs her. — TRACTATE ON THE GOSPEL OF John 15.23.1

Cosmas Indicopleustes: A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you—him ye shall hear. And that man who shall not hear what ever that prophet shall speak in my name, that soul shall be cut off from his people. — The Christian Topography, Book 5

Origen of Alexandria: It is written in Deuteronomy, “[The Lord] your God will raise up a prophet like me for you from your brothers. You shall hear him; and it shall be that every soul which will not hear that prophet shall be destroyed from his people.” Therefore some prophet was specially expected who would be similar to Moses in some respect, to mediate between God and humanity, and who would receive the covenant from God and give the new covenant to those who became disciples. And the people of Israel knew so far as each of the prophets was concerned that no one of them was the [special] one announced by Moses. — COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF John 6.90

Deuteronomy 18:20

Origen of Alexandria: We can be prepared to find some prophet even of impiety—and perhaps not just one but several—who will tell us of a word of the Lord, which the Lord has not at all commanded, or a “word of wisdom” which has nothing whatever to do with wisdom. His purpose is to slay us by the word of his mouth. — EXHORTATION TO MARTYRDOM 8