Deuteronomy12
New King James Version
1“These are the statutes and judgments which you shall be careful to observe in the land which the Lord God of your fathers is giving you to possess, all the days that you live on the earth.
2You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations which you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree.
3And you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and burn their wooden images with fire; you shall cut down the carved images of their gods and destroy their names from that place.
4You shall not worship the Lord your God with such things.
5“But you shall seek the place where the Lord your God chooses, out of all your tribes, to put His name for His dwelling place; and there you shall go.
6There you shall take your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the heave offerings of your hand, your vowed offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks.
7And there you shall eat before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice in all to which you have put your hand, you and your households, in which the Lord your God has blessed you.
8“You shall not at all do as we are doing here today—every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes—
9for as yet you have not come to the rest and the inheritance which the Lord your God is giving you.
10But when you cross over the Jordan and dwell in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to inherit, and He gives you rest from all your enemies round about, so that you dwell in safety,
11then there will be the place where the Lord your God chooses to make His name abide. There you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the heave offerings of your hand, and all your choice offerings which you vow to the Lord.
12And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your sons and your daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levite who is within your gates, since he has no portion nor inheritance with you.
13Take heed to yourself that you do not offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see;
14but in the place which the Lord chooses, in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you.
15“However, you may slaughter and eat meat within all your gates, whatever your heart desires, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you; the unclean and the clean may eat of it, of the gazelle and the deer alike.
16Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it on the earth like water.
17You may not eat within your gates the tithe of your grain or your new wine or your oil, of the firstborn of your herd or your flock, of any of your offerings which you vow, of your freewill offerings, or of the heave offering of your hand.
18But you must eat them before the Lord your God in the place which the Lord your God chooses, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, and the Levite who is within your gates; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God in all to which you put your hands.
19Take heed to yourself that you do not forsake the Levite as long as you live in your land.
20“When the Lord your God enlarges your border as He has promised you, and you say, ‘Let me eat meat,’ because you long to eat meat, you may eat as much meat as your heart desires.
21If the place where the Lord your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, then you may slaughter from your herd and from your flock which the Lord has given you, just as I have commanded you, and you may eat within your gates as much as your heart desires.
22Just as the gazelle and the deer are eaten, so you may eat them; the unclean and the clean alike may eat them.
23Only be sure that you do not eat the blood, for the blood is the life; you may not eat the life with the meat.
24You shall not eat it; you shall pour it on the earth like water.
25You shall not eat it, that it may go well with you and your children after you, when you do what is right in the sight of the Lord.
26Only the holy things which you have, and your vowed offerings, you shall take and go to the place which the Lord chooses.
27And you shall offer your burnt offerings, the meat and the blood, on the altar of the Lord your God; and the blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on the altar of the Lord your God, and you shall eat the meat.
28Observe and obey all these words which I command you, that it may go well with you and your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God.
29“When the Lord your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land,
30take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’
31You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.
32“Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Deuteronomy 12.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Monuments of idolatry to be destroyed. (1–4). The place of God's service to be kept. (5–32).
vv1-4
Moses comes to the statutes he had to give in charge to Israel; and begins with such as relate to the worship of God. The Israelites are charged not to bring the rites and usages of idolaters into the worship of God; not under colour of making it better. We cannot serve God and mammon; nor worship the true God and idols; nor depend upon Christ Jesus and upon superstitious or self-righteous confidences.
vv5-32
The command to bring ALL the sacrifices to the door of the tabernacle, was now explained with reference to the promised land. As to moral service, then, as now, men might pray and worship every where, as they did in their synagogues. The place which God would choose, is said to be the place where he would put his name. It was to be his habitation, where, as King of Israel, he would be found by all who reverently sought him. Now, under the gospel, we have no temple or altar that sanctifies the gift but Christ only: and as to the places of worship, the prophets foretold that in every place the spiritual incense should be offered, Mal 1:11. Our Saviour declared, that those are accepted as true worshippers, who worship God in sincerity and truth, without regard either to this mountain or Jerusalem, Joh 4:21. And a devout Israelite might honour God, keep up communion with him, and obtain mercy from him, though he had no opportunity of bringing a sacrifice to his altar. Work for God should be done with holy joy and cheerfulness. Even children and servants must rejoice before God; the services of religion are to be a pleasure, and not a task or drudgery. It is the duty of people to be kind to their ministers, who teach them well, and set them good examples. As long as we live, we need their assistance, till we come to that world where ordinances will not be needed. Whether we eat or drink, or whatever we do, we are commanded to do all to the glory of God. And we must do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to the Father through him. They must not even inquire into the modes and forms of idolatrous worship. What good would it do them to know those depths of Satan? And our inward satisfaction will be more and more, as we abound in love and good works, which spring from faith and the in-dwelling Spirit of Christ.
Key Words
אֵלֶּה: these or those
חֹק: an enactment; hence, an appointment (of time, space, quantity, labor or usage)
מִשְׁפָּט: properly, a verdict (favorable or unfavorable) pronounced judicially, especially a sentence or formal decree (human or (participant's) divine law, individual or collective), including the act, the place, the suit, the crime, and the penalty; abstractly, justice, including a participant's right or privilege (statutory or customary), or even a style
אֲשֶׁר: who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.
שָׁמַר: properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.
עָשָׂה: to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application
אֶרֶץ: the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
אֱלֹהִים: gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative
אָב: father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application
נָתַן: to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
Cross References
Deuteronomy 12Contrast with the wilderness rule requiring all domestic animals to be killed as peace offerings at the tabernacle.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Jesus contrasts the Old Testament chosen place with spiritual worship under the New Covenant.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Echoes the warning against everyone doing 'whatsoever is right in his own eyes' during chaotic periods.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The foundational, universal prohibition against eating meat with its lifeblood, established with Noah.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The first major historic fulfillment where the tabernacle was set up at Shiloh.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Solomon's temple dedicated as the permanent place chosen by God to put His name.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Establishes the central theme of a single chosen sanctuary where God puts His name.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Explicit theological grounding: the life of the flesh is in the blood, given for atonement.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Parallels the absolute prohibition against adding to or taking away from God's commands.
Supported by John Calvin
Indicts Israel for later adopting pagan worship under green trees and on mountains.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Reiterates the obligation to care for the landless Levites within Israel's gates.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Lists child sacrifice via fire as a chief abomination of Canaanite religion.
Supported by John Calvin
Internal chapter parallel emphasizing joyful, communal sacred meals at the chosen place.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The Apostolic Decree continues the abstinence from blood for New Testament Gentile believers.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Repeats the promise of long-term blessing for doing what is right in God's eyes.
Supported by John Calvin