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Deuteronomy Chapter
Twelve
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 12
In
this chapter orders are given to destroy all altars, pillars, groves, and
images, made for the worship of idols in the land of Canaan, Deuteronomy 12:1
and to bring all sacrifices and holy things unto the place which the Lord
should choose for his habitation, and not do as they then did, not being come
to their rest, Deuteronomy 12:4,
flesh for their common food might be killed and eaten in their own houses,
provided they did not eat the blood, but poured it out upon the earth, Deuteronomy 12:15,
tithes, vows, and freewill offerings, were to be eaten in the holy place, Deuteronomy 12:17
and burnt offerings to be offered on the altar of the Lord and the blood of
them to be poured out upon the altar, Deuteronomy 12:26,
all which they were carefully to observe, Deuteronomy 12:29,
and they are cautioned against idolatry, and inquiring after the manner of it,
as practised by the old inhabitants of the land, and introducing their customs
into the service of God, Deuteronomy 12:30.
Deuteronomy 12:1 “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.
YLT
1`These [are] the statutes
and the judgments which ye observe to do in the land which Jehovah, God of thy
fathers, hath given to thee to possess it, all the days that ye are living on
the ground:
These are the statutes and judgments which ye shall observe to do,.... Which are
recorded in this and the following chapters; here a new discourse begins, and
which perhaps was delivered at another time, and respects things that were to
be observed:
in the land which the Lord God of thy fathers giveth thee to
possess it; the land of Canaan, often described by this circumlocution, to
put them in mind that it was promised to their fathers by their covenant God,
was his gift to them, and which they would quickly be in the possession of; and
therefore when in it should be careful to observe the statutes and judgments of
God constantly:
even all the days
that ye live upon the earth; or land, the land of Canaan; for though
there were some laws binding upon them, live where they would, there were
others peculiar to the land of Canaan, which they were to observe as long as
they and their posterity lived there; see 1 Kings 8:40.
Deuteronomy 12:2 2 You 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.
YLT
2ye do utterly destroy all
the places where the nations which ye are dispossessing served their gods, on
the high mountains, and on the heights, and under every green tree;
Ye shall utterly destroy all the places wherein the nations which
ye shall possess served their gods,.... The temples erected
for the worship of them by the Canaanites, of which there were many, as appears
by the various names of places given them from the temples in them, as
Bethshemesh, Bethbaalmeon, Bethpeor, and others:
upon the high mountains and upon the hills: which they
chose to worship on, being nearer the heavens, and which they thought most
acceptable to their gods; and some of them had their names from hence, as
Baalpeor, in like manner as Jupiter Olympius was called by the Greeks; see Jeremiah 2:20,
and under every green tree; which being shady and
solitary, and pleasant to the sight, they fancied their gods delighted in, and
this notion prevailed among other nations; and there is scarcely any deity but
what had some tree or another devoted to it; as the oak to Jupiter, the laurel
to Apollo, the ivy to Bacchus, the olive to Minerva, the myrtle to Venus,
&c. see Jeremiah 2:20.
Deuteronomy 12:3 3 And 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.
YLT
3and ye have broken down
their altars, and shivered their standing pillars, and their shrines ye burn
with fire, and graven images of their gods ye cut down, and have destroyed
their name out of that place.
And you shall overthrow their altars,.... Which
were of stone, as Jarchi observes; whereas the altar ordered to be made by the
Lord, before the altar of burnt offering in the tabernacle was made, was of
earth, Exodus 20:24 these
were to be demolished, lest the Israelites should be tempted to make use of
them; and besides, the Lord would not have any remains of idolatry in the land
where his tabernacle and worship were, as being abominable to him:
and break down their pillars; or statues erected to
the honour of their idols; according to Jarchi it was a single stone hewed out
at first for the basis of a statueF25Misn. Avodah Zarah, c. 3. sect.
7. ; perhaps such as were called Baetulia, in imitation of the stone Jacob set
up for a pillar at Bethel, Genesis 28:18.
and burn their groves with fire; which were planted about
their temples, and under which also their idols were placed, and where they
privately committed the most abominable lewdness under the notion of religion.
The Targum of Jonathan renders the word "abominations", meaning
idols; and so Jarchi interprets it by a tree that is worshipped; See Gill on Deuteronomy 7:5.
and you shall hew down the graven images of their gods; which were
made of wood:
and destroy the names of them out of the place; by never
making any mention of them in common discourse, and by changing the names of
places called from them; and especially by destroying all the relics of them,
and whatever appertained to them, which might lead to the mention of them; see Hosea 2:17.
Deuteronomy 12:4 4 You shall not worship the Lord your God with such things.
YLT
4`Ye do not do so to Jehovah
your God;
Ye shall not do so unto the Lord your God. Not sacrifice
to him on hills and mountains, and under green trees; though the Jews commonly
refer this to the destruction of the names of God, and of any thing
appertaining to the temple; that though the temples and the altars of the
Heathens were to be overthrown, yet not a stone was to be taken from the house
of God, or that belonged to it, nor any of his names to be blotted out; so the
Targum of Jonathan and MaimonidesF26Yesode Hattorah, c. 6. sect.
7,9. , who also observesF1Ibid. sect. 8. , that whoever removes a
stone by way of destruction from the altar, or from the temple, or from the
court, is to be beaten; so he that burns the holy wood.
Deuteronomy 12:5 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.
YLT
5but unto the place which
Jehovah your God doth choose out of all your tribes to put His name there, to
His tabernacle ye seek, and thou hast entered thither,
But unto the place which the Lord your God,.... The
Targum of Jonathan is, that the Word of the Lord your God:
shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there; to place his
tabernacle, set up his worship, take up his residence, and cause the Shechinah,
or his divine Majesty, to dwell there, as the next clause explains it; out of
what tribe it should be chosen, and where it should be, is not said. MaimomidesF2Moreh
Nevochim, par. 3. c. 45. p. 475. gives three reasons for it; he says there are
three great mysteries why the place is not clearly, but obscurely mentioned;1)
lest the Gentiles should seize upon it, and make war for the sake of it,
supposing this place to be the end of the law; 2) lest they in whose hands the
place then was should by all means waste and destroy it; 3) which is the chief,
lest every tribe should desire to have it in its own lot and jurisdiction; and
so strifes might arise among them on account of it, as happened to the
priesthood:
even unto his
habitation shall ye seek; the temple at Jerusalem is meant, where the Lord took up his
dwelling, and whither men were to come and seek unto him by prayer and
supplication for whatsoever they needed, and to inquire of him in matters
doubtful, and they wanted counsel in:
and thither thou shall come: with sacrifices of every
sort, where they were to be slain and offered to the Lord, and become
acceptable to him, as is more largely declared in the following part of this
chapter.
Deuteronomy 12:6 6 There 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.
YLT
6and hast brought in thither
your burnt-offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and the
heave-offering of your hand, and your vows, and your free-will offerings, and
the firstlings of your herd and of your flock;
And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings,.... For the
daily sacrifice, and upon any other account whatsoever; this was before ordered
to be brought to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and now to the
place where that should be fixed, Leviticus 17:8.
and your sacrifices: all other distinct from
burnt offerings, as sin offerings, trespass offerings, and peace offerings,
especially the latter. Jarchi interprets them of peace offerings of debt, such
as a man was obliged to bring; but as the distance of some persons from
Jerusalem was very great, and it was troublesome and expensive, they might,
according to the Jewish writers, bring them the next grand festival, when all
the males were obliged to appear there; so says MaimonidesF3Praefat.
ad Yad Chazakah. , all offerings of a man, whether by obligation (such as he
was bound to bring) or freewill offerings, he must bring at the first feast
that comes; and another of their writers observesF4Bartenora in
Misn. Roshhashanah, c. 1. sect. 1. & in Misn. Ediot, c. 7. sect. 6. , that
if only one feast has passed, and he has not brought his vow, he transgresses
an affirmative precept, Deuteronomy 12:6
the first feast on which thou comest thither, thou must needs bring it; and if
three have passed, he transgresses a negative precept, Deuteronomy 23:21.
and your tithes; tithes of beasts, and the second tithes,
according to Jarchi:
and heave offerings of your hand; these according to the
same writer were the firstfruits, and so it is rendered in the Septuagint
version; and thus MaimonidesF5In Misn. Meilah, c. 4. sect. 2. says,
the firstfruits are called Trumot, or heave offerings; see Exodus 22:29.
and your vows and your freewill offerings; which were a
type of peace offerings, Leviticus 7:16.
and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks; which were
sanctified and devoted to the Lord, Exodus 13:2.
Deuteronomy 12:7 7 And 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.
YLT
7and ye have eaten there
before Jehovah your God, and have rejoiced in every putting forth of your hand,
ye and your households, with which Jehovah thy God hath blessed thee.
And there ye shall eat before the Lord your God,.... The
priests and the Levites, what was their portion, so Aben Ezra; but the people
also are included, and by what follows seem chiefly designed, who were to eat
their part of the sacrifices, particularly of the tithes and peace offerings,
in the holy place that should be chosen and appointed; see Deuteronomy 14:22.
and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto; in all the
labours of their hands, and what they got thereby, which they were cheerfully
to enjoy, and express their thankfulness for it in this way; see Ecclesiastes 5:18.
ye and your households; their wives, sons, daughters,
men and maid servants; yea, with them Levites, strangers, fatherless, and
widows, were to partake of some of their freewill offerings, Deuteronomy 16:10.
wherein the Lord thy God hath blessed thee; and these
offerings were eucharistical, and by way of thanksgiving for the blessing of
God upon their labours, for it is that which maketh rich, Proverbs 10:22.
Deuteronomy 12:8 8 “You shall not at all do as we are doing here today—every
man doing whatever is right in his own eyes—
YLT
8`Ye do not do according to
all that we are doing here to-day, each anything that is right in his own eyes,
Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here,.... In the
wilderness, where they had no abiding, but were continually removing from place
to place, and could not always observe punctually and precisely the exact order
and time of their sacrifices and other things, nor offer them at any certain
place, and many were doubtless neglected by them; see Amos 5:25.
every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes; that did he,
brought the above things when and where he pleased; not that there was no regard
had to the laws and rules given, as if there was no priest in Israel; but they
were not so exactly in all circumstances conformed to as they would be obliged
to when they came into the land of Canaan, and had a certain place to bring
their offerings to; so some in Aben Ezra observe, that one would give the
firstling, another not, because it depended on the land, or was what they were
obliged to only when they came into the land of Canaan; see Exodus 13:11 but he
thinks the sense is, that they did not all fear God, and so did not do their
duty.
Deuteronomy 12:9 9 for as yet you have not come to the rest and the
inheritance which the Lord your God is giving you.
YLT
9for ye have not come in
hitherto unto the rest, and unto the inheritance, which Jehovah thy God is
giving to thee;
For ye are not yet come to the rest,.... The land of Canaan,
which was typical of the rest which remains for the people of God in heaven;
for though they now enter into a spiritual rest in Christ, they are not yet
come to their eternal rest; they are in a world of trouble, through sin, Satan,
and wicked men; but they shall come to it, as Israel did to Canaan; for God has
promised and prepared it, and it remains for them; Christ prayed for it, is
also gone to prepare it, and the Spirit is the seal and earnest of it, and
works up the saints, and makes them meet for it:
and to the inheritance which the Lord your God giveth you; and the land
of Canaan being an inheritance, and the gift of God, was also a type of the
heavenly inheritance; which saints are now born unto, and have both a right
unto, and meetness for, through the righteousness of Christ, and grace of God;
but as yet are not entered on it, but that is reserved for them in heaven, and
they are preserved and kept for that; and ere long shall inherit it, as the
free gift of God their Father to them, and which is peculiar to them as
children. Jarchi and Ben Melech by the "rest" understand Shiloh, and
by the inheritance Jerusalem; so in the MisnahF6Zebachim, c. 14.
sect. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. & Bartenora in ib. ; see 1 Chronicles 23:25
the Targum of Jonathan is,"ye are not come to the house of the sanctuary,
which is the house of rest, and to the inheritance of the land.'
Deuteronomy 12:10 10 But 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,
YLT
10and ye have passed over the
Jordan, and have dwelt in the land which Jehovah your God is causing you to
inherit, and He hath given rest to you from all your enemies round about, and
ye have dwelt confidently:
But when ye go over Jordan,.... Which lay between
the place where they now were, and the land of Canaan, and which they would
quickly go over:
and dwell in the land which the Lord your God giveth you to
inherit; the land of Canaan, and which shows that that is meant by the
inheritance: and when
he giveth you rest from all your enemies round about: which was
done when the land was subdued, and divided among the tribes of Israel, Joshua 22:4 and
which confirms the sense of Canaan being the rest; though this was more
completely fulfilled in the days of David, when he and Israel had rest from all
their enemies round about, 2 Samuel 7:1 and
who brought the ark of the Lord to Jerusalem; and into whose heart the Lord put
it to prepare to build a temple at Jerusalem for him, and which was erected and
finished in the days of his son Solomon:
so that ye dwell in safety; from their enemies, as
they more especially did in the reigns of David and Solomon; which seems
plainly to describe the time when the place not named should appear to be
chosen by the Lord to put his name in, as follows.
Deuteronomy 12:11 11 then 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.
YLT 11`And it hath been, the
place on which Jehovah your God doth fix to cause His name to tabernacle there,
thither ye bring in all that which I am commanding you, your burnt-offerings,
and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave-offering of your hand, and all
the choice of your vows which ye vow to Jehovah;
Then there shall be a place,.... Fixed and settled,
and will be known to be the place:
which the Lord your God shall choose, to cause his name to dwell
there: where he himself would dwell, and where his name would be
called, and he would be worshipped:
thither shall ye bring all that I command you, your burnt
offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offerings of your
hands; of which See Gill on Deuteronomy 12:6.
and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the Lord; or, "the
choice of your vows"F7מבחר נדריכם εκλεκτον
των δωρων υμων, Sept. "optima votorum vestrorum", Fagius. ; which, as
Jarchi observes, was brought of their choicest things, as they ought to be; see
Malachi 1:14.
Deuteronomy 12:12 12 And 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.
YLT
12and ye have rejoiced before
Jehovah your God, ye, and your sons, and your daughters, and your men-servants,
and your handmaids, and the Levite who [is] within your gates, for he hath no
part and inheritance with you.
And ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God,.... In the
place chosen and fixed, where a temple would be built for him, and he would
take up his residence; eating with joy and gladness that part of the offerings
which belonged to them, keeping as it were a feast before the Lord, in token of
gratitude for what they had received from him:
ye and your sons, and your daughters, and your menservants, and
your maidservants; which explains what is meant by their household, Deuteronomy 12:7
wives are not mentioned, because it could not be thought they would eat and rejoice,
or keep such a feast, without them, and therefore needless to name them:
and the Levite that is within your gates; such also
were to partake of this entertainment, who were useful in instructing their
families in the knowledge of divine things, and serviceable to them on many
accounts in the worship of God:
forasmuch as he hath no part nor inheritance with you; in the
division of the land, and so having nothing to manure and cultivate, was
destitute of the fruits of the earth, and could make no improvement and
increase of his substance, as they could.
Deuteronomy 12:13 13 Take heed to yourself that you do not offer your burnt
offerings in every place that you see;
YLT
13`Take heed to thee, lest
thou cause thy burnt-offerings to ascend in any place which thou seest,
Take heed to thyself, that thou offer not thy burnt offerings,.... And so
any other, this is put for all the rest:
in every place that thou seest; which might take with
their fancy, seem pleasant, and so a proper and suitable place to sacrifice in,
as on high places, and under green trees; but they were not to indulge their
own fancies and imaginations, or follow the customs of others, but keep to the
rules prescribed them by the Lord, and to the place fixed by him for his
worship.
Deuteronomy 12:14 14 but 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.
YLT
14except in the place which
Jehovah doth choose in one of thy tribes, there thou dost cause thy
burnt-offerings to ascend, and there thou dost do all that which I am
commanding thee.
But in the place which the Lord shall choose in one of thy tribes,.... Which
tribe is not named, nor what place in that tribe; See Gill on Deuteronomy 12:5,
there thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings; on the altar
of burnt offering there placed:
and there shalt thou do all that I command thee; respecting
sanctuary service, and particularly those things observed in Deuteronomy 12:6.
Deuteronomy 12:15 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.
YLT
15`Only, with all the desire
of thy soul thou dost sacrifice, and hast eaten flesh according to the blessing
of Jehovah thy God which He hath given to thee, in all thy gates; the unclean
and the clean do eat it, as of the roe, and as of the hart.
Notwithstanding, thou mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy gates,.... They
might kill such cattle that were allowed for food, and eat the flesh of them in
theie own cities and houses in which they dwelt; they were not obliged to bring
these to the place God should choose, and kill them there, as they had been
wont to bring them to the tabernacle while in the wilderness:
whatsoever thy soul lusteth after; whatever they had a mind
to, or their appetite craved, and were desirous of, provided it was not any
thing forbidden, but was allowed to be eaten:
according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given
thee; which it was in the power of their hands to procure for themselves;
they might live according to their abilities, and keep a table answerable to
what God had blessed them with; from which they were so far from being
restrained, that it was rather commendable in them so to do, provided they did
not indulge to luxury and intemperance:
the clean and the unclean may eat thereof; that is, such
in their families who laboured under any ceremonial uncleanness by the touch of
a dead body, or by reason of issues and menstrues; these, as well as those who
were free from anything of this kind, might eat of common food in their houses,
though they might not eat of the holy things; see Leviticus 7:20.
as of the roebuck, and as of the hart; that is, as
those were clean creatures, and allowed for food, Deuteronomy 14:5 so
they might eat of oxen or sheep, or lambs or rams, and goats, though they were
creatures used in sacrifice.
Deuteronomy 12:16 16 Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it on
the earth like water.
YLT
16`Only, the blood ye do not
eat -- on the earth thou dost pour it as water;
Only ye shall not eat the blood,.... All manner of blood
being forbidden, of fowl or of beasts, whether slain for sacrifice or for
common food:
ye shall pour it out upon the earth as water; which cannot
be gathered up again for use, but is swallowed up in the earth.
Deuteronomy 12:17 17 You 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.
YLT
17thou art not able to eat
within thy gates the tithe of thy corn, and of thy new wine, and thine oil, and
the firstlings of thy herd and of thy flock, and any of thy vows which thou
vowest, and thy free-will offerings, and heave-offering of thy hand;
Thou mayest not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy corn, or of
thy wine, or of thy oil,.... This cannot be understood of the tithe given to the Levites,
or of that which the Levites out of theirs gave to the priests, for that was
only eaten by them; but of the tithe which every three years they were to lay
up within their gates, and which they were to eat with their families and
others; but the other two years they were to carry it to the place the Lord
chose, or turn it into money, and when they came thither purchase with it what
they pleased, and eat it, they and their household, and others with them,
before the Lord; see Deuteronomy 14:22,
the firstlings of thy herds or of thy flocks; these also
the firstborn males belonged to the Lord, and so to the priests, and could not
be eaten by the people any where; and must be understood either of the next
firstlings, which were the people's, or of the female firstlings, which they
might devote to the Lord, and so not allowed to eat at home, but in the chosen
place:
nor any of thy vows which thou vowest, nor thy freewill offerings; which were
species of peace offerings, and so to be eaten not in their own cities, but in
the place appointed:
or heave offerings of thine hand; the firstfruits; see Deuteronomy 26:1
these were such they were not bound to bring, but brought them freely.
Deuteronomy 12:18 18 But 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.
YLT
18but before Jehovah thy God
thou dost eat it, in the place which Jehovah thy God doth fix on, thou, and thy
son, and thy daughter, and thy man-servant, and thy handmaid, and the Levite
who [is] within thy gates, and thou hast rejoiced before Jehovah thy God in
every putting forth of thy hand;
But thou must eat them before the Lord thy God, in the place which
the Lord thy God shall choose,.... Which may be said to be eaten before
him, being eaten in the place where his sanctuary stood, in which he dwelt:
thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy
maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates; who were all
to come with him to this place; See Gill on Deuteronomy 12:12.
and thou shalt rejoice before the Lord thy God in all that thou
puttest thine hand unto; cheerfully make and keep this feast in the manner directed to,
rejoicing with his family and his friends, with the Levites and with the poor,
expressing his thankfulness to God for his blessing on his labour.
Deuteronomy 12:19 19 Take heed to yourself that you do not forsake the Levite
as long as you live in your land.
YLT
19take heed to thee lest thou
forsake the Levite all thy days on thy ground.
Take heed to thyself that thou forsake not the Levite,.... By
withholding from him the tithes appointed for his maintenance; or rather by
neglecting to take him with him in order to partake of the feast or
entertainment before spoken of:
as long as thou livest upon the earth; so that it
was not one time only, but always; whenever he ate these holy things before the
Lord, as long as he lived, he was to be careful he had the Levite with him, for
a reason given, Deuteronomy 12:12.
Deuteronomy 12:20 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.
YLT
20`When Jehovah thy God doth
enlarge thy border, as He hath spoken to thee, and thou hast said, Let me eat
flesh -- for thy soul desireth to eat flesh -- of all the desire of thy soul
thou dost eat flesh.
When the Lord thy God shall enlarge thy border, as he hath
promised thee,.... Brought them into the land of Canaan, where they should have
large and good pastures for the feeding of their cattle, which they had not in
the wilderness, and so a greater increase of them:
and thou shalt say, I will eat flesh; which they
were shorts of, or ate but little of in the wilderness, lest their herds and
their flocks should be consumed; but now having room to feed them, and an
increase of them, they would give themselves a greater liberty of eating flesh:
because thy soul longeth to eat flesh; would have a
craving appetite unto it, having so long ate none, or very little:
thou mayest eat flesh, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after; of any sort
that is clean, and allowed to be eaten, and as much of it as is craved, only
intemperance must be guarded against.
Deuteronomy 12:21 21 If 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.
YLT
21`When the place is far from
thee which Jehovah thy God doth choose to put His name there, then thou hast
sacrificed of thy herd and of thy flock which Jehovah hath given to thee, as I
have commanded thee, and hast eaten within thy gates, of all the desire of thy
soul;
If the place which the Lord thy God hath chosen to put his name be
too far from thee,.... Or rather "for"F8כי
"cum", Pagninus, Montanus. , or "seeing" the place will be
too far from thee; for it is allowed before that they might kill and eat flesh
for common food in their gates, Deuteronomy 12:15.
then thou shalt kill of thy herd and of thy flock; of thy oxen
and of thy sheep, creatures used in sacrifice; but this was no bar to the use
of them for common food also:
which the Lord hath given thee, as I have commanded thee; Deuteronomy 12:15.
and thou shalt eat in thy gates whatsoever thy soul lusteth after; flesh of any
sort, lawful to be eaten.
Deuteronomy 12:22 22 Just as the gazelle and the deer are eaten, so you may
eat them; the unclean and the clean alike may eat them.
YLT
22only, as the roe and the
hart is eaten, so dost thou eat it; the unclean and the clean doth alike eat
it.
Even as the roebuck and the hart is eaten,.... Which
were not only clean creatures, as before observed, but were commonly and
frequently eaten, there being plenty of them in those parts:
so thou shalt eat them; their oxen and calves,
their sheep and lambs, their goats and their kids:
the unclean and the clean shall eat of them alike; no difference
being to be made on that account, with respect to common food; See Gill on Deuteronomy 12:15
which all alike might partake of, notwithstanding any ceremonial uncleanness
that any might be attended with.
Deuteronomy 12:23 23 Only be sure that you do not eat the blood, for the
blood is the life; you may not eat the life with the meat.
YLT
23`Only, be sure not to eat
the blood, for the blood [is] the life, and thou dost not eat the life with the
flesh;
Only be sure that thou eat not the blood,.... This is
repeated again, that they might be careful to observe the law concerning that:
for the blood is the life: which is the reason
given for the prohibition of it; see Gill on Leviticus 17:11,
and thou mayest not eat the life with the flesh: by which it
seems that the meaning of the law was, that the blood might not be eaten in or
with the flesh, but to be let out of it, or the fish not to be eaten raw, but
dressed; for there were various laws about eating of blood, which are differently
expressed.
Deuteronomy 12:24 24 You shall not eat it; you shall pour it on the earth
like water.
YLT
24thou dost not eat it, on
the earth thou dost pour it as water;
Thou shalt not eat it,.... Neither with the
flesh, nor separately:
thou shall pour it upon the earth as water; as the blood
of sacrifices was poured upon the altar, the blood of common flesh was to be poured
upon the earth, signifying it was not to be used, and no account to be made of
it; See Gill on Deuteronomy 12:16
Deuteronomy 12:25 25 You 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.
YLT
25thou dost not eat it, in
order that it may be well with thee, and with thy sons after thee, when thou
dost that which [is] right in the eyes of Jehovah.
Thou shall not eat it, that it may be well with thee, and with thy
children after thee,.... That they and their posterity might be spared, and continue
long, and enjoy much prosperity; for those that eat blood, contrary to this
command of God, it is threatened that he would set his face against them, and
they should be cut off, Leviticus 7:27,
when thou shall do that which is right in the sight of the Lord; not only
observe this command, but all others.
Deuteronomy 12:26 26 Only the holy things which you have, and your vowed
offerings, you shall take and go to the place which the Lord chooses.
YLT
26`Only, thy holy things which
thou hast, and thy vows, thou dost take up, and hast gone in unto the place
which Jehovah doth choose,
Only thy holy things which thou hast,.... Which the
Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan interpret of the tithe of their holy things,
and Aben Ezra of their burnt offerings and peace offerings; they seem to
include all in Deuteronomy 12:17.
and thy vows thou shalt take, and go unto the place which the Lord
shall choose; so often referred to, but not named; see Deuteronomy 12:5.
Deuteronomy 12:27 27 And 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.
YLT
27and thou hast made thy
burnt-offerings -- the flesh and the blood -- on the altar of Jehovah thy God;
and the blood of thy sacrifices is poured out by the altar of Jehovah thy God,
and the flesh thou dost eat.
And thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood,
upon the altar of the Lord thy God,.... And on that only,
even the altar of burnt offering:
and the blood of thy sacrifices; one as well as another,
not only of the burnt offerings, but of the sin offerings, trespass offerings,
and peace offerings:
shall be poured out upon the altar of the Lord thy God: either
sprinkled on it, or poured out at the bottom of it; see Leviticus 1:1,
and thou shalt eat the flesh; that is, of the peace
offerings, for of them only might the people eat, and that only before the
Lord.
Deuteronomy 12:28 28 Observe 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.
YLT
28Observe, and thou hast
obeyed all these words which I am commanding thee, in order that it may be well
with thee and with thy sons after thee -- to the age, when thou dost that which
[is] good and right in the eyes of Jehovah thy God.
Observe and hear all these words which I command thee,....
Respecting the demolition of all monuments of idolatry, and bringing all holy
things to the place the Lord should choose to dwell in; and eating common flesh
in their own houses, only to be careful not to eat blood:
that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee
for ever; for, as has been often observed, their continuance in the land
of Canaan, and enjoyment of all good things in it, depended upon their
obedience to the commands of God; see Isaiah 1:19.
when thou doest that which is good and right in the sight of the
Lord thy God; which is to do all his commandments; for these are what are good
and right in his sight, and it is for the good of men to do them.
Deuteronomy 12:29 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,
YLT
29`When Jehovah thy God doth
cut off the nations -- whither thou art going in to possess them -- from thy
presence, and thou hast possessed them, and hast dwelt in their land –
When the Lord thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee,.... The seven
nations of the land of Canaan, Deuteronomy 7:1,
whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and
dwellest in their land; or to inherit them, and thou dost inherit them, by dwelling in
their land.
Deuteronomy 12:30 30 take 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.’
YLT
30take heed to thee, lest
thou be snared after them, after their being destroyed out of thy presence, and
lest thou enquire about their gods, saying, How do these nations serve their
gods, and I do so -- even I?
Take heed to thyself, that thou be not snared by following them,.... Their
examples and customs, and so be drawn into the same idolatrous practices; see Psalm 106:35, after
that they be destroyed from before thee; for their idolatries and other sins:
and that thou inquire not after their gods; what they
were, their names, forms, and figures:
saying, how did these nations serve their gods? what was the
manner of worship they gave them? what rites, customs, and ceremonies did they
use in their adoration of them?
even so will I do likewise; or however, if this was
not determined on when the inquiries were made, there was danger that this
would be the result of them, and therefore the caution is given.
Deuteronomy 12:31 31 You 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.
YLT
31`Thou dost not do so to
Jehovah thy God; for every abomination of Jehovah which He is hating they have
done to their gods, for even their sons and their daughters they burn with fire
to their gods.
Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God,.... Not serve
and worship him after the manner of the Gentiles, nor introduce their rites and
customs into his service, used by them in the worship of their gods:
for every abomination which he hateth have they done unto their
gods; as murder, adultery, &c. which God has expressed his
aversion to, and indignation at; one instance of the former sort is given here:
for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the
fire to their gods; not only men have they sacrificed to them, but such near
relations; and not only caused them to pass through the fire, but burnt them in
it; so the Carthaginians are said to do, who learned this inhuman practice from
the Phoenicians; they were a colony of the inhabitants of this land of Canaan.
Of the Phoenicians Porphyry saysF9De Abstinentia, l. 2. sect. 56. ,
that in great calamities, as war or pestilence, they sacrificed to Saturn some
one of those that were dearest to them, appointed by suffrage. The Phoenician
history, adds he, is full of such sacrifices, which Sanchoniatho wrote in the
Phoenician language; and Curtius saysF11Hist. l. 4. c. 3. , this
custom of sacrificing a fine boy to Saturn was received by the Carthaginians
from their founders (the Tyrians and Phoenicians), and which they continued
even to the destruction of their city.
Deuteronomy 12:32 32 “Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you
shall not add to it nor take away from it.
YLT
32The whole thing which I am
commanding you -- it ye observe to do; thou dost not add unto it, nor diminish
from it.
What thing soever I command you, observe to do it,.... In the
manner it is commanded and directed to; the laws of God, both as to matter and
manner, were to be obeyed just as they were delivered: thou shall not add
thereto, nor diminish from it; neither add any customs and rites of the
Heathens to them, nor neglect anything enjoined on them, see Proverbs 30:6.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》