Deuteronomy 12:1-4

The Lord's Chosen Place of Worship

1 1"These are the statutes and rules that you shall be careful to do in the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess, 2all the days that you live on the earth.
2 3You shall surely destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess served their gods, 4on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree.
3 You shall tear down their altars and dash in pieces 5their pillars and burn their 6Asherim with fire. You shall chop down the carved images of their gods and 7destroy their name out of that place.
4 8You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way.

Deuteronomy 12:1-4 Meaning and Commentary

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, De 12:1-3 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, De 12:4-14, 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, De 12:15-25, tithes, vows, and freewill offerings, were to be eaten in the holy place, De 12:17-19 and burnt offerings to be offered on the altar of the Lord and the blood of them to be poured out upon the altar, De 12:26-28, all which they were carefully to observe, De 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, De 12:30-32.

Cross References 8

  • 1. Deuteronomy 6:1
  • 2. Deuteronomy 4:10
  • 3. Deuteronomy 7:5; Exodus 34:13
  • 4. 1 Kings 14:23; 2 Kings 16:4; 2 Kings 17:10; Jeremiah 3:6
  • 5. See Deuteronomy 16:22
  • 6. See Deuteronomy 16:21
  • 7. [Zephaniah 1:4; Zechariah 13:2]
  • 8. ver. 31
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.