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.

Deuteronomy 12:18 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 12:18

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 12:18 In-Context

16 Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it on the earth like water.
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.
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.
19 Take 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.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.