Deuteronomy 12:9-19

9 For unto the time that is now, ye came not to (the) rest, and to [the] possession, which the Lord God shall give to you.
10 Ye shall pass (the) Jordan (Ye shall cross over the Jordan River), and ye shall dwell in the land which your Lord God shall give to you, that ye rest from all (your) enemies about, and that ye dwell without any dread.
11 In the place which your Lord God (shall) choose that his name be therein. Thither ye shall bear all things, which I command to you, burnt sacrifices, and sacrifices, and the tithes, and the first fruits of your hands, and whatever is the best thing in gifts, which ye avow to the Lord.
12 There ye shall eat before your Lord God, ye, and your sons, and daughters, your menservants, and womenservants, and the deacons, that dwell in your cities; for they have none other part and possession among you. (And ye shall eat there before the Lord your God, ye, and your sons, and your daughters, your slaves, and your slave-girls, and the Levites who live in your cities, because the Levites have no other portion or possession among you.)
13 Be thou ware lest thou offer thy burnt sacrifices in each place that thou seest, (Be thou careful, lest thou offer thy burnt sacrifices in any place that thou seest,)
14 but in that place which the Lord [shall] choose in one of thy lineages, thou shalt offer sacrifices, and thou shalt do whatever things I command to thee. (but rather, only at that place which the Lord shall choose in one of thy tribes, shalt thou offer thy sacrifices, and thou shalt do whatever I command thee.)
15 For if thou wilt eat, and the eating of flesh delighteth thee, slay thou, and eat, by the blessing of thy Lord God, that he hath given to thee in thy cities, whether it is unclean, that is, spotted, either wemmed, and feeble, either clean, and without wem, that is, whole in each member, (that) which is leaveful to be offered, thou shalt eat those, as (of) a capret, and an hart; (But if thou art hungry, and the eating of flesh delighteth thee, kill thou, and eat, whatever he hath given thee, wherever thou may live, with the blessing of the Lord thy God; yea, whether ye be clean, or unclean, ye can eat it, as you would eat the meat of a gazelle, or a deer;)
16 only without eating of [the] blood, which thou shalt shed out as water upon the earth. (but thou shalt not eat the blood; thou shalt pour it out like water onto the ground.)
17 Thou shalt not be able to eat in thy cities the tithes of thy wheat, (of) thy wine, and of thine oil, nor the first engendered things of thy droves, and of thy sheep, and all things which thou hast avowed, and wilt offer by free will, and the first fruits of thine hands; (Thou shalt not eat in thy cities the tithes of thy corn, or thy wine, or thy oil, or the first-born of thy herds, or of thy sheep, or anything which thou hast vowed, or wilt offer by free will, or the first fruits of thy hands;)
18 but thou shalt eat those things before thy Lord God, in the place which thy Lord God choose, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, thy manservant, and thy womanservant, and the deacon that dwelleth in thy cities (but thou shalt eat those things before the Lord thy God, in the place which the Lord thy God shall choose, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, thy slave, and thy slave-girl, and the Levite who liveth in thy cities); and thou shalt be glad, and thou shalt be fulfilled before thy Lord God in all (the) things to which thou holdest forth thine hand (to do).
19 Be thou ware lest thou forsake the deacon in all time, in which thou livest in (the) earth. (Be thou careful, lest thou forget the Levite at any time in which thou livest on the earth.)

Deuteronomy 12:9-19 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.