Deuteronomy 12:5-21

5 "¹But you shall seek the LORD at the place which the LORD your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and there you shall come.

6 "There you shall bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, ²your tithes, the contribution of your hand, your votive offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock.

7 "There also you and your households shall eat before the LORD your God, and ³rejoice in all your undertakings in which the LORD your God has blessed you.

8 "You shall not do at all what we are doing here today, every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes;

9 for you have not as yet come to ⁴the resting place and the ⁵inheritance which the LORD your God is giving you.

10 "When you cross the Jordan and live in the land which the LORD your God is giving you to inherit, and ⁶He gives you rest from all your enemies around you so that you live in security,

11 ⁷then it shall come about that the place in which the LORD your God will choose for His name to dwell, there you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution of your hand, and all your choice votive offerings which you will vow to the LORD.

12 "And you shall ⁸rejoice before the LORD your God, you and your sons and daughters, your male and female servants *, and the ⁹Levite who is within your gates, since ¹⁰he has no portion or inheritance with you.

13 "¹¹Be careful that you do not offer your burnt offerings in every cultic place you see,

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.

15 "¹²However, you may slaughter and eat meat within any of your gates, whatever you desire, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you; the unclean and the clean may eat of it, as of ¹³the gazelle and the deer.

16 "¹⁴Only you shall not eat the blood; ¹⁵you are to pour it out on the ground like water.

17 "¹⁶You are not allowed to eat within your gates the tithe of your grain or new wine or oil, or the firstborn of your herd or flock, or any of your votive offerings which you vow, or your freewill offerings, or the contribution of your hand.

18 "But ¹⁷you shall eat them before the LORD your God in ¹⁸the place which the LORD your God will choose, you and your son and daughter, and your male and female servants *, and the ¹⁹Levite who is within your gates; and you shall ²⁰rejoice before the LORD your God in all your undertakings.

19 "²¹Be careful that you do not forsake the Levite as long * as you live in your land.

20 "When the LORD your God extends your border ²²as He has promised you, and you say, 'I will eat meat,' because you desire to eat meat, then you may eat meat, whatever you desire.

21 "If the place which the LORD your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, then you may slaughter of your herd and flock which the LORD has given you, as I have commanded you; and you may eat within your gates whatever you desire.

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Deuteronomy 12:5-21 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.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 22

1. Exodus 20:24; Deuteronomy 12:11, 13; 2 Chronicles 7:12; Psalms 78:68
2. Deuteronomy 14:22
3. Leviticus 23:40; Deuteronomy 12:12, 18; Deuteronomy 14:26; Deuteronomy 28:47; Ecclesiastes 3:12, 13; Ecclesiastes 5:18-20
4. Deuteronomy 3:20; Deuteronomy 25:19; Psalms 95:11
5. Deuteronomy 4:21
6. Joshua 11:23
7. Deuteronomy 12:5; Deuteronomy 15:20; Deuteronomy 16:2; Deuteronomy 17:8; Deuteronomy 18:6
8. Deuteronomy 12:7
9. Deuteronomy 12:18, 19; Deuteronomy 26:11-13
10. Deuteronomy 10:9; Deuteronomy 14:29
11. Deuteronomy 12:5, 11
12. Deuteronomy 12:20-23
13. Deuteronomy 12:22; Deuteronomy 14:5; Deuteronomy 15:22
14. Genesis 9:4; Leviticus 7:26; Leviticus 17:10-12; 1 Samuel 14:33; Acts 15:20, 29
15. Deuteronomy 15:23
16. Deuteronomy 12:26
17. Deuteronomy 14:23
18. Deuteronomy 12:5
19. Deuteronomy 12:12
20. Deuteronomy 12:7; Ecclesiastes 3:12; Ecclesiastes 5:18-20
21. Deuteronomy 14:27
22. Genesis 15:18; Deuteronomy 11:24; Deuteronomy 19:8

Footnotes 10

[a]. Or "heave offering"
[b]. Lit "the putting forth of your hand"
[c]. Or "heave offering"
[d]. Lit "in every desire of your soul"
[e]. Lit "heave offering"
[f]. Lit "the putting forth of your hand"
[g]. Lit "all your days upon your land"
[h]. Lit "your soul desires"
[i]. Lit "in every desire of your soul"
[j]. Lit "in every desire of your soul"

Deuteronomy 12:5-21

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Deuteronomy 12:5-21 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 12

Cross References 22

Footnotes 10