Deuteronomy 12:18

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).

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 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.)
20 When thy Lord God hath alarged thy terms, as he spake to thee (When the Lord thy God hath enlarged thy borders, as he hath promised thee), and thou wilt eat (some) flesh, which thy soul desireth,
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.