Deuteronomio 12:5

5 sino que buscaréis al SEÑOR en el lugar en que el SEÑOR vuestro Dios escoja de todas vuestras tribus, para poner allí su nombre para su morada, y allí vendréis.

Deuteronomio 12:5 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 12:5

But unto the place which the Lord your God
The Targum of Jonathan is, that the Word of the Lord your God:

shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there;
to place his tabernacle, set up his worship, take up his residence, and cause the Shechinah, or his divine Majesty, to dwell there, as the next clause explains it; out of what tribe it should be chosen, and where it should be, is not said. Maimomides ^F2 gives three reasons for it; he says there are three great mysteries why the place is not clearly, but obscurely mentioned;

1) lest the Gentiles should seize upon it, and make war for the sake of it, supposing this place to be the end of the law; 2) lest they in whose hands the place then was should by all means waste and destroy it; 3) which is the chief, lest every tribe should desire to have it in its own lot and jurisdiction; and so strifes might arise among them on account of it, as happened to the priesthood:

[even] unto his habitation shall ye seek;
the temple at Jerusalem is meant, where the Lord took up his dwelling, and whither men were to come and seek unto him by prayer and supplication for whatsoever they needed, and to inquire of him in matters doubtful, and they wanted counsel in:

and thither thou shall come:
with sacrifices of every sort, where they were to be slain and offered to the Lord, and become acceptable to him, as is more largely declared in the following part of this chapter.

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FOOTNOTES:

F2 Moreh Nevochim, par. 3. c. 45. p. 475.

Deuteronomio 12:5 In-Context

3 Y demoleréis sus altares, quebraréis sus pilares sagrados, quemaréis a fuego sus imágenes de Asera, derribaréis las imágenes talladas de sus dioses y borraréis su nombre de aquel lugar.

4 No procederéis así con el SEÑOR vuestro Dios,

5 sino que buscaréis al SEÑOR en el lugar en que el SEÑOR vuestro Dios escoja de todas vuestras tribus, para poner allí su nombre para su morada, y allí vendréis.

6 Y allí traeréis vuestros holocaustos, vuestros sacrificios, vuestros diezmos, la contribución de vuestra mano, vuestras ofrendas votivas, vuestras ofrendas voluntarias, y el primogénito de vuestras vacas y de vuestras ovejas.

7 Allí también vosotros y vuestras familias comeréis en presencia del SEÑOR vuestro Dios, y os alegraréis en todas vuestras empresas en las cuales el SEÑOR vuestro Dios os ha bendecido.