Deuteronomy 12:4

4 "But you are not to treat ADONAI your God this way.

Deuteronomy 12:4 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 12:4

Ye shall not do so unto the Lord your God.
] Not sacrifice to him on hills and mountains, and under green trees; though the Jews commonly refer this to the destruction of the names of God, and of any thing appertaining to the temple; that though the temples and the altars of the Heathens were to be overthrown, yet not a stone was to be taken from the house of God, or that belonged to it, nor any of his names to be blotted out; so the Targum of Jonathan and Maimonides ^F26, who also observes ^F1, that whoever removes a stone by way of destruction from the altar, or from the temple, or from the court, is to be beaten; so he that burns the holy wood.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F26 Yesode Hattorah, c. 6. sect. 7, 9.
F1 Ibid. sect. 8.

Deuteronomy 12:4 In-Context

2 You must destroy all the places where the nations you are dispossessing served their gods, whether on high mountains, on hills, or under some leafy tree.

3 Break down their altars, smash their standing-stones to pieces, burn up their sacred poles completely and cut down the carved images of their gods. Exterminate their name from that place.

4 "But you are not to treat ADONAI your God this way.

5 Rather, you are to come to the place where ADONAI your God will put his name. He will choose it from all your tribes; and you will seek out that place, which is where he will live, and go there.

6 You will bring there your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tenths [that you set aside for ADONAI], the offerings that you give, the offerings you have vowed, your voluntary offerings, and the firstborn of your cattle and sheep.