Deuteronomy 12:15

15 "But {whenever you desire} you may slaughter, and you may eat meat according to the blessing of Yahweh your God that he has given to you in all [of] your {towns}; the unclean and the clean may eat it [just] as [they would] the gazelle and as the deer.

Deuteronomy 12:15 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 12:15

Notwithstanding, thou mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy
gates
They might kill such cattle that were allowed for food, and eat the flesh of them in theie own cities and houses in which they dwelt; they were not obliged to bring these to the place God should choose, and kill them there, as they had been wont to bring them to the tabernacle while in the wilderness:

whatsoever thy soul lusteth after;
whatever they had a mind to, or their appetite craved, and were desirous of, provided it was not any thing forbidden, but was allowed to be eaten:

according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee;
which it was in the power of their hands to procure for themselves; they might live according to their abilities, and keep a table answerable to what God had blessed them with; from which they were so far from being restrained, that it was rather commendable in them so to do, provided they did not indulge to luxury and intemperance:

the clean and the unclean may eat thereof;
that is, such in their families who laboured under any ceremonial uncleanness by the touch of a dead body, or by reason of issues and menstrues; these, as well as those who were free from anything of this kind, might eat of common food in their houses, though they might not eat of the holy things; see ( Leviticus 7:20 Leviticus 7:21 )

as of the roebuck, and as of the hart;
that is, as those were clean creatures, and allowed for food, ( Deuteronomy 14:5 ) so they might eat of oxen or sheep, or lambs or rams, and goats, though they were creatures used in sacrifice.

Deuteronomy 12:15 In-Context

13 "Take care for yourself so that you do not offer your burnt offerings at [just] any place that you happen to see,
14 {but only} at the place that Yahweh will choose among one of your tribes; there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all [the things] that I [am] commanding you.
15 "But {whenever you desire} you may slaughter, and you may eat meat according to the blessing of Yahweh your God that he has given to you in all [of] your {towns}; the unclean and the clean may eat it [just] as [they would] the gazelle and as the deer.
16 Only the blood you must not eat, [but] on the ground you must pour it like water.
17 You are not allowed to eat in your {towns} the tithe of your grain and your wine and your olive oil and the firstborn of your herd and your flock and all [of] your votive gifts that you vowed and your freewill offering and {your donations}.

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. Literally "in all the wanting of your soul/inner self"
  • [b]. Literally "gates"
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.