Deuteronomy 12:4

4 Ye shall not do so to your Lord God; (Ye shall not worship the Lord your God in those ways;)

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.

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FOOTNOTES:

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

Deuteronomy 12:4 In-Context

2 Destroy ye all the places wherein [the] heathen men which ye shall wield, worshipped their gods, on high mountains, and little hills, and under each tree full of boughs.

3 Destroy ye their altars, and break their images; and burn ye the (sacred) woods with fire, and all-break ye the idols; destroy ye their names from (all) the places.

4 Ye shall not do so to your Lord God; (Ye shall not worship the Lord your God in those ways;)

5 but ye shall come to the (one) place which your Lord God (shall) choose (out) of all your lineages, that he put his name there, and dwell therein;

6 and ye shall come thither, and offer in that place your burnt sacrifices, and slain sacrifices, the tithes, and first fruits of your hands, and avows, and gifts, and the first engendered things of your oxen, and of (your) sheep. (and ye shall come there, and offer in that place your burnt sacrifices, and slain sacrifices, your tithes, and the first fruits of your hands, and your vows, and gifts, and the first-born males of your oxen, and of your sheep.)