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Deuteronomy 12

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¹These are the statutes and ordinances you must be careful to follow all the days you live in the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess.

²Destroy completely all the places where the nations you are dispossessing have served their gods—atop the high mountains, on the hills, and under every green tree.

³Tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, burn up their Asherah poles, cut down the idols of their gods, and wipe out their names from every place.

⁴You shall not worship the LORD your God in this way.

⁵Instead, you must seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to establish as a dwelling for His Name, and there you must go.

⁶To that place you are to bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and heave offerings, your vow offerings and freewill offerings, as well as the firstborn of your herds and flocks.

⁷There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your households shall eat and rejoice in all you do, because the LORD your God has blessed you.

⁸You are not to do as we are doing here today, where everyone does what seems right in his own eyes.

⁹For you have not yet come to the resting place and the inheritance that the LORD your God is giving you.

¹⁰When you cross the Jordan and live in the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, and He gives you rest from all the enemies around you and you dwell securely,

¹¹then the LORD your God will choose a dwelling for His Name. And there you are to bring everything I command you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, and all the choice offerings you vow to the LORD.

¹²And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levite within your gates, since he has no portion or inheritance among you.

¹³Be careful not to offer your burnt offerings in just any place you see;

¹⁴you must offer them only in the place the LORD will choose in one of your tribal territories, and there you shall do all that I command you.

¹⁵But whenever you want, you may slaughter and eat meat within any of your gates, according to the blessing the LORD your God has given you. Both the ceremonially clean and unclean may eat it as they would a gazelle or deer,

¹⁶but you must not eat the blood; pour it on the ground like water.

¹⁷Within your gates you must not eat the tithe of your grain or new wine or oil, the firstborn of your herds or flocks, any of the offerings that you have vowed to give, or your freewill offerings or special gifts.

¹⁸Instead, you must eat them in the presence of the LORD your God at the place the LORD your God will choose—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levite within your gates. Rejoice before the LORD your God in all you do,

¹⁹and be careful not to neglect the Levites as long as you live in your land.

²⁰When the LORD your God expands your territory as He has promised, and you crave meat and say, “I want to eat meat,” you may eat it whenever you want.

²¹If the place where the LORD your God chooses to put His Name is too far from you, then you may slaughter any of the herd or flock He has given you, as I have commanded you, and you may eat it within your gates whenever you want.

²²Indeed, you may eat it as you would eat a gazelle or deer; both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat it.

²³Only be sure not to eat the blood, because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat.

²⁴You must not eat the blood; pour it on the ground like water.

²⁵Do not eat it, so that it may go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is right in the eyes of the LORD.

²⁶But you are to take your holy things and your vow offerings and go to the place the LORD will choose.

²⁷Present the meat and blood of your burnt offerings on the altar of the LORD your God. The blood of your other sacrifices must be poured out beside the altar of the LORD your God, but you may eat the meat.

²⁸Be careful to obey all these things I command you, so that it may always go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and right in the eyes of the LORD your God.

²⁹When the LORD your God cuts off before you the nations you are entering to dispossess, and you drive them out and live in their land,

³⁰be careful not to be ensnared by their ways after they have been destroyed before you. Do not inquire about their gods, asking, “How do these nations serve their gods? I will do likewise.”

³¹You must not worship the LORD your God in this way, because they practice for their gods every abomination which the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.

³²See that you do everything I command you; do not add to it or subtract from it.

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Matthew Henry Concise Commentary

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Deuteronomy 12:1-4 Verses 1-4

Moses comes to the statutes he had to give in charge to Israel; and begins with such as relate to the worship of God. The Israelites are charged not to bring the rites and usages of idolaters into the worship of God; not under colour of making it better. We cannot serve God and mammon; nor worship the true God and idols; nor depend upon Christ Jesus and upon superstitious or self-righteous confidences.

Deuteronomy 12:5-32 Verses 5-32

The command to bring ALL the sacrifices to the door of the tabernacle, was now explained with reference to the promised land. As to moral service, then, as now, men might pray and worship every where, as they did in their synagogues. The place which God would choose, is said to be the place where he would put his name. It was to be his habitation, where, as King of Israel, he would be found by all who reverently sought him. Now, under the gospel, we have no temple or altar that sanctifies the gift but Christ only: and as to the places of worship, the prophets foretold that in every place the spiritual incense should be offered, Mal 1:11. Our Saviour declared, that those are accepted as true worshippers, who worship God in sincerity and truth, without regard either to this mountain or Jerusalem, Joh 4:21. And a devout Israelite might honour God, keep up communion with him, and obtain mercy from him, though he had no opportunity of bringing a sacrifice to his altar. Work for God should be done with holy joy and cheerfulness. Even children and servants must rejoice before God; the services of religion are to be a pleasure, and not a task or drudgery. It is the duty of people to be kind to their ministers, who teach them well, and set them good examples. As long as we live, we need their assistance, till we come to that world where ordinances will not be needed. Whether we eat or drink, or whatever we do, we are commanded to do all to the glory of God. And we must do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to the Father through him. They must not even inquire into the modes and forms of idolatrous worship. What good would it do them to know those depths of Satan? And our inward satisfaction will be more and more, as we abound in love and good works, which spring from faith and the in-dwelling Spirit of Christ.

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Key Words and Topics

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Key Words in This Passage

Lord 25 in this passage God 20 in this passage Eat 17 in this passage Must 11 in this passage Offerings 11 in this passage May 10 in this passage Place 9 in this passage Blood 6 in this passage Gods 6 in this passage Meat 6 in this passage Because 5 in this passage Careful 5 in this passage Choose 5 in this passage Gates 5 in this passage Within 5 in this passage Any 4 in this passage Burnt 4 in this passage Command 4 in this passage Land 4 in this passage Live 4 in this passage Sacrifices 4 in this passage Want 4 in this passage Daughters 3 in this passage Doing 3 in this passage

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Related Topics

Adding to the Bible Deuteronomy 12:32

See that you do everything I command you; do not add to it or subtract from it.

Alliance and Society with the Enemies of God are Ensnaring Deuteronomy 12:30

be careful not to be ensnared by their ways after they have been destroyed before you. Do not inquire about their gods, asking, “How do these nations serve their gods? I will do likewise.”

Beasts: Clean used for Food Deuteronomy 12:15

But whenever you want, you may slaughter and eat meat within any of your gates, according to the blessing the LORD your God has given you. Both the ceremonially clean and unclean may eat it as they would a gazelle or deer,

Beasts: Not to be Eaten Alive or with Blood Deuteronomy 12:16, 23

but you must not eat the blood; pour it on the ground like water. / Only be sure not to eat the blood, because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat.

Blessing: Contingent Upon Obedience Deuteronomy 12:28

Be careful to obey all these things I command you, so that it may always go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and right in the eyes of the LORD your God.

Blessing: Temporal, from God Deuteronomy 12:7, 28

There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your households shall eat and rejoice in all you do, because the LORD your God has blessed you. / Be careful to obey all these things I command you, so that it may always go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and right in the eyes of the LORD your God.

Blood is the Life Deuteronomy 12:23

Only be sure not to eat the blood, because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat.

Blood of Animals Slain for Good to be Poured on the Earth Deuteronomy 12:16, 24

but you must not eat the blood; pour it on the ground like water. / You must not eat the blood; pour it on the ground like water.

Blood Transfusion Deuteronomy 12:16

but you must not eat the blood; pour it on the ground like water.

Blood: Fluid Deuteronomy 12:16

but you must not eat the blood; pour it on the ground like water.

Blood: Forbidden to be Used As Food Deuteronomy 12:16, 23

but you must not eat the blood; pour it on the ground like water. / Only be sure not to eat the blood, because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat.

Blood: Sacrificial: Sprinkled all Around, and Upon the Altar Deuteronomy 12:27

Present the meat and blood of your burnt offerings on the altar of the LORD your God. The blood of your other sacrifices must be poured out beside the altar of the LORD your God, but you may eat the meat.

Can you Eat Meat Deuteronomy 12:20

When the LORD your God expands your territory as He has promised, and you crave meat and say, “I want to eat meat,” you may eat it whenever you want.

Canaan: Land of Promised to Abraham and his Seed Deuteronomy 12:9, 10

For you have not yet come to the resting place and the inheritance that the LORD your God is giving you. / When you cross the Jordan and live in the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, and He gives you rest from all the enemies around you and you dwell securely,

Child Sacrifice Deuteronomy 12:31

You must not worship the LORD your God in this way, because they practice for their gods every abomination which the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.

Children of the Righteous, Blessed of God Deuteronomy 12:28

Children: Prosperity of, Greatly Depended on Obedience of Parents Deuteronomy 12:25, 28

Do not eat it, so that it may go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is right in the eyes of the LORD. / Be careful to obey all these things I command you, so that it may always go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and right in the eyes of the LORD your God.

Church of Israel: Had: An Appointed Place of Worship Deuteronomy 12:5

Instead, you must seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to establish as a dwelling for His Name, and there you must go.

Company: Evil Deuteronomy 12:30

be careful not to be ensnared by their ways after they have been destroyed before you. Do not inquire about their gods, asking, “How do these nations serve their gods? I will do likewise.”

Deer: Designated Among the Ceremonially Clean Animals, to be Eaten Deuteronomy 12:15

Drinking Blood Deuteronomy 12:23

Only be sure not to eat the blood, because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat.

Entertainments: Given on Occasions of Offering Voluntary Sacrifice Deuteronomy 12:6, 7

To that place you are to bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and heave offerings, your vow offerings and freewill offerings, as well as the firstborn of your herds and flocks. / There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your households shall eat and rejoice in all you do, because the LORD your God has blessed you.

Family: Religion of The Deuteronomy 12:5–7, 11, 12

Instead, you must seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to establish as a dwelling for His Name, and there you must go. / To that place you are to bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and heave offerings, your vow offerings and freewill offerings, as well as the firstborn of your herds and flocks. / There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your households shall eat and rejoice in all you do, because the LORD your God has blessed you.

Fellowship with the Wicked Forbidden Deuteronomy 12:30

be careful not to be ensnared by their ways after they have been destroyed before you. Do not inquire about their gods, asking, “How do these nations serve their gods? I will do likewise.”

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Related Dictionary Terms

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Abomination This word is used, (1.) To express the idea that… Asherah And pl. Asherim in Revised Version, instead of "grove" and… Worship Homage rendered to God which it is sinful (idolatry) to… Jordan Heb. Yarden, "the descender;" Arab. Nahr-esh-Sheriah, "the watering-place" the chief… Levite A descendant of the tribe of Levi (Ex. 6:25; Lev.… Grain Used, in Amos 9:9, of a small stone or kernel;… Dwell Tents were in primitive times the common dwellings of men.… Clean The various forms of uncleanness according to the Mosaic law… Tithe A tenth of the produce of the earth consecrated and… Blood (1.) As food, prohibited in Gen. 9:4, where the use… Cross In the New Testament the instrument of crucifixion, and hence… Altar (Heb. mizbe'ah, from a word meaning "to slay"), any structure… Lord There are various Hebrew and Greek words so rendered. (1.)… Rest (1.) Gr. katapausis, equivalent to the Hebrew word noah (Heb.… Fire (1.) For sacred purposes. The sacrifices were consumed by fire… Herd Gen. 13:5; Deut. 7:14. (See [272]CATTLE.) Well (Heb. beer), to be distinguished from a fountain (Heb. ain).… Wine The common Hebrew word for wine is yayin, from a…