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Deuteronomy Chapter
Twelve
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 12
In
this chapter orders are given to destroy all altars
pillars
groves
and
images
made for the worship of idols in the land of Canaan
Deuteronomy 12:1
and to bring all sacrifices and holy things unto the place which the Lord
should choose for his habitation
and not do as they then did
not being come
to their rest
Deuteronomy 12:4
flesh for their common food might be killed and eaten in their own houses
provided they did not eat the blood
but poured it out upon the earth
Deuteronomy 12:15
tithes
vows
and freewill offerings
were to be eaten in the holy place
Deuteronomy 12:17
and burnt offerings to be offered on the altar of the Lord and the blood of
them to be poured out upon the altar
Deuteronomy 12:26
all which they were carefully to observe
Deuteronomy 12:29
and they are cautioned against idolatry
and inquiring after the manner of it
as practised by the old inhabitants of the land
and introducing their customs
into the service of God
Deuteronomy 12:30.
Deuteronomy 12:1 “These are the statutes and judgments which you shall
be careful to observe in the land which the Lord God of your fathers is giving you to possess
all the days
that you live on the earth.
YLT
1`These [are] the statutes
and the judgments which ye observe to do in the land which Jehovah
God of thy
fathers
hath given to thee to possess it
all the days that ye are living on
the ground:
These are the statutes and judgments which ye shall observe to do
.... Which are
recorded in this and the following chapters; here a new discourse begins
and
which perhaps was delivered at another time
and respects things that were to
be observed:
in the land which the Lord God of thy fathers giveth thee to
possess it; the land of Canaan
often described by this circumlocution
to
put them in mind that it was promised to their fathers by their covenant God
was his gift to them
and which they would quickly be in the possession of; and
therefore when in it should be careful to observe the statutes and judgments of
God constantly:
even all the days
that ye live upon the earth; or land
the land of Canaan; for though
there were some laws binding upon them
live where they would
there were
others peculiar to the land of Canaan
which they were to observe as long as
they and their posterity lived there; see 1 Kings 8:40.
Deuteronomy 12:2 2 You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations
which you shall dispossess served their gods
on the high mountains and on the
hills and under every green tree.
YLT
2ye do utterly destroy all
the places where the nations which ye are dispossessing served their gods
on
the high mountains
and on the heights
and under every green tree;
Ye shall utterly destroy all the places wherein the nations which
ye shall possess served their gods
.... The temples erected
for the worship of them by the Canaanites
of which there were many
as appears
by the various names of places given them from the temples in them
as
Bethshemesh
Bethbaalmeon
Bethpeor
and others:
upon the high mountains and upon the hills: which they
chose to worship on
being nearer the heavens
and which they thought most
acceptable to their gods; and some of them had their names from hence
as
Baalpeor
in like manner as Jupiter Olympius was called by the Greeks; see Jeremiah 2:20
and under every green tree; which being shady and
solitary
and pleasant to the sight
they fancied their gods delighted in
and
this notion prevailed among other nations; and there is scarcely any deity but
what had some tree or another devoted to it; as the oak to Jupiter
the laurel
to Apollo
the ivy to Bacchus
the olive to Minerva
the myrtle to Venus
&c. see Jeremiah 2:20.
Deuteronomy 12:3 3 And you shall destroy their altars
break their sacred
pillars
and burn their wooden images with fire; you shall cut down the carved
images of their gods and destroy their names from that place.
YLT
3and ye have broken down
their altars
and shivered their standing pillars
and their shrines ye burn
with fire
and graven images of their gods ye cut down
and have destroyed
their name out of that place.
And you shall overthrow their altars
.... Which
were of stone
as Jarchi observes; whereas the altar ordered to be made by the
Lord
before the altar of burnt offering in the tabernacle was made
was of
earth
Exodus 20:24 these
were to be demolished
lest the Israelites should be tempted to make use of
them; and besides
the Lord would not have any remains of idolatry in the land
where his tabernacle and worship were
as being abominable to him:
and break down their pillars; or statues erected to
the honour of their idols; according to Jarchi it was a single stone hewed out
at first for the basis of a statueF25Misn. Avodah Zarah
c. 3. sect.
7. ; perhaps such as were called Baetulia
in imitation of the stone Jacob set
up for a pillar at Bethel
Genesis 28:18.
and burn their groves with fire; which were planted about
their temples
and under which also their idols were placed
and where they
privately committed the most abominable lewdness under the notion of religion.
The Targum of Jonathan renders the word "abominations"
meaning
idols; and so Jarchi interprets it by a tree that is worshipped; See Gill on Deuteronomy 7:5.
and you shall hew down the graven images of their gods; which were
made of wood:
and destroy the names of them out of the place; by never
making any mention of them in common discourse
and by changing the names of
places called from them; and especially by destroying all the relics of them
and whatever appertained to them
which might lead to the mention of them; see Hosea 2:17.
Deuteronomy 12:4 4 You shall not worship the Lord your God with such things.
YLT
4`Ye do not do so to Jehovah
your God;
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 MaimonidesF26Yesode Hattorah
c. 6. sect.
7
9.
who also observesF1Ibid. sect. 8.
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.
Deuteronomy 12:5 5 “But you shall seek the place where the Lord your God chooses
out of all your tribes
to put His name for His
dwelling place; and there you shall go.
YLT
5but unto the place which
Jehovah your God doth choose out of all your tribes to put His name there
to
His tabernacle ye seek
and thou hast entered thither
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. MaimomidesF2Moreh
Nevochim
par. 3. c. 45. p. 475. 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.
Deuteronomy 12:6 6 There you shall take your burnt offerings
your
sacrifices
your tithes
the heave offerings of your hand
your vowed
offerings
your freewill offerings
and the firstborn of your herds and flocks.
YLT
6and hast brought in thither
your burnt-offerings
and your sacrifices
and your tithes
and the
heave-offering of your hand
and your vows
and your free-will offerings
and
the firstlings of your herd and of your flock;
And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings
.... For the
daily sacrifice
and upon any other account whatsoever; this was before ordered
to be brought to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation
and now to the
place where that should be fixed
Leviticus 17:8.
and your sacrifices: all other distinct from
burnt offerings
as sin offerings
trespass offerings
and peace offerings
especially the latter. Jarchi interprets them of peace offerings of debt
such
as a man was obliged to bring; but as the distance of some persons from
Jerusalem was very great
and it was troublesome and expensive
they might
according to the Jewish writers
bring them the next grand festival
when all
the males were obliged to appear there; so says MaimonidesF3Praefat.
ad Yad Chazakah.
all offerings of a man
whether by obligation (such as he
was bound to bring) or freewill offerings
he must bring at the first feast
that comes; and another of their writers observesF4Bartenora in
Misn. Roshhashanah
c. 1. sect. 1. & in Misn. Ediot
c. 7. sect. 6.
that
if only one feast has passed
and he has not brought his vow
he transgresses
an affirmative precept
Deuteronomy 12:6
the first feast on which thou comest thither
thou must needs bring it; and if
three have passed
he transgresses a negative precept
Deuteronomy 23:21.
and your tithes; tithes of beasts
and the second tithes
according to Jarchi:
and heave offerings of your hand; these according to the
same writer were the firstfruits
and so it is rendered in the Septuagint
version; and thus MaimonidesF5In Misn. Meilah
c. 4. sect. 2. says
the firstfruits are called Trumot
or heave offerings; see Exodus 22:29.
and your vows and your freewill offerings; which were a
type of peace offerings
Leviticus 7:16.
and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks; which were
sanctified and devoted to the Lord
Exodus 13:2.
Deuteronomy 12:7 7 And there you shall eat before the Lord your God
and you shall rejoice in all to which you have put your
hand
you and your households
in which the Lord your God
has blessed you.
YLT
7and ye have eaten there
before Jehovah your God
and have rejoiced in every putting forth of your hand
ye and your households
with which Jehovah thy God hath blessed thee.
And there ye shall eat before the Lord your God
.... The
priests and the Levites
what was their portion
so Aben Ezra; but the people
also are included
and by what follows seem chiefly designed
who were to eat
their part of the sacrifices
particularly of the tithes and peace offerings
in the holy place that should be chosen and appointed; see Deuteronomy 14:22.
and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto; in all the
labours of their hands
and what they got thereby
which they were cheerfully
to enjoy
and express their thankfulness for it in this way; see Ecclesiastes 5:18.
ye and your households; their wives
sons
daughters
men and maid servants; yea
with them Levites
strangers
fatherless
and
widows
were to partake of some of their freewill offerings
Deuteronomy 16:10.
wherein the Lord thy God hath blessed thee; and these
offerings were eucharistical
and by way of thanksgiving for the blessing of
God upon their labours
for it is that which maketh rich
Proverbs 10:22.
Deuteronomy 12:8 8 “You shall not at all do as we are doing here today—every
man doing whatever is right in his own eyes—
YLT
8`Ye do not do according to
all that we are doing here to-day
each anything that is right in his own eyes
Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here
.... In the
wilderness
where they had no abiding
but were continually removing from place
to place
and could not always observe punctually and precisely the exact order
and time of their sacrifices and other things
nor offer them at any certain
place
and many were doubtless neglected by them; see Amos 5:25.
every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes; that did he
brought the above things when and where he pleased; not that there was no regard
had to the laws and rules given
as if there was no priest in Israel; but they
were not so exactly in all circumstances conformed to as they would be obliged
to when they came into the land of Canaan
and had a certain place to bring
their offerings to; so some in Aben Ezra observe
that one would give the
firstling
another not
because it depended on the land
or was what they were
obliged to only when they came into the land of Canaan; see Exodus 13:11 but he
thinks the sense is
that they did not all fear God
and so did not do their
duty.
Deuteronomy 12:9 9 for as yet you have not come to the rest and the
inheritance which the Lord your God is giving you.
YLT
9for ye have not come in
hitherto unto the rest
and unto the inheritance
which Jehovah thy God is
giving to thee;
For ye are not yet come to the rest
.... The land of Canaan
which was typical of the rest which remains for the people of God in heaven;
for though they now enter into a spiritual rest in Christ
they are not yet
come to their eternal rest; they are in a world of trouble
through sin
Satan
and wicked men; but they shall come to it
as Israel did to Canaan; for God has
promised and prepared it
and it remains for them; Christ prayed for it
is
also gone to prepare it
and the Spirit is the seal and earnest of it
and
works up the saints
and makes them meet for it:
and to the inheritance which the Lord your God giveth you; and the land
of Canaan being an inheritance
and the gift of God
was also a type of the
heavenly inheritance; which saints are now born unto
and have both a right
unto
and meetness for
through the righteousness of Christ
and grace of God;
but as yet are not entered on it
but that is reserved for them in heaven
and
they are preserved and kept for that; and ere long shall inherit it
as the
free gift of God their Father to them
and which is peculiar to them as
children. Jarchi and Ben Melech by the "rest" understand Shiloh
and
by the inheritance Jerusalem; so in the MisnahF6Zebachim
c. 14.
sect. 4
5
6
7
8. & Bartenora in ib. ; see 1 Chronicles 23:25
the Targum of Jonathan is
"ye are not come to the house of the sanctuary
which is the house of rest
and to the inheritance of the land.'
Deuteronomy 12:10 10 But when you cross over the Jordan and dwell in
the land which the Lord your God is giving you to
inherit
and He gives you rest from all your enemies round about
so that you
dwell in safety
YLT
10and ye have passed over the
Jordan
and have dwelt in the land which Jehovah your God is causing you to
inherit
and He hath given rest to you from all your enemies round about
and
ye have dwelt confidently:
But when ye go over Jordan
.... Which lay between
the place where they now were
and the land of Canaan
and which they would
quickly go over:
and dwell in the land which the Lord your God giveth you to
inherit; the land of Canaan
and which shows that that is meant by the
inheritance: and when
he giveth you rest from all your enemies round about: which was
done when the land was subdued
and divided among the tribes of Israel
Joshua 22:4 and
which confirms the sense of Canaan being the rest; though this was more
completely fulfilled in the days of David
when he and Israel had rest from all
their enemies round about
2 Samuel 7:1 and
who brought the ark of the Lord to Jerusalem; and into whose heart the Lord put
it to prepare to build a temple at Jerusalem for him
and which was erected and
finished in the days of his son Solomon:
so that ye dwell in safety; from their enemies
as
they more especially did in the reigns of David and Solomon; which seems
plainly to describe the time when the place not named should appear to be
chosen by the Lord to put his name in
as follows.
Deuteronomy 12:11 11 then there will be the place where the Lord your God chooses to make His name abide. There you shall bring all
that I command you: your burnt offerings
your sacrifices
your tithes
the
heave offerings of your hand
and all your choice offerings which you vow to
the Lord.
YLT 11`And it hath been
the
place on which Jehovah your God doth fix to cause His name to tabernacle there
thither ye bring in all that which I am commanding you
your burnt-offerings
and your sacrifices
your tithes
and the heave-offering of your hand
and all
the choice of your vows which ye vow to Jehovah;
Then there shall be a place
.... Fixed and settled
and will be known to be the place:
which the Lord your God shall choose
to cause his name to dwell
there: where he himself would dwell
and where his name would be
called
and he would be worshipped:
thither shall ye bring all that I command you
your burnt
offerings and your sacrifices
your tithes
and the heave offerings of your
hands; of which See Gill on Deuteronomy 12:6.
and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the Lord; or
"the
choice of your vows"F7מבחר נדריכם εκλεκτον
των δωρων υμων
Sept. "optima votorum vestrorum"
Fagius. ; which
as
Jarchi observes
was brought of their choicest things
as they ought to be; see
Malachi 1:14.
Deuteronomy 12:12 12 And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God
you and your sons and your daughters
your male and
female servants
and the Levite who is within your gates
since he has
no portion nor inheritance with you.
YLT
12and ye have rejoiced before
Jehovah your God
ye
and your sons
and your daughters
and your men-servants
and your handmaids
and the Levite who [is] within your gates
for he hath no
part and inheritance with you.
And ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God
.... In the
place chosen and fixed
where a temple would be built for him
and he would
take up his residence; eating with joy and gladness that part of the offerings
which belonged to them
keeping as it were a feast before the Lord
in token of
gratitude for what they had received from him:
ye and your sons
and your daughters
and your menservants
and
your maidservants; which explains what is meant by their household
Deuteronomy 12:7
wives are not mentioned
because it could not be thought they would eat and rejoice
or keep such a feast
without them
and therefore needless to name them:
and the Levite that is within your gates; such also
were to partake of this entertainment
who were useful in instructing their
families in the knowledge of divine things
and serviceable to them on many
accounts in the worship of God:
forasmuch as he hath no part nor inheritance with you; in the
division of the land
and so having nothing to manure and cultivate
was
destitute of the fruits of the earth
and could make no improvement and
increase of his substance
as they could.
Deuteronomy 12:13 13 Take heed to yourself that you do not offer your burnt
offerings in every place that you see;
YLT
13`Take heed to thee
lest
thou cause thy burnt-offerings to ascend in any place which thou seest
Take heed to thyself
that thou offer not thy burnt offerings
.... And so
any other
this is put for all the rest:
in every place that thou seest; which might take with
their fancy
seem pleasant
and so a proper and suitable place to sacrifice in
as on high places
and under green trees; but they were not to indulge their
own fancies and imaginations
or follow the customs of others
but keep to the
rules prescribed them by the Lord
and to the place fixed by him for his
worship.
Deuteronomy 12:14 14 but in the place which the Lord chooses
in one of your tribes
there you shall offer your burnt
offerings
and there you shall do all that I command you.
YLT
14except in the place which
Jehovah doth choose in one of thy tribes
there thou dost cause thy
burnt-offerings to ascend
and there thou dost do all that which I am
commanding thee.
But in the place which the Lord shall choose in one of thy tribes
.... Which
tribe is not named
nor what place in that tribe; See Gill on Deuteronomy 12:5
there thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings; on the altar
of burnt offering there placed:
and there shalt thou do all that I command thee; respecting
sanctuary service
and particularly those things observed in Deuteronomy 12:6.
Deuteronomy 12:15 15 “However
you may slaughter and eat meat within all
your gates
whatever your heart desires
according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you; the unclean and the clean may eat
of it
of the gazelle and the deer alike.
YLT
15`Only
with all the desire
of thy soul thou dost sacrifice
and hast eaten flesh according to the blessing
of Jehovah thy God which He hath given to thee
in all thy gates; the unclean
and the clean do eat it
as of the roe
and as of the hart.
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.
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 12:16 16 Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it on
the earth like water.
YLT
16`Only
the blood ye do not
eat -- on the earth thou dost pour it as water;
Only ye shall not eat the blood
.... All manner of blood
being forbidden
of fowl or of beasts
whether slain for sacrifice or for
common food:
ye shall pour it out upon the earth as water; which cannot
be gathered up again for use
but is swallowed up in the earth.
Deuteronomy 12:17 17 You may not eat within your gates the tithe of your
grain or your new wine or your oil
of the firstborn of your herd or your
flock
of any of your offerings which you vow
of your freewill offerings
or
of the heave offering of your hand.
YLT
17thou art not able to eat
within thy gates the tithe of thy corn
and of thy new wine
and thine oil
and
the firstlings of thy herd and of thy flock
and any of thy vows which thou
vowest
and thy free-will offerings
and heave-offering of thy hand;
Thou mayest not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy corn
or of
thy wine
or of thy oil
.... This cannot be understood of the tithe given to the Levites
or of that which the Levites out of theirs gave to the priests
for that was
only eaten by them; but of the tithe which every three years they were to lay
up within their gates
and which they were to eat with their families and
others; but the other two years they were to carry it to the place the Lord
chose
or turn it into money
and when they came thither purchase with it what
they pleased
and eat it
they and their household
and others with them
before the Lord; see Deuteronomy 14:22
the firstlings of thy herds or of thy flocks; these also
the firstborn males belonged to the Lord
and so to the priests
and could not
be eaten by the people any where; and must be understood either of the next
firstlings
which were the people's
or of the female firstlings
which they
might devote to the Lord
and so not allowed to eat at home
but in the chosen
place:
nor any of thy vows which thou vowest
nor thy freewill offerings; which were
species of peace offerings
and so to be eaten not in their own cities
but in
the place appointed:
or heave offerings of thine hand; the firstfruits; see Deuteronomy 26:1
these were such they were not bound to bring
but brought them freely.
Deuteronomy 12:18 18 But you must eat them before the Lord your God in the place which the Lord your God
chooses
you and your son and your daughter
your male servant and your female
servant
and the Levite who is within your gates; and you shall rejoice
before the Lord your God in all to which you put your hands.
YLT
18but before Jehovah thy God
thou dost eat it
in the place which Jehovah thy God doth fix on
thou
and thy
son
and thy daughter
and thy man-servant
and thy handmaid
and the Levite
who [is] within thy gates
and thou hast rejoiced before Jehovah thy God in
every putting forth of thy hand;
But thou must eat them before the Lord thy God
in the place which
the Lord thy God shall choose
.... Which may be said to be eaten before
him
being eaten in the place where his sanctuary stood
in which he dwelt:
thou
and thy son
and thy daughter
and thy manservant
and thy
maidservant
and the Levite that is within thy gates; who were all
to come with him to this place; See Gill on Deuteronomy 12:12.
and thou shalt rejoice before the Lord thy God in all that thou
puttest thine hand unto; cheerfully make and keep this feast in the manner directed to
rejoicing with his family and his friends
with the Levites and with the poor
expressing his thankfulness to God for his blessing on his labour.
Deuteronomy 12:19 19 Take heed to yourself that you do not forsake the Levite
as long as you live in your land.
YLT
19take heed to thee lest thou
forsake the Levite all thy days on thy ground.
Take heed to thyself that thou forsake not the Levite
.... By
withholding from him the tithes appointed for his maintenance; or rather by
neglecting to take him with him in order to partake of the feast or
entertainment before spoken of:
as long as thou livest upon the earth; so that it
was not one time only
but always; whenever he ate these holy things before the
Lord
as long as he lived
he was to be careful he had the Levite with him
for
a reason given
Deuteronomy 12:12.
Deuteronomy 12:20 20 “When the Lord your God
enlarges your border as He has promised you
and you say
‘Let me eat meat
’
because you long to eat meat
you may eat as much meat as your heart desires.
YLT
20`When Jehovah thy God doth
enlarge thy border
as He hath spoken to thee
and thou hast said
Let me eat
flesh -- for thy soul desireth to eat flesh -- of all the desire of thy soul
thou dost eat flesh.
When the Lord thy God shall enlarge thy border
as he hath
promised thee
.... Brought them into the land of Canaan
where they should have
large and good pastures for the feeding of their cattle
which they had not in
the wilderness
and so a greater increase of them:
and thou shalt say
I will eat flesh; which they
were shorts of
or ate but little of in the wilderness
lest their herds and
their flocks should be consumed; but now having room to feed them
and an
increase of them
they would give themselves a greater liberty of eating flesh:
because thy soul longeth to eat flesh; would have a
craving appetite unto it
having so long ate none
or very little:
thou mayest eat flesh
whatsoever thy soul lusteth after; of any sort
that is clean
and allowed to be eaten
and as much of it as is craved
only
intemperance must be guarded against.
Deuteronomy 12:21 21 If the place where the Lord your God chooses
to put His name is too far from you
then you may slaughter from your herd and
from your flock which the Lord has given you
just as I have
commanded you
and you may eat within your gates as much as your heart desires.
YLT
21`When the place is far from
thee which Jehovah thy God doth choose to put His name there
then thou hast
sacrificed of thy herd and of thy flock which Jehovah hath given to thee
as I
have commanded thee
and hast eaten within thy gates
of all the desire of thy
soul;
If the place which the Lord thy God hath chosen to put his name be
too far from thee
.... Or rather "for"F8כי
"cum"
Pagninus
Montanus.
or "seeing" the place will be
too far from thee; for it is allowed before that they might kill and eat flesh
for common food in their gates
Deuteronomy 12:15.
then thou shalt kill of thy herd and of thy flock; of thy oxen
and of thy sheep
creatures used in sacrifice; but this was no bar to the use
of them for common food also:
which the Lord hath given thee
as I have commanded thee; Deuteronomy 12:15.
and thou shalt eat in thy gates whatsoever thy soul lusteth after; flesh of any
sort
lawful to be eaten.
Deuteronomy 12:22 22 Just as the gazelle and the deer are eaten
so you may
eat them; the unclean and the clean alike may eat them.
YLT
22only
as the roe and the
hart is eaten
so dost thou eat it; the unclean and the clean doth alike eat
it.
Even as the roebuck and the hart is eaten
.... Which
were not only clean creatures
as before observed
but were commonly and
frequently eaten
there being plenty of them in those parts:
so thou shalt eat them; their oxen and calves
their sheep and lambs
their goats and their kids:
the unclean and the clean shall eat of them alike; no difference
being to be made on that account
with respect to common food; See Gill on Deuteronomy 12:15
which all alike might partake of
notwithstanding any ceremonial uncleanness
that any might be attended with.
Deuteronomy 12:23 23 Only be sure that you do not eat the blood
for the
blood is the life; you may not eat the life with the meat.
YLT
23`Only
be sure not to eat
the blood
for the blood [is] the life
and thou dost not eat the life with the
flesh;
Only be sure that thou eat not the blood
.... This is
repeated again
that they might be careful to observe the law concerning that:
for the blood is the life: which is the reason
given for the prohibition of it; see Gill on Leviticus 17:11
and thou mayest not eat the life with the flesh: by which it
seems that the meaning of the law was
that the blood might not be eaten in or
with the flesh
but to be let out of it
or the fish not to be eaten raw
but
dressed; for there were various laws about eating of blood
which are differently
expressed.
Deuteronomy 12:24 24 You shall not eat it; you shall pour it on the earth
like water.
YLT
24thou dost not eat it
on
the earth thou dost pour it as water;
Thou shalt not eat it
.... Neither with the
flesh
nor separately:
thou shall pour it upon the earth as water; as the blood
of sacrifices was poured upon the altar
the blood of common flesh was to be poured
upon the earth
signifying it was not to be used
and no account to be made of
it; See Gill on Deuteronomy 12:16
Deuteronomy 12:25 25 You shall not eat it
that it may go well with you and
your children after you
when you do what is right in the sight of the Lord.
YLT
25thou dost not eat it
in
order that it may be well with thee
and with thy sons after thee
when thou
dost that which [is] right in the eyes of Jehovah.
Thou shall not eat it
that it may be well with thee
and with thy
children after thee
.... That they and their posterity might be spared
and continue
long
and enjoy much prosperity; for those that eat blood
contrary to this
command of God
it is threatened that he would set his face against them
and
they should be cut off
Leviticus 7:27
when thou shall do that which is right in the sight of the Lord; not only
observe this command
but all others.
Deuteronomy 12:26 26 Only the holy things which you have
and your vowed
offerings
you shall take and go to the place which the Lord chooses.
YLT
26`Only
thy holy things which
thou hast
and thy vows
thou dost take up
and hast gone in unto the place
which Jehovah doth choose
Only thy holy things which thou hast
.... Which the
Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan interpret of the tithe of their holy things
and Aben Ezra of their burnt offerings and peace offerings; they seem to
include all in Deuteronomy 12:17.
and thy vows thou shalt take
and go unto the place which the Lord
shall choose; so often referred to
but not named; see Deuteronomy 12:5.
Deuteronomy 12:27 27 And you shall offer your burnt offerings
the meat and
the blood
on the altar of the Lord your God;
and the blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on the altar of the Lord your God
and you shall eat the meat.
YLT
27and thou hast made thy
burnt-offerings -- the flesh and the blood -- on the altar of Jehovah thy God;
and the blood of thy sacrifices is poured out by the altar of Jehovah thy God
and the flesh thou dost eat.
And thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings
the flesh and the blood
upon the altar of the Lord thy God
.... And on that only
even the altar of burnt offering:
and the blood of thy sacrifices; one as well as another
not only of the burnt offerings
but of the sin offerings
trespass offerings
and peace offerings:
shall be poured out upon the altar of the Lord thy God: either
sprinkled on it
or poured out at the bottom of it; see Leviticus 1:1
and thou shalt eat the flesh; that is
of the peace
offerings
for of them only might the people eat
and that only before the
Lord.
Deuteronomy 12:28 28 Observe and obey all these words which I command you
that it may go well with you and your children after you forever
when you do what
is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God.
YLT
28Observe
and thou hast
obeyed all these words which I am commanding thee
in order that it may be well
with thee and with thy sons after thee -- to the age
when thou dost that which
[is] good and right in the eyes of Jehovah thy God.
Observe and hear all these words which I command thee
....
Respecting the demolition of all monuments of idolatry
and bringing all holy
things to the place the Lord should choose to dwell in; and eating common flesh
in their own houses
only to be careful not to eat blood:
that it may go well with thee
and with thy children after thee
for ever; for
as has been often observed
their continuance in the land
of Canaan
and enjoyment of all good things in it
depended upon their
obedience to the commands of God; see Isaiah 1:19.
when thou doest that which is good and right in the sight of the
Lord thy God; which is to do all his commandments; for these are what are good
and right in his sight
and it is for the good of men to do them.
Deuteronomy 12:29 29 “When the Lord your God
cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess
and you
displace them and dwell in their land
YLT
29`When Jehovah thy God doth
cut off the nations -- whither thou art going in to possess them -- from thy
presence
and thou hast possessed them
and hast dwelt in their land –
When the Lord thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee
.... The seven
nations of the land of Canaan
Deuteronomy 7:1
whither thou goest to possess them
and thou succeedest them
and
dwellest in their land; or to inherit them
and thou dost inherit them
by dwelling in
their land.
Deuteronomy 12:30 30 take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to
follow them
after they are destroyed from before you
and that you do not
inquire after their gods
saying
‘How did these nations serve their gods? I
also will do likewise.’
YLT
30take heed to thee
lest
thou be snared after them
after their being destroyed out of thy presence
and
lest thou enquire about their gods
saying
How do these nations serve their
gods
and I do so -- even I?
Take heed to thyself
that thou be not snared by following them
.... Their
examples and customs
and so be drawn into the same idolatrous practices; see Psalm 106:35
after
that they be destroyed from before thee; for their idolatries and other sins:
and that thou inquire not after their gods; what they
were
their names
forms
and figures:
saying
how did these nations serve their gods? what was the
manner of worship they gave them? what rites
customs
and ceremonies did they
use in their adoration of them?
even so will I do likewise; or however
if this was
not determined on when the inquiries were made
there was danger that this
would be the result of them
and therefore the caution is given.
Deuteronomy 12:31 31 You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even
their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.
YLT
31`Thou dost not do so to
Jehovah thy God; for every abomination of Jehovah which He is hating they have
done to their gods
for even their sons and their daughters they burn with fire
to their gods.
Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God
.... Not serve
and worship him after the manner of the Gentiles
nor introduce their rites and
customs into his service
used by them in the worship of their gods:
for every abomination which he hateth have they done unto their
gods; as murder
adultery
&c. which God has expressed his
aversion to
and indignation at; one instance of the former sort is given here:
for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the
fire to their gods; not only men have they sacrificed to them
but such near
relations; and not only caused them to pass through the fire
but burnt them in
it; so the Carthaginians are said to do
who learned this inhuman practice from
the Phoenicians; they were a colony of the inhabitants of this land of Canaan.
Of the Phoenicians Porphyry saysF9De Abstinentia
l. 2. sect. 56.
that in great calamities
as war or pestilence
they sacrificed to Saturn some
one of those that were dearest to them
appointed by suffrage. The Phoenician
history
adds he
is full of such sacrifices
which Sanchoniatho wrote in the
Phoenician language; and Curtius saysF11Hist. l. 4. c. 3.
this
custom of sacrificing a fine boy to Saturn was received by the Carthaginians
from their founders (the Tyrians and Phoenicians)
and which they continued
even to the destruction of their city.
Deuteronomy 12:32 32 “Whatever I command you
be careful to observe it; you
shall not add to it nor take away from it.
YLT
32The whole thing which I am
commanding you -- it ye observe to do; thou dost not add unto it
nor diminish
from it.
What thing soever I command you
observe to do it
.... In the
manner it is commanded and directed to; the laws of God
both as to matter and
manner
were to be obeyed just as they were delivered: thou shall not add
thereto
nor diminish from it; neither add any customs and rites of the
Heathens to them
nor neglect anything enjoined on them
see Proverbs 30:6.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》