Deuteronomy 12:12
Ver. 12. 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, De 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 12:13Ver. 13. 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 12:14Ver. 14. 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 "De 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 De 12:6. Deuteronomy 12:15Ver. 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 Le 7:20as of the roebuck, and as of the hart; that is, as those were clean creatures, and allowed for food, De 14:5 so they might eat of oxen or sheep, or lambs or rams, and goats, though they were creatures used in sacrifice. Deuteronomy 12:16Ver. 16. 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 12:17Ver. 17. 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 De 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 De 26:1 these were such they were not bound to bring, but brought them freely. Deuteronomy 12:18Ver. 18. 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 "De 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 12:19Ver. 19. 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, De 12:12. Deuteronomy 12:20Ver. 20. 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 12:21Ver. 21. If the place which the Lord thy God hath chosen to put his name be too far from thee,.... Or rather "for" {h}, 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, De 12:15then 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; De 12:15and thou shalt eat in thy gates whatsoever thy soul lusteth after; flesh of any sort, lawful to be eaten.{h} yk "cum", Pagninus, Montanus. Deuteronomy 12:22Ver. 22. 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 "De 12:15" which all alike might partake of, notwithstanding any ceremonial uncleanness that any might be attended with. Deuteronomy 12:23Ver. 23. 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 "Le 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 12:24Ver. 24. 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 "De 12:16" Deuteronomy 12:25Ver. 25. 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, Le 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 12:26Ver. 26. 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 De 12:17and thy vows thou shalt take, and go unto the place which the Lord shall choose; so often referred to, but not named; see De 12:5. Deuteronomy 12:27Ver. 27. 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 Le 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 12:28Ver. 28. 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 Isa 1:19when 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 12:29Ver. 29. When the Lord thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee,.... The seven nations of the land of Canaan, De 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 12:30Ver. 30. 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 Ps 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 12:31Ver. 31. 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 says {i}, 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 says {k}, 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.{i} De Abstinentia, l. 2. sect. 56. {k} Hist. l. 4. c. 3. Deuteronomy 12:32Ver. 32. 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 Pr 30:6.
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.