then it shall happen that to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there, there you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the wave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which you vow to Yahweh. You shall rejoice before Yahweh your God—you, and your sons, your daughters, your male servants, your female servants, and the Levite who is within your gates, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you. Be careful that you don’t offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see; but in the place which Yahweh chooses in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you.
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Deuteronomy 12:11-14 sits inside this longer paragraph.
These are the statutes and the ordinances which you shall observe to do in the land which Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess all the days that you live on the earth. You shall surely destroy all the places in which the nations that you shall dispossess served their gods: on the high mountains, and on the hills, and under every green tree. You shall break down their altars, dash their pillars in pieces, and burn their Asherah poles with fire. You shall cut down the engraved images of their gods. You shall destroy their name out of that place. You shall not do so to Yahweh your God. But to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose out of all your tribes, to put his name there, you shall seek his habitation, and you shall come there. You shall bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the wave offering of your hand, your vows, your free will offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock there. There you shall eat before Yahweh your God, and you shall rejoice in all that you put your hand to, you and your households, in which Yahweh your God has blessed you. You shall not do all the things that we do here today, every man whatever is right in his own eyes; for you haven’t yet come to the rest and to the inheritance which Yahweh your God gives you. But when you go over the Jordan and dwell in the land which Yahweh your God causes you to inherit, and he gives you rest from all your enemies around you, so that you dwell in safety, then it shall happen that to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there, there you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the wave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which you vow to Yahweh. You shall rejoice before Yahweh your God—you, and your sons, your daughters, your male servants, your female servants, and the Levite who is within your gates, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you. Be careful that you don’t offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see; but in the place which Yahweh chooses in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you.
Parallel Translations
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then it shall happen that to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there, there you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the wave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which you vow to Yahweh.
You shall rejoice before Yahweh your God—you, and your sons, your daughters, your male servants, your female servants, and the Levite who is within your gates, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you.
Be careful that you don’t offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see;
but in the place which Yahweh chooses in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you.
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Then there shall be a place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I command you; your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the LORD:
And ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God, ye, and your sons, and your daughters, and your menservants, and your maidservants, and the Levite that is within your gates; forasmuch as he hath no part nor inheritance with you.
Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seest:
But in the place which the LORD shall choose in one of thy tribes, there thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, and there thou shalt do all that I command thee.
Show all 3 translations
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then it shall come to pass that the place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause His name to dwell there, thither shall ye bring all that I command you: your burnt-offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the LORD.
And ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God, ye, and your sons, and your daughters, and your men-servants, and your maid-servants, and the Levite that is within your gates, forasmuch as he hath no portion nor inheritance with you.
Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt-offerings in every place that thou seest;
but in the place which the LORD shall choose in one of thy tribes, there thou shalt offer thy burnt-offerings, and there thou shalt do all that I command thee.
Examined in Scripture Analysis
Commandments (1)
The laws of the Torah, each cited and shown as a primary source.
Cross-references (54)
- Deuteronomy 12:7 (v12) There you shall eat before Yahweh your God, and you shall rejoice in all that you put your hand to, you and your households, in which…
- Deuteronomy 10:9 (v12) Therefore Levi has no portion nor inheritance with his brothers; Yahweh is his inheritance, according as Yahweh your God spoke to him.)
- Deuteronomy 26:12 (v12) When you have finished tithing all the tithe of your increase in the third year, which is the year of tithing, then you shall give it to…
- Deuteronomy 12:5 (vv11, 14) But to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose out of all your tribes, to put his name there, you shall seek his habitation, and you…
- Deuteronomy 12:19 (v12) Be careful that you don’t forsake the Levite as long as you live in your land.
Show all 52 cross-references
- Deuteronomy 14:29 (v12) The Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, as well as the foreigner living among you, the fatherless, and the widow…
- Deuteronomy 15:20 (v11) You shall eat it before Yahweh your God year by year in the place which Yahweh shall choose, you and your household.
- Numbers 18:20 (v12) Yahweh said to Aaron, “You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and…
- Joshua 13:33 (v12) But Moses gave no inheritance to the tribe of Levi. Yahweh, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, as he spoke to them.
- Joshua 14:4 (v12) For the children of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. They gave no portion to the Levites in the land, except cities to dwell…
- 1 Kings 8:66 (v12) On the eighth day he sent the people away; and they blessed the king, and went to their tents joyful and glad in their hearts for all the…
- 2 Chronicles 29:36 (v12) Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced, because of that which God had prepared for the people; for the thing was done suddenly.
- 2 Chronicles 30:21-26 (v12) The children of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness. The Levites and the…
- Psalms 147:1 (v12) Praise Yah, for it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant and fitting to praise him.
- Deuteronomy 18:6 (vv11–12) If a Levite comes from any of your gates out of all Israel where he lives, and comes with all the desire of his soul to the place which…
- Numbers 18:23-24 (v12) But the Levites shall do the service of the Tent of Meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity. It shall be a statute forever throughout…
- Numbers 18:26 (v12) “Moreover you shall speak to the Levites, and tell them, ‘When you take of the children of Israel the tithe which I have given you from…
- Deuteronomy 12:11 (v14) then it shall happen that to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there, there you shall bring all that…
- Deuteronomy 16:2-8 (v11) You shall sacrifice the Passover to Yahweh your God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which Yahweh shall choose to cause his name to…
- Deuteronomy 17:8 (v11) If there arises a matter too hard for you in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being…
- Joshua 13:14 (v12) Only he gave no inheritance to the tribe of Levi. The offerings of Yahweh, the God of Israel, made by fire are his inheritance, as he spoke…
- John 4:20-23 (v11) Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” Jesus said to her,…
- 2 Corinthians 5:19 (v14) namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses, and having committed to us the…
- 1 John 1:3-4 (v12) that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us. Yes, and our fellowship is with the Father,…
- Leviticus 17:2-5 (v13) “Speak to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘This is the thing which Yahweh has commanded:…
- Deuteronomy 12:6 (v13) You shall bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the wave offering of your hand, your vows, your free will offerings,…
- Deuteronomy 12:14 (v11) but in the place which Yahweh chooses in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I…
- Deuteronomy 12:18 (v11) but you shall eat them before Yahweh your God in the place which Yahweh your God shall choose: you, your son, your daughter, your male…
- Deuteronomy 12:21 (v11) If the place which Yahweh your God shall choose to put his name is too far from you, then you shall kill of your herd and of your flock,…
- Deuteronomy 12:26 (v11) Only your holy things which you have, and your vows, you shall take and go to the place which Yahweh shall choose.
- Deuteronomy 14:23 (v11) You shall eat before Yahweh your God, in the place which he chooses to cause his name to dwell, the tithe of your grain, of your new wine,…
- Deuteronomy 14:26-27 (v12) You shall trade the money for whatever your soul desires: for cattle, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatever your…
- Deuteronomy 16:11 (v12) You shall rejoice before Yahweh your God: you, your son, your daughter, your male servant, your female servant, the Levite who is within…
- Deuteronomy 16:14 (v12) You shall rejoice in your feast, you, your son, your daughter, your male servant, your female servant, the Levite, the foreigner, the…
- Deuteronomy 18:1-2 (v12) The priests and the Levites—all the tribe of Levi—shall have no portion nor inheritance with Israel. They shall eat the offerings of Yahweh…
- Deuteronomy 23:16 (v11) He shall dwell with you, among you, in the place which he shall choose within one of your gates, where it pleases him best. You shall not…
- Deuteronomy 26:2 (v11) that you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you shall bring in from your land that Yahweh your God gives…
- Deuteronomy 31:11 (v11) when all Israel has come to appear before Yahweh your God in the place which he will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in…
- Joshua 18:1 (v11) The whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled themselves together at Shiloh, and set up the Tent of Meeting there. The land…
- 1 Kings 8:13 (v11) I have surely built you a house of habitation, a place for you to dwell in forever.”
- 1 Kings 8:29 (v11) that your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which you have said, ‘My name shall be there;’ to…
- 1 Kings 12:28-32 (v13) So the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold; and he said to them, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Look and behold…
- 1 Kings 15:34 (v13) He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin with which he made Israel to sin.
- 2 Chronicles 15:17 (v13) But the high places were not taken away out of Israel; nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.
- Nehemiah 8:10-12 (v12) Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared, for today is holy…
- Psalms 5:7 (v14) But as for me, in the abundance of your loving kindness I will come into your house. I will bow toward your holy temple in reverence of you.
- Psalms 9:11 (v14) Sing praises to Yahweh, who dwells in Zion, and declare among the people what he has done.
- Psalms 78:68 (v11) But chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which he loved.
- Psalms 100:1-2 (v12) Shout for joy to Yahweh, all you lands! Serve Yahweh with gladness. Come before his presence with singing.
- Jeremiah 7:12 (v11) “But go now to my place which was in Shiloh, where I caused my name to dwell at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of…
- Hebrews 10:19-22 (v14) Having therefore, brothers, boldness to enter into the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by the way which he dedicated for us, a new and…
- Hebrews 13:15 (v14) Through him, then, let’s offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which proclaim allegiance to his…
52 distinct cross-references across this passage (54 total citations).
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (15 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
Private notes
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv11, 14 Or, that which ye choose out for your vows.
Or, that which ye choose out for your vows.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv11–14 Deu 12:11 Then there shall be a place which…
Deu 12:11 Then there shall be a place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I command you; your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the LORD:
Ver. 11. Your choice vows.] Your voluntary vows, and of your choicest commodities, the very best of the best.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv11–13 His name, i.e. his majesty and glory, his worship…
His name, i.e. his majesty and glory, his worship and service, his special and gracious presence, and the tokens of it.
All your choice vows, Heb. the choice of your vows. i.e. your select or chosen vows were to be perfect, whereas superfluous or deflective creatures were accepted in free-will offerings, as appears from Lev 22:21-23.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv11–14 Then there shall be a place,.... Fixed and settled,…
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:
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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 Deu 12:6.
and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the Lord; or, "the choice of your vows" (g); which, as Jarchi observes, was brought of their choicest things, as they ought to be; see Mal 1:14.
(g) , Sept. "optima votorum vestrorum", Fagius.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv11–13 His name - His majesty and glory, his worship…
His name - His majesty and glory, his worship and service, his, special and gracious presence. Your choice vows - Hebrew. the choice of your vows, that is, your select or chosen vows; so called, because things offered for vows, were to be perfect, whereas defective creatures were accepted in free-will-offerings.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On v14 Verse 14. The place which the Lord shall choose]…
Verse 14. The place which the Lord shall choose] To prevent idolatry and bring about a perfect uniformity in the Divine worship, which at that time was essentially necessary; because every rite and ceremony had a determinate meaning, and pointed out the good things which were to come, therefore one place must be established where those rites and ceremonies should be carefully and punctually observed. Had it not been so, every man would have formed his worship according to his own mind, and the whole beauty and importance of the grand representative system would have been destroyed, and the Messiah and the glories of his kingdom could not have been seen through the medium of the Jewish ritual. For uniformity in every part of the Divine worship the same necessity does not now exist; because that which was typified is come, and the shadows have all fled away. Yet, when it can be obtained, how desirable is it that all sincere Christians should with one mouth, as well as with one heart, glorify their common Lord and Saviour!
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv11, 13 Deu 12:11. His name — His majesty and glory,…
Deu 12:11. His name — His majesty and glory, his worship and service, his special and gracious presence. Your choice vows — Hebrew, the choice of your vows; that is, your select or chosen vows; so called, because things offered for vows were to be perfect, whereas defective creatures were accepted in free-will-offerings. Your daughters — Hence it appears, that though the males only were obliged to appear before God in their solemn feasts, yet the women also were permitted to come.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv11–13 Therein. While you are performing your duty to God,…
Therein. While you are performing your duty to God, you need not fear the incursions of your enemies; or, according to the Hebrew, Septuagint, and Chaldean, "There shall be a place which....Thither," &c. (Menochius) --- Hands. Aquila, &c., have, "your voluntary oblations." --- Gifts. Hebrew, "your choice-vows." (Calmet)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On v12 ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God, ye,…
ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God, ye, and your sons, and your daughters, &c.--Hence it appears that, although males only were commanded to appear before God at the annual solemn feasts (Exo 23:17), the women were allowed to accompany them (1Sa. 1:3-23).
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On v12 12. The Levite that is within your gates —…
12. The Levite that is within your gates — That is, that lives in your towns and villages. This frequent reference to the Levite does not imply that they had no settled habitation, for there was an allotment of towns for them to dwell in. But it was necessary to remind the people that the Levite, having no part in the land that was cultivated, might be at times straitened in his circumstances. This does not imply that the Levites were to have no cities of their own. But as the Levites could temporarily sell their houses to Israelites (see Lev_25:32-33) it might be possible that some of them would be living in almost every community.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On v13 13–19. Third Statement of the Law of the One…
13–19. Third Statement of the Law of the One Sanctuary
In the Sg. address and with phrases characteristic of that form. In substance much the same as the two previous statements, the zebaḥim being curiously omitted from the list of offerings. Deu_12:15 f. are clearly a later insertion. We see from this statement how a law tended in the hands of the deuteronomists to grow both in content and form.
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Deu_12:13. Take heed to thyself] See on Deu_6:12.
burnt offerings] ‘Olôth alone without zebaḥim. This may have been the original form of the law. Contrast Deu_12:6; Deu_12:11.
in every place that thou seest] Peculiar to this statement: i.e. every sacred place used as such by the Canaanites on the conspicuous positions described in Deu_12:2. Thou seest, cp. Eze_20:28, when I had brought them into the land … then they saw (or looked out for) every high hill and every thick tree and offered there, etc.
Deu_12:14. See on Deu_12:5 : here in one of thy tribes instead of out of all thy tribes.
Deu_12:15-16. Notwithstanding … Only] Both = Heb. raḳ, used to introduce exceptions or qualifications to the laws, 10 times, and 10 more in the rest of the book (see on Deu_10:15). On the contents of these verses see Deu_12:20-25 which they anticipate, disturbing at the same time the list of offerings begun in Deu_12:13-14 and continued in Deu_12:17. The immediate connection of Deu_12:17 with Deu_12:14 is clear. On these grounds Deu_12:15-16 are generally taken as a later insertion. Note, too, the Pl. ye shall not eat in 16. The Pl. does not occur in the rest of this statement of the law and may well be due to the hand that has made this addition; as so many of these sporadic changes of address are found in editorial additions. The LXX confirms the Pl. here: the Sam. Sg. may be due to harmonising.
Deu_12:17. Direct continuation of Deu_12:13-14, completing the list of offerings to be brought to the one altar. On the contents see on Deu_12:6; Deu_12:11 : the phraseology is however, characteristic of the Sg. passages.
Thou mayest not] Heb., lit. thou shalt not be able: in the sense thou must or darest not only in Sg. passages: here, Deu_16:5, Deu_17:15, Deu_22:3, or with he, Deu_21:16; Deu_22:19; Deu_22:29; Deu_24:4.
within thy gates] Thy homestead or town of residence: used almost exclusively with Sg. (Deu_5:14, Deu_12:17 f., 21, Deu_14:21; Deu_14:27-29, Deu_15:22, Deu_16:11; Deu_16:14, Deu_17:8, Deu_24:14, Deu_26:12, Deu_31:12, cp. Deu_28:57). Only one Pl. passage has it, Deu_12:12.
Deu_12:18. See on Deu_12:5; Deu_12:7; Deu_12:12.
Deu_12:19. Take heed, etc.] See on Deu_6:12.
thou forsake not the Levite, etc.] So Deu_14:27.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv11, 13 (11) Then there shall be a place.—The building of…
(11) Then there shall be a place.—The building of Jerusalem and of the Temple brought with it in due time the accomplishment of the law which is appended to the prophecy.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv11–13 All your choice vows; i.e. all the vows of…
All your choice vows; i.e. all the vows of your choice, all that ye choose to make; the vow was purely voluntary; it became obligatory only after it was made.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv12–13 General Information:
General Information:
Moses continues speaking to the people of Israel.
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rejoice before Yahweh
"rejoice in the presence of Yahweh"
the Levites who are within your gate
Here "gates" is a reference to the city itself. AT: "the Levites who live inside your city" or "the Levites living with you" (See: Synecdoche)
because he has no portion or inheritance among you
The fact that Yahweh would not give any of the land to the Levites is spoken of as if a father were not giving them an inheritance. (See: Metaphor)
he has no portion
Here "he" refers to Levi. Levi represents all of his descendants. AT: "they have no portion" (See: Metonymy)
translationWords
joy
servant
Levi
gate
inherit
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v12 12:12 The Levites, descendants of Jacob’s son Levi, were…
12:12 The Levites, descendants of Jacob’s son Levi, were set apart to serve the Lord full time in Israel’s religious life (Num 18:1-7). The primary task of the Levites was to assist the priests in their various responsibilities. Because the priests and the Levites could not engage in secular pursuits, they depended on the generosity of Israel’s other tribes for their livelihood (Num 18:21-24).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.