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 n... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE ARE THE STATUTES AND JUDGMENTS WHICH YE SHALL OBSERVE TO DO,.... Which are recorded in this and the following Chapter s; 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 GI... [ Continue Reading ]
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, Bethbaalme... [ Continue Reading ]
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 us... [ Continue Reading ]
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 ov... [ Continue Reading ]
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 ther... [ Continue Reading ]
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 othe... [ Continue Reading ]
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 ho... [ Continue Reading ]
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 certai... [ Continue Reading ]
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 wi... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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 gratitu... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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; 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 san... [ Continue Reading ]
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 the... [ Continue Reading ]
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.... [ Continue Reading ]
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 w... [ Continue Reading ]
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 TH... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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, Deuteronomy 12:15 THEN THOU SHALT KILL OF THY HER... [ Continue Reading ]
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 A... [ Continue Reading ]
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, Leviticus 17:11, AND THOU MAYEST NOT EAT THE LIFE WITH THE FLESH: by which it seems t... [ Continue Reading ]
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; Deuteron... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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 LO... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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.... [ Continue Reading ]
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 Psalms 106:35, after that they be destroyed from before thee; for their idolatries and other sins: AND THAT THOU INQUIRE NOT AFTER THEIR GODS; wha... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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 t... [ Continue Reading ]