ESV Global Study Bible :: Footnotes for Deuteronomy 12

Deut. 12:1–26:19 Moses’ Second Speech: Specific Covenant Stipulations. In this second part of Moses’ second speech, he discusses in more detail the things he discussed in the first part of the speech (chs. 5–11). This second part of the speech seems to follow the order of the Ten Commandments.

Deut. 12:1–32 Chapter 12 deals with proper worship. It builds on the first commandment, about having no other gods besides the Lord.

Deut. 12:2–3 When the Israelites enter Canaan, they are to destroy all the existing worship centers. Canaanite religion focused on fertility. It set up its shrines on mountains, hills, and under trees. Asherim. See note on 7:5.

Deut. 12:4 They should not use Canaanite religious places and objects to worship the Lord.

Deut. 12:5–6 Moses looked to the day when the Lord would put his name and make his habitation in a permanent place, though God is not limited to just one place. It is a single place, in contrast to the “places” in vv. 2, 13–14. This place is not named here, though centuries later it was clearly identified with Jerusalem. Until then, the “place” was wherever the tabernacle was located. This was often at Shiloh (Josh. 18:1).

Deut. 12:7 eat. The peace offering sacrifices were not totally burned up on the altar. Part of the animal was to be eaten by the offerer, the offerer’s household, and the priests. before the Lord your God. That is, in his presence (also vv. 12, 18).

Deut. 12:8–9 You shall not do according to all that we are doing here today. Once the people enter the land, the laws of worship, especially regarding the place where it is to occur, will be stricter. rest. See 3:20 and note.

Deut. 12:12 Levites served in various towns. They owned no land (portion or inheritance) and relied on offerings for survival (v. 19; Num. 26:62).

Deut. 12:13–14 While in one of your tribes could mean one place per tribal territory, v. 5 has already specified one place for the entire nation.

Deut. 12:15 you may . . . eat meat within any of your towns. Apparently the people had been told that, ordinarily, they could eat only sacrificial meat (Lev. 17:1–7). Now, partly because of the distances that people would be from the central place for sacrifice (Deut. 12:20–21), they are allowed to eat non-sacrificial meat. Unclean and the clean is a ceremonial distinction, not a moral one. Leviticus 12–15 defines certain people as unclean. They are forbidden to eat sacrificial meat, but this would not apply to meat from non-sacrificial animals.

Deut. 12:16 you shall not eat the blood. See Gen. 9:4 and Lev. 3:17. The blood is the life (Deut. 12:23–24) and is therefore linked to atonement for sin (Lev. 17:10–12). See also Acts 15:20.

Deut. 12:17–19 tithe . . . offerings. See v. 11. servant . . . and the Levite. See note on v. 12.

Deut. 12:26–27 Holy things are things set apart for God: sacrifices, offerings, tithes, objects of vows. See vv. 17–18. The blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on the altar. E.g., Lev. 1:5.

Deut. 12:30 take care that you be not ensnared. See 7:2; and note on 7:5.

Deut. 12:31 You shall not worship . . . in that way (see v. 4). Canaanite worship is not only wrong, it is accompanied by abominable moral practices (see 7:25), among which is child sacrifice. See 2 Kings 16:3; Jer. 32:35.

Deut. 12:32 not add to it or take from it. See note on 4:2.