Focused Passage

Deuteronomy 12:1-7

One Place, One People, One LORD: The Centralization of Worship

From the destruction of all Canaanite worship sites (vv. 1-4) through the centralization of all Israel's worship at the one chosen place (vv. 5-12) and the permission of profane slaughter with the blood prohibition (vv. 13-16) to the second cycle repeating the centralization and profane-slaughter provisions (vv. 17-28) and the closing warning against Canaanite inquiry and the addition-subtraction prohibition (vv. 29-32).

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1 These are the statutes and ordinances you must be careful to follow all the days you live in the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess.

2 Destroy completely all the places where the nations you are dispossessing have served their gods—atop the high mountains, on the hills, and under every green tree.

3 Tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, burn up their Asherah poles, cut down the idols of their gods, and wipe out their names from every place.

4 You shall not worship the LORD your God in this way.

5 Instead, you must seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to establish as a dwelling for His Name, and there you must go.

6 To that place you are to bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and heave offerings, your vow offerings and freewill offerings, as well as the firstborn of your herds and flocks.

7 There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your households shall eat and rejoice in all you do, because the LORD your God has blessed you.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

These [are] אֵ֠לֶּה H428 Pronoun - common plural the statutes הַֽחֻקִּ֣ים H2706 Article | Noun - masculine plural and ordinances וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים֮ H4941 Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine plural you must be careful תִּשְׁמְר֣וּן H8104 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural | Paragogic nun to follow לַעֲשׂוֹת֒ H6213 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct all כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct the days הַיָּמִ֔ים H3117 Article | Noun - masculine plural - אֲשֶׁר־ H834 Pronoun - relative you אַתֶּ֥ם H859 Pronoun - second person masculine plural live חַיִּ֖ים H2416 Noun - masculine plural - עַל־ H5921 Preposition - הָאֲדָמָֽה׃ H127 Article | Noun - feminine singular in the land בָּאָ֕רֶץ H776 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular - אֲשֶׁר֩ H834 Pronoun - relative that אֲשֶׁ֣ר H834 Pronoun - relative the LORD יְהוָ֜ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular the God אֱלֹהֵ֧י H430 Noun - masculine plural construct of your fathers אֲבֹתֶ֛יךָ H1 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular has given נָתַ֨ן H5414 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular you לְךָ֖ Preposition | second person masculine singular to possess לְרִשְׁתָּ֑הּ H3423 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person feminine singular
Verse 2

Original words

Destroy completely אַבֵּ֣ד H6 Verb - Piel - Infinitive absolute . . . תְּ֠אַבְּדוּן H6 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine plural | Paragogic nun - אֶֽת־ H853 Direct object marker all כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct the places הַמְּקֹמ֞וֹת H4725 Article | Noun - masculine plural where אֲשֶׁ֧ר H834 Pronoun - relative the nations הַגּוֹיִ֗ם H1471 Article | Noun - masculine plural - אֲשֶׁ֥ר H834 Pronoun - relative you אַתֶּ֛ם H859 Pronoun - second person masculine plural are dispossessing יֹרְשִׁ֥ים H3423 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural - אֹתָ֖ם H853 Direct object marker | third person masculine plural - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker have served עָֽבְדוּ־ H5647 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural . . . שָׁ֣ם H8033 Adverb their gods אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֑ם H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural atop עַל־ H5921 Preposition the high הָֽרָמִים֙ H7311 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural mountains הֶהָרִ֤ים H2022 Article | Noun - masculine plural on וְעַל־ H5921 Conjunctive waw | Preposition the hills הַגְּבָע֔וֹת H1389 Article | Noun - feminine plural and under וְתַ֖חַת H8478 Conjunctive waw | Preposition every כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct green רַעֲנָן׃ H7488 Adjective - masculine singular tree עֵ֥ץ H6086 Noun - masculine singular
Verse 3

Original words

Tear down וְנִתַּצְתֶּ֣ם H5422 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker their altars מִזְבּחֹתָ֗ם H4196 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural smash וְשִׁבַּרְתֶּם֙ H7665 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker their sacred pillars מַצֵּ֣בֹתָ֔ם H4676 Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural burn up תִּשְׂרְפ֣וּן H8313 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural | Paragogic nun . . . בָּאֵ֔שׁ H784 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular their Asherah poles וַאֲשֵֽׁרֵיהֶם֙ H842 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural cut down תְּגַדֵּע֑וּן H1438 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine plural | Paragogic nun the idols וּפְסִילֵ֥י H6456 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct of their gods אֱלֹֽהֵיהֶ֖ם H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural and wipe out וְאִבַּדְתֶּ֣ם H6 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker their names שְׁמָ֔ם H8034 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural from מִן־ H4480 Preposition every place הַמָּק֖וֹם H4725 Article | Noun - masculine singular . . . הַהֽוּא׃ H1931 Article | Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Verse 4

Original words

You shall not לֹֽא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle worship תַעֲשׂ֣וּן H6213 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural | Paragogic nun the LORD לַיהוָ֖ה H3068 Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular your God אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃ H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural in this way כֵּ֔ן H3651 Adverb
Verse 5

Original words

Instead כִּ֠י H3588 Conjunction . . . אִֽם־ H518 Conjunction you must seek תִדְרְשׁ֖וּ H1875 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural - אֶל־ H413 Preposition the place הַמָּק֞וֹם H4725 Article | Noun - masculine singular - אֲשֶׁר־ H834 Pronoun - relative the LORD יְהוָ֤ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular your God אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶם֙ H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural will choose יִבְחַ֨ר H977 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular from among all מִכָּל־ H3605 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct your tribes שִׁבְטֵיכֶ֔ם H7626 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural to establish לָשׂ֥וּם H7760 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker as a dwelling לְשִׁכְנ֥וֹ H7931 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular for His Name שְׁמ֖וֹ H8034 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular - שָׁ֑ם H8033 Adverb and there שָֽׁמָּה׃ H8033 Adverb | third person feminine singular you must go וּבָ֥אתָ H935 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Verse 6

Original words

To that place שָׁ֗מָּה H8033 Adverb | third person feminine singular you are to bring וַהֲבֵאתֶ֣ם H935 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural your burnt offerings עֹלֹֽתֵיכֶם֙ H5930 Noun - feminine plural construct | second person masculine plural and sacrifices וְזִבְחֵיכֶ֔ם H2077 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural - וְאֵת֙ H853 Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker your tithes מַעְשְׂרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם H4643 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural - וְאֵ֖ת H853 Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker and heave offerings תְּרוּמַ֣ת H8641 Noun - feminine singular construct . . . יֶדְכֶ֑ם H3027 Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine plural your vow offerings וְנִדְרֵיכֶם֙ H5088 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural and freewill offerings וְנִדְבֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם H5071 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural construct | second person masculine plural as well as the firstborn וּבְכֹרֹ֥ת H1060 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct of your herds בְּקַרְכֶ֖ם H1241 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine plural and flocks וְצֹאנְכֶֽם׃ H6629 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine plural
Verse 7

Original words

There שָׁ֗ם H8033 Adverb in the presence לִפְנֵי֙ H6440 Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct of the LORD יְהוָ֣ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular your God אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural [you and] your households וּבָתֵּיכֶ֑ם H1004 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural shall eat וַאֲכַלְתֶּם־ H398 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural and rejoice וּשְׂמַחְתֶּ֗ם H8055 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural in all בְּכֹל֙ H3605 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct you do מִשְׁלַ֣ח H4916 Noun - masculine singular construct . . . יֶדְכֶ֔ם H3027 Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine plural . . . אַתֶּ֖ם H859 Pronoun - second person masculine plural because אֲשֶׁ֥ר H834 Pronoun - relative the LORD יְהוָ֥ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular your God אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃ H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular has blessed you בֵּֽרַכְךָ֖ H1288 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular | second person masculine singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.