Focused Passage

Deuteronomy 12:15-19

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

15 But whenever you want, you may slaughter and eat meat within any of your gates, according to the blessing the LORD your God has given you. Both the ceremonially clean and unclean may eat it as they would a gazelle or deer,

16 but you must not eat the blood; pour it on the ground like water.

17 Within your gates you must not eat the tithe of your grain or new wine or oil, the firstborn of your herds or flocks, any of the offerings that you have vowed to give, or your freewill offerings or special gifts.

18 Instead, you must eat them in the presence of the LORD your God at the place the LORD your God will choose—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levite within your gates. Rejoice before the LORD your God in all you do,

19 and be careful not to neglect the Levites as long as you live in your land.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 15

Original words

But רַק֩ H7535 Adverb whenever בְּכָל־ H3605 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct you נַפְשְׁךָ֜ H5315 Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular want אַוַּ֨ת H185 Noun - feminine singular construct you may slaughter תִּזְבַּ֣ח׀ H2076 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular and eat וְאָכַלְתָּ֣ H398 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular meat בָשָׂ֗ר H1320 Noun - masculine singular within any בְּכָל־ H3605 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct of your gates שְׁעָרֶ֑יךָ H8179 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular according to the blessing כְּבִרְכַּ֨ת H1293 Preposition-k | Noun - feminine singular construct the LORD יְהוָ֧ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular your God אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular - אֲשֶׁ֥ר H834 Pronoun - relative has given נָֽתַן־ H5414 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular you לְךָ֖ Preposition | second person masculine singular Both the ceremonially clean וְהַטָּהוֹר֙ H2889 Conjunctive waw, Article | Adjective - masculine singular and unclean הַטָּמֵ֤א H2931 Article | Adjective - masculine singular may eat it יֹאכְלֶ֔נּוּ H398 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular as they would a gazelle כַּצְּבִ֖י H6643 Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular or deer וְכָאַיָּֽל׃ H354 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Verse 16

Original words

but רַ֥ק H7535 Adverb you must not לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle eat תֹאכֵ֑לוּ H398 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural the blood הַדָּ֖ם H1818 Article | Noun - masculine singular pour תִּשְׁפְּכֶ֖נּוּ H8210 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine singular it on עַל־ H5921 Preposition the ground הָאָ֥רֶץ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular like water כַּמָּֽיִם׃ H4325 Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Verse 17

Original words

Within your gates בִּשְׁעָרֶ֗יךָ H8179 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular you must תוּכַ֞ל H3201 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular not לֹֽא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle eat לֶאֱכֹ֣ל H398 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct the tithe מַעְשַׂ֤ר H4643 Noun - masculine singular construct of your grain דְּגָֽנְךָ֙ H1715 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular or new wine וְתִֽירֹשְׁךָ֣ H8492 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular or oil וְיִצְהָרֶ֔ךָ H3323 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular the firstborn וּבְכֹרֹ֥ת H1060 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct of your herds בְּקָרְךָ֖ H1241 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular or flocks וְצֹאנֶ֑ךָ H6629 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular any וְכָל־ H3605 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct of the offerings נְדָרֶ֙יךָ֙ H5088 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular that אֲשֶׁ֣ר H834 Pronoun - relative you have vowed to give תִּדֹּ֔ר H5087 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular or your freewill offerings וְנִדְבֹתֶ֖יךָ H5071 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural construct | second person masculine singular . . . יָדֶֽךָ׃ H3027 Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular or special gifts וּתְרוּמַ֥ת H8641 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct
Verse 18

Original words

Instead כִּ֡י H3588 Conjunction . . . אִם־ H518 Conjunction you must eat them תֹּאכְלֶ֗נּוּ H398 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine singular in the presence לִפְנֵי֩ H6440 Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct of the LORD יְהוָ֨ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular your God אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular at the place בַּמָּקוֹם֙ H4725 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular - אֲשֶׁ֨ר H834 Pronoun - relative the LORD יְהוָ֣ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular your God אֱלֹהֶיךָ֮ H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular will choose יִבְחַ֜ר H977 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular you אַתָּ֨ה H859 Pronoun - second person masculine singular your sons וּבִנְךָ֤ H1121 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular and daughters וּבִתֶּ֙ךָ֙ H1323 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular your menservants וְעַבְדְּךָ֣ H5650 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular and maidservants וַאֲמָתֶ֔ךָ H519 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular and the Levite וְהַלֵּוִ֖י H3881 Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular - אֲשֶׁ֣ר H834 Pronoun - relative within your gates בִּשְׁעָרֶ֑יךָ H8179 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular Rejoice וְשָׂמַחְתָּ֗ H8055 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular before לִפְנֵי֙ H6440 Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct the LORD יְהוָ֣ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular your God אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular in all בְּכֹ֖ל H3605 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct you do מִשְׁלַ֥ח H4916 Noun - masculine singular construct . . . יָדֶֽךָ׃ H3027 Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Verse 19

Original words

and be careful הִשָּׁ֣מֶר H8104 Verb - Nifal - Imperative - masculine singular not פֶּֽן־ H6435 Conjunction to neglect תַּעֲזֹ֖ב H5800 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the Levites הַלֵּוִ֑י H3881 Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular as כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct . . . יָמֶ֖יךָ H3117 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular long as you live in עַל־ H5921 Preposition your land אַדְמָתֶֽךָ׃ס H127 Noun - feminine singular construct | 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.