Online Resource Library
Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadPaul Kretzmann Commentary - Deuteronomy 12:17 - 12:32
(Show All Books | Show All Chapters)
This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
Concerning the Care of the Levites, The Eating of Sacrificial Meat, and Idolatry
v. 17. Thou mayest not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy corn, or of thy wine, or of thy oil, or the firstlings of thy herds or of thy flock, nor any of thy vows which thou vowest, nor thy free-will offerings, or heave-offering of thine hand, whatever was taken from the possession of the Israelites as a gift to Jehovah; all these could not be consumed in the worshiper's house or in his home town;
v. 18. but thou must eat them before the Lord, thy God, in the place which the Lord, thy God, shall choose, the central Sanctuary, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy man-servant, and thy maid-servant, and the Levite that is within thy gates; and thou shalt rejoice before the Lord, thy God, in all that thou puttest thine hands unto, in any offering that might be made.
v. 19. Take heed to thyself that thou forsake not the Levite as long as thou livest upon the earth, literally, "all thy days upon thy land," Deu_14:27; Neh_13:10.
v. 20. When the Lord, thy God, shall enlarge thy border, as He hath promised thee, Exo_34:24. and thou shalt say, I will eat flesh, because thy soul longeth to eat flesh, literally, "because the desire of thy soul is set upon eating flesh," indicating a very great, an overwhelming longing, thou mayest eat flesh, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, or, wherever they would choose.
v. 21. If the place which the Lord, thy God, hath chosen to put His name there be too far from thee, then thou shalt kill of thy herd and of thy flock which the Lord hath given thee, as I have commanded thee; and thou shalt eat in thy gates whatsoever thy soul lusteth after.
v. 22. Even as the roebuck and the hart is eaten, namely, not in the form of sacrifices, so thou shalt eat them; the (Levitically) unclean and the clean shall eat of them alike.
v. 23. Only be sure that thou eat not the blood, they were to be strong enough to resist the temptation to use blood as food; for the blood is the life, and thou mayest not eat the life with the flesh, Lev_17:11-14.
v. 24. Thou shalt not eat it; thou shalt pour it upon the earth as water.
v. 25. Thou shalt not eat it, that it may go well with thee and with thy children after thee, when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the Lord, Exo_15:26.
v. 26. Only thy holy things which thou hast, those consecrated to the Lord, and thy vows, thou shalt take and go unto the place which the Lord shall choose;
v. 27. and thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, upon the altar of the Lord, thy God; and the blood of the sacrifices shall be poured out upon the altar of the Lord, thy God, as the Law provided, Lev_1:5, and thou shalt eat the flesh, Leviticus 7.
v. 28. Observe and hear all these words which I command thee, that it may go well with thee and with thy children after thee forever, when thou doest that which is good and right in the sight of the Lord, thy God.
v. 29. When the Lord, thy God, shall cut off, eradicate, the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, by taking over their country, and dwellest in their land,
v. 30. take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, fall into the same snare of idolatry which caused their downfall, after that they be destroyed from before thee, for that judgment of the Lord should deter them from a similar foolhardy course; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? Even so will I do likewise. They should not even inquire about the form of worship used by the heathen, lest they be tempted to try it for themselves.
v. 31. Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord, thy God, not try to serve Him with a form of worship modeled after that of the heathen nations; for every abomination to the Lord which he hateth have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burned in the fire to their gods, as the Moabites did in their service of Molech. It is a dangerous matter to Christianize heathen customs, for the superstition will cling to the rites after the Christian veneer is forgotten, as in many Christmas customs.
v. 32. What thing soever I command you, observe to do it; thou shalt not add thereto nor diminish from it, Jos_1:7. The Revelation of Scripture is sufficient for all purposes and teaches the way of salvation in a perfect manner. All books of modern antichristian sects which purport to be keys to the Bible are inventions of the Evil One.