Deuteronomy 12 Study Notes

12:1 This is the superscription to the collection of specific laws to follow. It repeats the admonition of 11:32 to indicate the seam between the general and specific stipulations. What follows are the statutes and ordinances that Dt 1-11 has been preparing for. See Dt 4:45; 5:31; 6:1,20.

12:2 The high mountains, the hills, and the green tree were sites of pagan worship where the peoples of Canaan built their altars and shrines, though at times they were located even in the valleys (2Kg 23:10; 2Ch 28:3). Groves of trees or even single trees also marked sacred places because their luxuriant growth, surrounded by sparse vegetation, symbolized the gods’ fertility (1Kg 14:23; 2Kg 16:4; Jr 2:20).

12:3-4 The sacred pillars and Asherah poles were stone and wooden columns that represented, respectively, Baal and Asherah, the principal Canaanite fertility deities (7:5).

12:5 Israel must seek the Lord at the place he chooses to put his name. In the wilderness this was at various altars (Ex 20:24), but once in the land only one central sanctuary would qualify. At first this was Gilgal, then Shechem, then for many years at Shiloh, and finally Jerusalem, the location of Solomon’s temple. This place alone came to be recognized as the Lord’s dwelling, though Solomon himself realized that it could only be such symbolically because in reality even heaven cannot contain the omnipresent God (1Kg 8:27).

12:6 Tenths and personal contributions are essentially synonymous, the former being a generic term for mandatory gifts to the Lord and the latter a subset of offerings designated to religious personnel, especially the priests and Levites (Lv 7:32,34). A traditional term for tenths is tithes. All such gifts must be given to the Lord at the central sanctuary and then redistributed to meet the needs of those who served him there.

12:7 Those who worship at the central sanctuary must share their freewill offerings (v. 6) with one another in the presence of the Lord. Sometimes the Lord himself was perceived as participating in a common meal with his worshipers. This would, of course, be symbolized by the offerings to him (Ex 24:5-8,11).

12:8 An individual Israelite doing whatever seems right in his own sight does not mean that religious anarchy prevailed as in the days of the judges (Jdg 21:25). In this context it speaks to the lack of a single central sanctuary site in the wilderness.

12:9-11 The first permanent central place of worship was Shiloh, in the center of the land (Jr 7:12). The tabernacle remained there nearly three hundred years, from the latter days of Joshua until the early years of the prophet Samuel.

12:12 The instruction to rejoice is an important theme in Deuteronomy. See 12:7,18; 14:26; 16:11,14; 26:11; 27:7; 33:18.

12:13-14 The sacred places were pagan shrines as well as local worship centers that at times were perfectly appropriate. The former were taboo under any circumstances (vv. 2-3). The prohibition against the others must be understood as distinguishing between private worship and the corporate worship of all Israel. The principle behind this whole section of Deuteronomy is the recognition of Israel as a single entity, God’s covenant people.

12:15-16 When the community as a whole was not in pilgrimage at the three annual festivals, slaughter at a local level for profane purposes was acceptable. Certain other restrictions were lifted when slaughtering for food, including the need for ritual purification and the avoidance of clean game animals (Lv 1:2).

12:17-19 These verses essentially repeat vv. 11-12. Animals and produce intended for sacrifice must be offered only in a place set apart by the Lord for worship (Ex 20:24). This is clear because the place mentioned here is not described as the place where his name dwells (Dt 12:5). The OT has many examples of local shrines that coexisted with either the tabernacle or the temple and were yet considered legitimate places of worship of the true God (Jdg 6:26; 1Sm 7:17; 1Kg 18:30).

12:20-22 Religious rites could be carried out apart from the central sanctuary, provided certain requirements, such as the proper disposal of the blood, were carried out (vv. 22-25).

12:23-24 Blood must not be eaten because blood is the life. Since life is regarded as sacred in the Bible (Gn 9:4; Lv 17:11), blood—the most eloquent metaphor for life itself—was also sacred and therefore could not be consumed. See also v. 16. In the NT this requirement was placed on Gentile converts by the Jerusalem Council (Ac 15:20).

12:24-25 The rationale for pouring blood on the ground seems to be that just as man was created from the ground and returns to the ground at death, so blood, the ultimate symbol of life, should also be returned to the earth.

12:26-28 Burnt offerings is a generic term for sin and trespass offerings and others required to restore fellowship with God. Other sacrifices indicate nonexpiatory or propitiatory sacrifices such as fellowship or peace offerings.

12:29-30 The residual effects of the wicked nations of Canaan would be so powerful that even after their expulsion from the land, the Israelites would be tempted to inquire about their gods. The human heart is fickle, always in danger of yielding to a downward pull (Jr 17:9). For an analogous situation see 2Kg 17:24-28.

12:31 Human sacrifice was part of the ritual of many ancient religions, including those of Canaan and surrounding nations. They believed it had the persuasive power to coerce the gods to a course of action on one’s behalf or to avert calamity; therefore the more precious the victim, the more likely the desired response. The unthinkable act of burning sons and daughters was associated especially with the Moabite god, Chemosh, and the Ammonite god, Molech (Lv 18:21; 2Kg 3:27). Worse still, Israel at various times permitted or even authorized human sacrifice (Jr 32:35).

12:32 See Dt 4:2.