1Toto sú ustanovenia a súdy, ktoré budete ostríhať, aby ste ich činili v zemi, ktorú ti dal JeHoVaH, Bôh tvojich otcov, aby si ju zaujal do dedičstva, po všetky dni, v ktorých budete živí na zemi. 2Doista zkazíte všetky miesta, na ktorých slúžily národy, ktoré vy zaujmete do dedičstva, svojim bohom ako na vysokých vrchoch tak i na vŕškoch i pod každým stromom zeleným. 3A rozboríte ich oltáre a skrúšite ich modly a ich háje popálite ohňom a rytiny ich bohov posekáte a vyhubíte ich meno z toho miesta. 4Neučiníte tak JeHoVaHovi, svojmu Bohu! 5Ale na mieste, ktoré si vyvolí JeHoVaH, váš Bôh, zo všetkých vašich pokolení, aby tam položil svoje meno, tam, kde bude bývať, budete ho hľadať, a ta prijdeš. 6A ta tiež donesiete svoje zápalné obeti a svoje bitné obeti ako aj svoje desatiny a obeť pozdvihnutia svojej ruky i svoje sľuby i svoje dobrovoľné obeti i prvorodené svojho dobytka i svojho drobného stáda. 7A tam budete jesť pred JeHoVaHom, svojím Bohom, a radovať sa budete všetkému, k čomu ste priložili svoju ruku, vy i vaše domy, ktorými ťa požehná JeHoVaH, tvoj Bôh. 8Neučiníte ničoho takého, čo my tu činíme dnes, každý to, čo je spravedlivé v jeho očiach, nech už je to čokoľvek! 9Lebo doteraz ste ešte neprišli k odpočinutiu a k dedičstvu, ktoré ti dá JeHoVaH, tvoj Bôh. 10Ale keď prejdete cez Jordán a budete bývať v zemi, ktorú vám JeHoVaH, váš Bôh, dá do dedičstva, a keď vám dá odpočinutie od všetkých vašich nepriateľov zo všetkých strán, takže budete bývať bezpečne, 11vtedy na to miesto, ktoré si vyvolí JeHoVaH, váš Bôh, nato, aby tam prebývalo jeho meno, budete donášať všetko to, čo vám ja prikazujem, svoje zápalné obeti a svoje bitné obeti, svoje desatiny a obeť pozdvihnutia svojej ruky jako i všetko najlepšie svojich sľubov, ktoré sľúbite JeHoVaHovi. 12A radovať sa budete pred JeHoVaHom, svojím Bohom, vy i vaši synovia i vaše dcéry i vaši sluhovia i vaše dievky i Levita, ktorý je vo vašich bránach, lebo nemá podielu ani dedičstva s vami. 13Vystríhaj sa, aby si neobetoval svojich zápalných obetí na ktoromkoľvek mieste, ktoré uvidíš, 14ale iba na mieste, ktoré si vyvolí JeHoVaH v jednom z tvojich pokolení, tam budeš obetovať svoje zápalné obeti a tam budeš činiť všetko, čo ti ja prikazujem. 15Ináče, čo a koľko len sa bude žiadať tvojej duši, zabiješ si a budeš jesť mäso podľa požehnania JeHoVaHa, svojho Boha, ktoré ti dá, vo všetkých tvojich bránach, čistý i nečistý ho bude jesť ako srnu a jako jeleňa. 16Len krvi nebudete jesť; na zem ju vyleješ ako vodu. 17Nebudeš môcť jesť vo svojich bránach desatiny svojho obilia ani užívať desatiny svojho vína a svojho oleja ani prvorodených kusov svojho dobytka a svojho drobného stáda ani niktorých svojich sľubov, ktoré sľúbiš, ani svojich dobrovoľných obetí a obetí pozdvihnutia svojej ruky. 18Ale iba pred JeHoVaHom, svojím Bohom, to budeš jesť na mieste, ktoré si vyvolí JeHoVaH, tvoj Bôh, ty i tvoj syn i tvoja dcéra, tvoj sluha i tvoja dievka i Levita, ktorý je v tvojich bránach, a budeš sa radovať pred JeHoVaHom, svojím Bohom, všetkému, k čomu si priložil svoju ruku. 19Vystríhaj sa, aby si nikdy neopustil Levitu, po všetky svoje dni, ktoré budeš žiť na svojej zemi. 20Keď rozšíri JeHoVaH, tvoj Bôh, tvoje hranice, tak ako ti hovoril, a povieš: Budem jesť mäso; lebo tvoja duša si žiada jesť mäso; čo a koľko len sa bude žiadať tvojej duši, budeš jesť mäsa. 21Keď bude ďaleko od teba miesto, ktoré vyvolí JeHoVaH, tvoj Bôh, aby tam položil svoje meno, teda si zabiješ zo svojich hoviad alebo zo svojho drobného stáda, ktoré ti dá JeHoVaH, tak ako som ti prikázal, a teda budeš jesť vo svojich bránach, čo a koľko len sa bude žiadať tvojej duši. 22Ale to budeš jesť iba tak, ako sa jie srna alebo jeleň; nečistý i čistý to bude spolu jesť. 23Len buď silný, aby si nejedol krvi, lebo krv je dušou, a preto nebudeš jesť duše s mäsom. 24Nebudeš jej jesť; na zem ju vyleješ ako vodu. 25Nebudeš jej jesť, aby ti bolo dobre i tvojim synom po tebe, keď budeš robiť to, čo je pravé v očiach JeHoVaHových. 26Len svoje posviatne veci, ktoré budeš mať, a svoje sľuby vezmeš a pojdeš na miesto, ktoré si vyvolí JeHoVaH. 27A tam budeš obetovať svoje zápalné obeti, mäso i krv, na oltári JeHoVaHa, svojho Boha, a krv tvojich bitných obetí sa vyleje na oltár JeHoVaHa, tvojho Boha, a mäso budeš jesť. 28Ostríhaj a poslúchaj všetky tieto slová, ktoré ti ja prikazujem, aby bolo dobre i tebe i tvojim synom po tebe až na veky, keď budeš robiť to, čo je dobré a pravé v očiach JeHoVaHa, tvojho Boha. 29Keď vyplieni JeHoVaH, tvoj Bôh, od tvojej tvári národy, ku ktorým ideš, aby si ich zaujal do dedičstva, a keď ich zaujmeš do dedičstva a budeš bývať v ich zemi, 30vystríhaj sa, aby si neuviazol do osídla a tak neodišiel za nimi, keď budú vyhladení od tvojej tvári, a aby si sa nepýtal po ich bohoch povediac: Ako slúžily tieto národy svojim bohom? A budem tak robiť i ja. 31Neučiníš tak JeHoVaHovi, svojmu Bohu, lebo všetko, čo je ohavnosťou JeHoVaHovi, čoho on nenávidí, robili svojim bohom, lebo ešte len aj svojich synov aj svoje dcéry pálili ohňom svojim bohom. 32Každé slovo, ktoré vám ja prikazujem, to budete ostríhať, aby ste ho činili; nepridáš k nemu ničoho ani neodnímeš od neho.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 MONUMENTS OF IDOLATRY TO BE DESTROYED. (
Deut 12:1-
Deut 12:15)
These are the statutes and judgments, which ye shall observe--Having in the preceding chapter inculcated upon the Israelites the general obligation to fear and love God, Moses here enters into a detail of some special duties they were to practise on their obtaining possession of the promised land.
2 Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods--This divine command was founded on the tendencies of human nature; for to remove out of sight everything that had been associated with idolatry, that it might never be spoken of and no vestige of it remain, was the only effectual way to keep the Israelites from temptations to it. It is observable that Moses does not make any mention of temples, for such buildings were not in existence at that early period. The "places" chosen as the scene of heathen worship were situated either on the summit of a lofty mountain, or on some artificial mound, or in a grove, planted with particular trees, such as oaks, poplars, and elms (
Isa 57:5-
Isa 57:7;
Hos 4:13). The reason for the selection of such sites was both to secure retirement and to direct the attention upward to heaven; and the "place" was nothing else than a consecrated enclosure, or at most, a canopy or screen from the weather.
3 And ye shall overthrow their altars--piles of turf or small stones.
and break their pillars--Before the art of sculpture was known, the statues of idols were only rude blocks of colored stones.
5 unto the place which the Lord your God shall choose . . . to put his name there . . . thou shalt come--They were forbidden to worship either in the impure superstitious manner of the heathen, or in any of the places frequented by them. A particular place for the general rendezvous of all the tribes would be chosen by God Himself; and the choice of one common place for the solemn rites of religion was an act of divine wisdom, for the security of the true religion. It was admirably calculated to prevent the corruption which would otherwise have crept in from their frequenting groves and high hills--to preserve uniformity of worship and keep alive their faith in Him to whom all their sacrifices pointed. The place was successively Mizpeh, Shiloh, and especially Jerusalem. But in all the references made to it by Moses, the name is never mentioned. This studied silence was maintained partly lest the Canaanites within whose territories it lay might have concentrated their forces to frustrate all hopes of obtaining it; partly lest the desire of possessing a place of such importance might have become a cause of strife or rivalry amongst the Hebrew tribes, as about the appointment to the priesthood (Num. 16:1-30).
7 there ye shall eat before the Lord--of the things mentioned (
Deut 12:6); but of course, none of the parts assigned to the priests before the Lord--in the place where the sanctuary should be established, and in those parts of the Holy City which the people were at liberty to frequent and inhabit.
12 ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God, ye, and your sons, and your daughters, &c.--Hence it appears that, although males only were commanded to appear before God at the annual solemn feasts (
Exod 23:17), the women were allowed to accompany them (1Sa. 1:3-23).
15 Notwithstanding thou mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy gates--Every animal designed for food, whether ox, goat, or lamb, was during the abode in the wilderness ordered to be slain as a peace offering at the door of the tabernacle; its blood to be sprinkled, and its fat burnt upon the altar by the priest. The encampment, being then round about the altar, made this practice, appointed to prevent idolatry, easy and practicable. But on the settlement in the promised land, the obligation to slay at the tabernacle was dispensed with. The people were left at liberty to prepare their meat in their cities or homes.
according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee--The style of living should be accommodated to one's condition and means--profuse and riotous indulgence can never secure the divine blessing.
the unclean and the clean may eat thereof--The unclean here are those who were under some slight defilement, which, without excluding them from society, yet debarred them from eating any of the sacred meats (
Lev 7:20). They were at liberty freely to partake of common articles of food.
of the roebuck--the gazelle.
and as of the hart--The Syrian deer (Cervus barbatus) is a species between our red and fallow deer, distinguished by the want of a bis-antler, or second branch on the horns, reckoning from below, and for a spotted livery which is effaced only in the third or fourth year.
16 BLOOD PROHIBITED. (
Deut 12:16-
Deut 12:25)
ye shall not eat the blood; ye shall pour it upon the earth as water--The prohibition against eating or drinking blood as an unnatural custom accompanied the announcement of the divine grant of animal flesh for food (
Gen 9:4), and the prohibition was repeatedly renewed by Moses with reference to the great objects of the law (
Lev 17:12), the prevention of idolatry, and the consecration of the sacrificial blood to God. In regard, however, to the blood of animals slain for food, it might be shed without ceremony and poured on the ground as a common thing like water--only for the sake of decency, as well as for preventing all risk of idolatry, it was to be covered over with earth (
Lev 17:13), in opposition to the practice of heathen sportsmen, who left it exposed as an offering to the god of the chase.
22 Even as the roebuck and the hart is eaten, so shalt thou eat them, &c.--Game when procured in the wilderness had not been required to be brought to the door of the tabernacle. The people were now to be as free in the killing of domestic cattle as of wild animals. The permission to hunt and use venison for food was doubtless a great boon to the Israelites, not only in the wilderness, but on their settlement in Canaan, as the mountainous ranges of Lebanon, Carmel, and Gilead, on which deer abounded in vast numbers, would thus furnish them with a plentiful and luxuriant repast.
26 HOLY THINGS TO BE EATEN IN THE HOLY PLACE. (
Deut 12:26-
Deut 12:32)
Only thy holy things which thou hast--The tithes mentioned (
Deut 12:17) are not to be considered ordinary tithes, which belonged to the Levites, and of which private Israelites had a right to eat; but they are other extraordinary tithes or gifts, which the people carried to the sanctuary to be presented as peace offerings, and on which, after being offered and the allotted portion given to the priest, they feasted with their families and friends (
Lev 27:30).
29 Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them . . . saying, How did these nations serve their gods?--The Israelites, influenced by superstitious fear, too often endeavored to propitiate the deities of Canaan. Their Egyptian education had early impressed that bugbear notion of a set of local deities, who expected their dues of all who came to inhabit the country which they honored with their protection, and severely resented the neglect of payment in all newcomers [WARBURTON]. Taking into consideration the prevalence of this idea among them, we see that against an Egyptian influence was directed the full force of the wholesome caution with which this chapter closes.