Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Deuteronomy 12:13
Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seest:
13 19. Third Statement of the Law of the One Sanctuary
In the Sg. address and with phrases characteristic of that form. In substance much the same as the two previous statements, the z e baim being curiously omitted from the list of offerings. Deu 12:15 f. are clearly a later insertion. We see from this statement how a law tended in the hands of the deuteronomists to grow both in content and form.
Deu 12:13. Take heed to thyself ] See on Deu 6:12.
burnt offerings ] ‘Olth alone without z e baim. This may have been the original form of the law. Contrast Deu 12:6 ; Deu 12:11.
in every place that thou seest ] Peculiar to this statement: i.e. every sacred place used as such by the Canaanites on the conspicuous positions described in Deu 12:2. Thou seest, cp. Eze 20:28, when I had brought them into the land then they saw (or looked out for) every high hill and every thick tree and offered there, etc.
Deu 12:14. See on Deu 12:5: here in one of thy tribes instead of out of all thy tribes.
Deu 12:15-16. Notwithstanding Only ] Both = Heb. ra, used to introduce exceptions or qualifications to the laws, 10 times, and 10 more in the rest of the book (see on Deu 10:15). On the contents of these verses see Deu 12:20-25 which they anticipate, disturbing at the same time the list of offerings begun in Deu 12:13-14 and continued in Deu 12:17. The immediate connection of Deu 12:17 with Deu 12:14 is clear. On these grounds Deu 12:15-16 are generally taken as a later insertion. Note, too, the Pl. ye shall not eat in 16. The Pl. does not occur in the rest of this statement of the law and may well be due to the hand that has made this addition; as so many of these sporadic changes of address are found in editorial additions. The LXX confirms the Pl. here: the Sam. Sg. may be due to harmonising.
Deu 12:17. Direct continuation of Deu 12:13-14, completing the list of offerings to be brought to the one altar. On the contents see on Deu 12:6 ; Deu 12:11: the phraseology is however, characteristic of the Sg. passages.
Thou mayest not ] Heb., lit. thou shalt not be able: in the sense thou must or darest not only in Sg. passages: here, Deu 16:5, Deu 17:15, Deu 22:3, or with he, Deu 21:16; Deu 22:19; Deu 22:29; Deu 24:4.
within thy gates ] Thy homestead or town of residence: used almost exclusively with Sg. (Deu 5:14, Deu 12:17 f., 21, Deu 14:21; Deu 14:27-29, Deu 15:22, Deu 16:11; Deu 16:14, Deu 17:8, Deu 24:14, Deu 26:12, Deu 31:12, cp. Deu 28:57). Only one Pl. passage has it, Deu 12:12.
Deu 12:18. See on Deu 12:5 ; Deu 12:7 ; Deu 12:12.
Deu 12:19. Take heed, etc.] See on Deu 6:12.
thou forsake not the Levite, etc.] So Deu 14:27.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Nor the other things mentioned above, this one and most eminent kind being put for all the rest, as is usual; for being all expressed before, it was needless to repeat them again.
In every place that thou seest, to wit, with complacency and approbation, which thou thinkest very fit and proper for such a work, as one might possibly judge of some high places, or groves, or gardens.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Take heed to thyself, that thou offer not thy burnt offerings,…. And so any other, this is put for all the rest:
in every place that thou seest; which might take with their fancy, seem pleasant, and so a proper and suitable place to sacrifice in, as on high places, and under green trees; but they were not to indulge their own fancies and imaginations, or follow the customs of others, but keep to the rules prescribed them by the Lord, and to the place fixed by him for his worship.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(13, 14) Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seest: But in the place which the Lord shall choose.An attempt is made by some modern writers to establish a contradiction between this precept and the one in Exo. 20:24 : In all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee. But they are not really contradictory. The choice of Jehovah makes the place of acceptance. He need not always choose the same spot-Either this law in Deuteronomy was written by Moses or it was not. If it was, it must be taken in the same sense as Exo. 20:24. If it was the work of later times, the writer must have known perfectly that Jehovah had varied His choice from time to time, and therefore the injunction must still have the same sense. Rashi remarks upon the words Take heed that thou offer not . . . in every place that thou seesti.e. which comes into thy mindbut thou must offer at the command of a prophet, as, for instance, Elijah on Mount Carmel. It seems clear that the general principle inculcated here is the same with that of Exodus 20 and of Leviticus 17. The choice of Jehovah makes the place of worship. Details may safely be left to the direction of the authorised Divine representatives at any given time. If the Jews themselves saw no difficulty or discrepancy in these Scriptures, is it any proof of wisdom for us to make difficulties? Do we not rather prove the imperfection of our own understanding?
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Restrictions on Offering Whole Burnt Offerings ( Deu 12:13-14 ).
At this point the narrative changes to ‘thou, thee’. What is required is required of the nation as a whole and of each individual.
Deu 12:13-14
‘ Take heed to yourself (thyself) that you do not offer your whole burnt offerings in every place that you see, but in the place which Yahweh shall choose in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your whole burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you.’
Again the emphasis comes that they may not make their offerings ‘in every place that you shall see’. It was not for them to choose where they could approach Yahweh and make their offerings to Him. It was to be done in the place that He chose. The ritual was restricted to the place of Yahweh’s choosing. For the ritual was important and therefore all whole burnt offerings, that most central of offerings which summed up all others, were to be offered only at the Central Sanctuary, and nowhere else. They were to ‘take heed’ that this was so. They would all be responsible for any failures. ‘In every place that you see’ might primarily indicate Canaanite sanctuaries. Under no circumstances were whole burnt offerings to be offered there. But it also indicates the fact that Israel could not use their own judgment in deciding on places in which to offer whole burnt offerings, but must only do so at the place that Yahweh Himself decided on. The whole burnt offering was the prime offering. It was totally offered to Yahweh in dedication and worship, and to make atonement, and included the daily offering. It could therefore only be offered at His ‘place’ where His dwellingplace was by His own choice.
“And there you shall do all that I command you.” But at the place which was His choice they must ensure the carrying out of all that He commanded. Those commands had been given in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers, and they would be on tablets stored in the Sanctuary. It was important that they were carried out. They were what He commands them. But Moses does not go into any details about them in Deuteronomy.
“The place which Yahweh shall choose in one of your tribes.” This might, if it stood alone, be stretched to translate as ‘in each one of your tribes’, but the history of the Central Sanctuary and the total lack of mention of such sanctuaries and the other use of ‘out of all your tribes’ (Deu 12:5, compare Deu 18:5) is against it. The idea would seem to be of the one place and thus to be set in one of the tribal sections. The choosing might have been done by the Urim and Thummim.
Nothing is more important for all men than that they approach God through the true way. There are many false ways but only one true one. That is what is emphasised here. Today that is through Jesus Christ. As Peter said, ‘There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved’ (Act 4:12). Today He is the place which God has chosen and it is only through Him that we can offer acceptable worship.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
So important a thing was it to have an eye to this one spot for offerings, that it is here repeated again. And what could this refer to but JESUS? Reader! do not overlook this, unless JESUS be in every presentation of our persons or services, our offering is too polluted and our nature too defiled to find acceptance before GOD. Dear LORD! be thou the all in all, in every prayer of mine, whether morning, noon, mid-day, or evening oblation! Col 3:11 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Deu 12:13 Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seest:
Ver. 13. Take heed. ] See Deu 11:16 Lev 17:4 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Deu 12:13-14
13Be careful that you do not offer your burnt offerings in every cultic place you see, 14but in the place which the LORD chooses in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you.
Deu 12:13 Be careful that you do not offer your burnt offerings in every cultic place you see God will show you the special places for offering (cf. Deu 12:5; Deu 12:11; Deu 12:14). Do not use the many local Canaanite altars just because they are there. Don’t offer a sacrifice to YHWH on altars erected for Ba’al. However, there were some local altars made for YHWH (cf. Deu 16:21; 1Ki 3:4).
This verse has three VERBS:
1. be careful – BDB 1036, KB 1581, Niphal IMPERATIVE
2. do not offer – BDB 748, KB 828, Hiphil IMPERFECT
3. see – BDB 906, KB 1157, Qal IMPERFECT
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
This was directly opposed to the customs of the heathen idolaters, in offering their sacrifices on the tops of hills and mountains. Deu 12:6, Lev 17:2-5, 1Ki 12:28-32, 1Ki 15:34, 2Ch 15:17
Reciprocal: Lev 1:3 – at the Lev 17:4 – bringeth Jos 22:15 – General Jos 22:29 – to build 2Ch 11:16 – to sacrifice 2Ch 32:12 – Ye shall worship Isa 36:7 – is it not
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Deu 12:13. Thy burnt-offerings Nor the other things mentioned above, this one and most eminent kind being put for all the rest.