Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Deuteronomy 12:20
When the LORD thy God shall enlarge thy border, as he hath promised thee, and thou shalt say, I will eat flesh, because thy soul longeth to eat flesh; thou mayest eat flesh, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after.
20 28. Practical Corollary to the Law of the One Altar
Originally among the Semites as among some other races all slaughter of domestic animals was sacramental 1 [132] : cp. the Heb. and Arab. word ‘for altar, lit. slaughter-place (see on Deu 12:3). But if this law was still to prevail when sacrifice was limited to one altar the flesh of these animals could only be enjoyed at it, and the lawful or ‘clean’ enjoyment of flesh became impossible to all who lived out of reach of the altar. Compare the analogy in Hos 9:3 f. where it is said that when Israel are exiled and cease to dwell in Jehovah’s land, where alone sacrifice is legal for them, they must eat unclean food, and become polluted for their food has not first come into a house of Jehovah (cp. Amo 7:17). The confinement of sacrifice to one place therefore rendered it necessary to sanction non-ritual slaughter and eating of animals. This is done in the following verses but on two conditions, (1) that God shall have enlarged Israel’s territory, and (2) that the eaters do not live in the neighbourhood of the altar. On these conditions the eating of domestic animals shall be as that of game, in need of no ritual sanction ( Deu 12:22). Only their blood must be poured on the ground ( Deu 12:23-25). And all holy things, specially consecrated, must be brought to the one altar, and the ‘olth and the blood of the z e baim put upon it ( Deu 12:26 f.). The section closes with a general injunction of obedience ( Deu 12:28). There appears no reason to doubt the unity of this supplement to the law of the one sanctuary (apart from small, possibly editorial, insertions). It is throughout in the Sg. address, and logical in its arrangement. The return to the keynote of the law is natural. Note the religious advance which it involves. By separating the enjoyment of animal food from religious rites (as well as by directing the blood of the animals to be poured on the ground), the law cut off the ancient primitive superstitions of the physical kinship of a tribe and their god with their animals, and rendered less possible the animal idolatry which these engendered.
[132] For the argument that this practice was due to belief in the kinship of the tribe (and its god) with its animals and that in consequence these were too sacred to be slain except with solemn rites and in the presence and with the consent of the whole family, clan or tribe, who all partook of the flesh and set apart certain portions and the blood for their god, see W. R. Smith, Rel. Sem. Lects. viii., ix.
Deu 12:20. shall enlarge thy border ] So Deu 19:8, also Exo 34:24, probably editorial.
as he hath promised thee ] Heb. has said. To regard this as an editorial addition, on the ground that it anticipates 21 b (Steuern., Berth.), is precarious. The spirit of such a promise is in several previous passages: e.g. Deu 1:21.
thy soul desireth ] On the soul as seat of the appetite see Deu 14:26, Deu 24:15; Gen 27:9; Pro 27:7. The frankness of this statement is noteworthy.
after all the (or every) desire of thy soul ] The utmost freedom is granted. But the whole passage implies that flesh was eaten only seldom in early Israel, which is confirmed by Nathan’s parable and the Book of Ruth (W. R. Smith, OTJC 2 , 249 n.).
Deu 12:21. If ] Rather, Because.
the place which the Lord thy God shall choose, etc.] See on Deu 12:5.
thou shalt kill ] The same vb. as is used of sacrifice but here in a non-ritual sense.
as I have commanded thee ] Can only refer to Deu 12:15 and if that, as we have seen probable, is a later insertion, this must be of the same character (Steuern., Bertholet).
within thy gates ] See on Deu 12:17.
Deu 12:22. Even as the gazelle and as the hart is eaten ] Gazelle. Heb. e b, and Ar. aby or thobby (Doughty, Ar. Des. ii. 468) are both properly the gazella Dorcas, a horned animal about the size of a roebuck, but more graceful, numerous in Arabia and Syria; but as aby was used as the more general term for ghazl or gazelle (Lane), so e b probably covered several species of gazelle and antelope. Hart, Heb. ’ayyal, from ’ul to precede, as leader of the herd, perhaps the fallow deer cervus dama; but Ar. ’iyyal is mountain-goat (Lane). The two names occurring together here, Deu 12:15, Deu 14:5, Deu 15:22, are not to be taken specifically, but generally of many kinds of gazelle, antelope and deer eaten by Israel and the Arabs, but not allowed for sacrifice (except in certain cases among the Arabs, Wellh. Reste d. Arab. Heid. 112). The reason was that wild animals taken in hunting were not akin to man, and therefore needed not to be eaten sacramentally. Hence the following clause
unclean and clean shall eat thereof alike ] Both adj., used also in physical and ethical sense, here mean ritually unclean and clean: the injunction is found elsewhere in D, Deu 12:15, Deu 15:22, and in P. Sam., LXX add among thee. Alike, Heb. together, the one as well as the other.
so thou shalt eat thereof ] i.e. of domestic animals: out of reach of the sanctuary they may be slain and eaten without rites. What freedom the deuteronomic law thus effected, in contrast to petty and embarrassing scrupulousness engendered by the legislation of P and its elaboration in later Judaism, can be appreciated only by a study of the N.T. texts on the question of meats. Cp. Act 10:15, what God hath cleansed make not thou common; 1Co 10:25; 1Co 11:20 ff.; Rom 14:20; 1Ti 4:4, and for the expression of a still higher principle Mat 15:11.
Deu 12:23. Only ] Heb. ra, see on Deu 10:15, and Deu 12:15-16.
be sure ] Lit. be firm or strong: usually in D with another verb be strong and courageous; see on Deu 1:38, Deu 3:28.
that thou eat not the blood ] That there was at once a strong temptation to partake of the blood and from the earliest times a national conscience against doing so, is seen in 1Sa 14:32 ff., according to which the people flew upon the spoil sheep, oxen and calves and slew them on the ground, without altar or rites, and ate them with the blood. So the people sin against Jehovah in that they eat with the blood, and he said, Ye have transgressed. For a similar conscience, and violation of it, among the Arabs, see Doughty, Ar. Des. ii. 238.
for the blood is the life ] The identification of blood and life was a matter of ordinary observation; as the one ebbed so did the other. As life, the blood belonged to the Deity. Cp. P (Gen 9:4; Lev 17:11; Lev 17:14), in which, however, the belief was strengthened by the stress that P lays on the expiatory value of sacrifice. Other Semitic peoples shared the same belief. ‘In all Arabian sacrifices, except the holocaust the godward side of the ritual is summed up in the shedding of the victim’s blood, so that it flows over the sacred symbol, or gathers in a pit ( ghabghab) at the foot of the altar idol. What enters the pit is held to be conveyed to the deity’ (W. R. Smith, Rel. Sem. 321). The same authority points out that the practice existed also in some Syrian sanctuaries. That it was still older than the Semites is proved by Mr R. A. S. Macalister’s discovery of the neolithic sanctuary at Gezer. Note, however, that D (unlike P) sets no atoning value on the shedding of the blood or life, nor any ritual significance on the slaughter of animals apart from the one altar, but simply states
Deu 12:24. Thou shalt not eat it; thou shalt pour it out upon the earth as water ] It shall have no other significance than that!
Deu 12:26-27. The return to the fact that solemn sacrifices shall nevertheless be made at the one altar is natural. On holy things cp. Num 5:9 f., Deu 18:19. On burnt offerings which, of course, included the blood, and on sacrifices see on Deu 12:6. Of both the blood had a religious significance.
Deu 12:28. A closing injunction to keep the whole law of the One Sanctuary.
Observe and hear ] See on Deu 6:3, Deu 7:12.
that it may go well with thee ] Deu 4:40.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
When the Lord shall enlarge thy border, which will make it inconvenient and impossible to do what now thou dost, and because of the narrow bounds of thy camp canst conveniently do, to wit, to bring all the cattle thou usest to the tabernacle, which it seems probable they did, to prevent their eating of blood. Compare Lev 17:3; 1Sa 14:34.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
When the Lord thy God shall enlarge thy border, as he hath promised thee,…. Brought them into the land of Canaan, where they should have large and good pastures for the feeding of their cattle, which they had not in the wilderness, and so a greater increase of them:
and thou shalt say, I will eat flesh; which they were shorts of, or ate but little of in the wilderness, lest their herds and their flocks should be consumed; but now having room to feed them, and an increase of them, they would give themselves a greater liberty of eating flesh:
because thy soul longeth to eat flesh; would have a craving appetite unto it, having so long ate none, or very little:
thou mayest eat flesh, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after; of any sort that is clean, and allowed to be eaten, and as much of it as is craved, only intemperance must be guarded against.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
These rules were still to remain in force, even when God should extend the borders of the land in accordance with His promise. This extension relates partly to the gradual but complete extermination of the Canaanites ( Deu 7:22, comp. with Exo 23:27-33), and partly to the extension of the territory of the Israelites beyond the limits of Canaan Proper, in accordance with the divine promise in Gen 15:18. The words “as He hath spoken to thee” refer primarily to Exo 23:27-33. (On Deu 12:20, see Deu 12:15). – In Deu 12:21, “ if the place…be too far from thee,” supplies the reason for the repeal of the law in Lev 17:3, which restricted all slaughtering to the place of the sanctuary. The words “ kill…as I have commanded thee ” refer back to Deu 12:15.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
Verses 20-28:
Israel was to continue to observe these laws even after the Lord had enlarged the borders of the Land, according to His promise, Gen 15:18; Exo 23:27-31.
Lev 17:3-7 required that all animals slaughtered for food must be brought to the Tabernacle (Temple), and slain ceremonially before the altar. The present text allows exception for this requirement, in event one lived a distance from the Temple. This applied to animals to be eaten as daily table fare. It did not apply to those animals offered as sacrifice, see Lev chapters 1-6. All such sacrificial animals must be brought to the Temple.
Compare these verses with verse 15.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(20) When the Lord thy God shall enlarge thy border. . . .This and the following verses (20-25) are perfectly intelligible as an expansion of Deu. 12:15-16, and a modification of the strict rule introduced in Lev. 18:2, &c. The distance from the central place of worship to the borders of the land would be manifestly too great for all feasting to be limited to that one spot.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
As Long As The Blood Is Not Eaten They May Eat of their Herds and Their Flocks Without Going To The Sanctuary If They Live Too Far Away ( Deu 12:20-26 ).
Deu 12:20
‘ When Yahweh your God shall enlarge your border, as he has promised you, and you shall say, “I will eat flesh,” because your soul desires to eat flesh, you may eat flesh, after all the desire of your soul.’
Compare Deu 12:15, which is now expanded on. Once they were in the land and sometimes far from the Sanctuary, because Yahweh had enlarged their borders (given them land over a wide area and spread them widely) in accordance with His promise, then whenever Israelites desired to eat meat they did not have to worry about taking it to the tabernacle, if it was too far from them, but could eat as much as they desired of what belonged to them where they were. This would, however, only be a commonplace situation for the wealthy. The average persons would want to preserve their herds and flocks to provide milk and wool and would only kill them on special occasions (e.g. the fatted calf, especially fed well for the purpose).
Deu 12:21
‘ If the place which Yahweh your God shall choose, to put his name there, be too far from you, then you shall kill of your herd and of your flock, which Yahweh has given you, as I have commanded you, and you may eat within your gates, after all the desire of your soul.’
If they were near the site of the Sanctuary, ‘the place which Yahweh your God has chosen to put His name there’, then they should bring their sheep, goats and cattle as offerings to the Sanctuary, but if they were too far from it for it to be feasible they could slay them within their towns to their heart’s desire. This new condition applied because once in the land things had to be seen from a new perspective. Whether ‘within your gates’ was to be applied strictly is not said, but note Lev 17:5-7. The idea may be in order to prevent such surreptitious sacrifices to false divinities.
Deu 12:22
‘ Even as the gazelle and as the hart is eaten, so you shall eat of it. The unclean and the clean may eat of it alike.’
They would be able to treat them as though they were clean game animals like the hart and the gazelle, killing them and eating them. And it would not matter whether the eaters were ritually clean or unclean, for they would not be eating sacrificial meat, which only the clean were permitted to eat. Probable examples of this are 1Sa 14:33-34 ; 1Ki 1:9.
Deu 12:23
‘ Only be sure that you do not eat the blood: for the blood is the life; and you shall not eat the life with the flesh.’
But under no circumstances was the blood to be eaten, for the blood is the life and it was forbidden to eat the life of an animal along with its flesh. Some other peoples ate the blood of animals seeking to gain some of their life force and ferocity, but Israel were not permitted to do so. Men were not to seek to turn themselves into animals, for men were made in the image of God. Furthermore all life, even animal life, belongs to God, therefore even when permitted to slay an animal for food, the life must be given back to Him. So did they constantly learn the lesson of the sovereignty of God and under Him the sacredness of life.
Deu 12:24
‘ You shall not eat it. You shall pour it out on the earth as water.’
The blood must rather be poured out on the ground like water. This would be an act of worship and gratitude. It avoided the danger of them pouring it on some pagan altar, or of storing it or using it for some illicit purpose (e.g. to drink secretly or to sell or give to foreigners who may desire it). If the blood was not offered directly to Yahweh at His altar, it must be poured into the ground that He had made where He would receive it. When Abel’s blood had been spilt on that ground He had heard its cry (Gen 4:10). So would Yahweh be aware of this blood being received by the ground. The ground was His. The blood was thus being given back to Him. For ‘as water’ compare 1Sa 7:6; 2Sa 23:16 where such were offerings to Yahweh.
Deu 12:25
‘ You shall not eat it, that it may go well with you, and with your children after you, when you will do that which is right in the eyes of Yahweh.’
By not eating the blood they would be doing right in the sight of Yahweh, and thus it would go well with them for doing right in His eyes, and the same applied to their children. This was a permanent requirement. If we would have things go well with us, we too must be equally obedient to Him in what He requires of us.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
The same observation meets us here as before, only with this addition, that as from its importance it is again repeated, our attention and regard to it should be but the more increased. If from the renewal of it the LORD JESUS becomes more dear, sweet is the exhortation how often soever repeated, which under GOD’S grace induceth this effect.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Deu 12:20 When the LORD thy God shall enlarge thy border, as he hath promised thee, and thou shalt say, I will eat flesh, because thy soul longeth to eat flesh; thou mayest eat flesh, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after.
Ver. 20. Thou mayest eat flesh. ] Only it is noted as a fault to “feed without fear.” Jdg 1:12 And flesh mongers are taxed by Solomon. Nos etiam animas incarnavimus, saith an ancient, complaining of the arrogance of his times.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Deu 12:20-28
20When the LORD your God extends your border as He has promised you, and you say, ‘I will eat meat,’ because you desire to eat meat, then you may eat meat, whatever you desire. 21If the place which the LORD your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, then you may slaughter of your herd and flock which the LORD has given you, as I have commanded you; and you may eat within your gates whatever you desire. 22Just as a gazelle or a deer is eaten, so you will eat it; the unclean and the clean alike may eat of it. 23Only be sure not to eat the blood, for the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the flesh. 24You shall not eat it; you shall pour it out on the ground like water. 25You shall not eat it, so that it may be well with you and your sons after you, for you will be doing what is right in the sight of the LORD. 26Only your holy things which you may have and your votive offerings, you shall take and go to the place which the LORD chooses. 27And you shall offer your burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, on the altar of the LORD your God; and the blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on the altar of the LORD your God, and you shall eat the flesh. 28Be careful to listen to all these words which I command you, in order that it may be well with you and your sons after you forever, for you will be doing what is good and right in the sight of the LORD your God.
Deu 12:20 I will eat meat This VERB (BDB 37, KB 46) is repeated three times:
1. Qal COHORTATIVE
2. Qal INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT
3. Qal IMPERFECT
If they desire to eat meat in the Promised Land they may surely do it:
1. right kind of meat (Deu 12:17; Deu 12:22)
2. killed at the right place (Deu 12:15; Deu 12:18; Deu 12:21; Deu 12:27)
3. killed in the right way (Deu 12:16; Deu 12:23-25)
Deu 12:23 be sure This VERB (BDB 304, KB 302, Qal IMPERATIVE) means be strong (cf. Deu 31:6-7; Deu 31:23) in the sense of firmly refrain from something (cf. 1Ch 28:7).
Deu 12:26 holy things This refers to the things mentioned in Deu 12:17.
Deu 12:28 Be careful This VERB (BDB 1036, KB 1581, Qal IMPERATIVE) is used repeatedly in Deuteronomy (cf. Deu 4:9; Deu 4:15; Deu 4:23; Deu 6:12; Deu 8:11; Deu 11:16; Deu 12:13; Deu 12:19; Deu 12:28; Deu 12:30; Deu 15:9; Deu 24:8) to encourage obedience to YHWH’s covenant.
in order that it may be well with you and your sons after you forever The VERB (BDB 405, KB 408, Qal IMPERFECT) is used several times in Deuteronomy (cf. Deu 4:40; Deu 5:16; Deu 5:29; Deu 5:33; Deu 6:3; Deu 6:18; Deu 12:25; Deu 12:28; Deu 22:7) and in Jeremiah (cf. Jer 7:23; Jer 38:20; Jer 42:6) and refers to the blessed, happy, wholesome life of YHWH’s people. Again, covenant obedience is linked to blessing and longevity in the land. This total obedience is admonished to successive generations i.e., forever). See Special Topic: Forever (‘Olam) .
for you will be doing what is good and right
1. good BDB 373 II
a. in God’s eyes, Deu 6:18; Deu 13:18; 2Ch 14:2
b. in man’s eyes, Jos 9:25; Jdg 19:24; Jer 26:14
2. right BDB 449, same as above, but also Deu 12:25; Deu 13:18; 1Ki 11:38; 1Ki 14:8; 1Ki 15:11; 1Ki 22:43; 2Ki 12:2 (for a parallel to 1. b. above, see Deu 12:8).
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
as = according as.
thy soul = thyself. Hebrew. nephesh.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
shall: 1Ch 4:10
as he hath: Deu 11:24, Deu 19:8, Gen 15:18-21, Gen 28:14, Exo 23:31, Exo 34:24
I will: Deu 12:15, Gen 31:30, Num 11:4, Num 11:20, Num 11:34, 2Sa 13:39, 2Sa 23:15, Psa 63:1, Psa 84:2, Psa 107:9, Psa 119:20, Psa 119:40, Psa 119:174, 2Co 9:14, Phi 1:8, Phi 2:26
Reciprocal: Lev 17:3 – that killeth an Deu 14:26 – thy soul
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Deu 12:20-21. Enlarge thy border Which will make it impossible to bring all the cattle thou usest to the tabernacle. If the place be too far Being obliged to carry their sacrifices to the place of worship, they might think themselves obliged to carry their other cattle thither to be killed. They are therefore released from all such obligations, and left at liberty to kill them at home whether they lived nearer that place, or farther from it; only the latter is here mentioned, as being the matter of the scruple. As I have commanded In such a manner as the blood may be poured forth.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The laws just given were to remain in force even though God would enlarge Israel’s territory after the nation entered the land. This enlargement would take place as the Israelites gradually drove the Canaanites out (Deu 7:22). It would come to them as God would give them additional territory as a reward for faithful obedience to Him (Exo 23:27-33).