Deuteronomy 12:17

12:5-32 The command to bring ALL the sacrifices to the door of the tabernacle, was now explained with reference to the promised land. As to moral service, then, as now, men might pray and worship every where, as they did in their synagogues. The place which God would choose, is said to be the place where he would put his name. It was to be his habitation, where, as King of Israel, he would be found by all who reverently sought him. Now, under the gospel, we have no temple or altar that sanctifies the gift but Christ only: and as to the places of worship, the prophets foretold that in every place the spiritual incense should be offered, Mal 1:11. Our Saviour declared, that those are accepted as true worshippers, who worship God in sincerity and truth, without regard either to this mountain or Jerusalem, Joh 4:21. And a devout Israelite might honour God, keep up communion with him, and obtain mercy from him, though he had no opportunity of bringing a sacrifice to his altar. Work for God should be done with holy joy and cheerfulness. Even children and servants must rejoice before God; the services of religion are to be a pleasure, and not a task or drudgery. It is the duty of people to be kind to their ministers, who teach them well, and set them good examples. As long as we live, we need their assistance, till we come to that world where ordinances will not be needed. Whether we eat or drink, or whatever we do, we are commanded to do all to the glory of God.

Verses 17-19. - (Cf. vers. 6, 7, 12.) Thou mayest not eat ; literally, thou art not able to eat ; i . e . there is a legal inability to this. So the verb to be able ( יָכֹל ) is frequently used (cf. Genesis 43 ; Numbers 9:6 ; Deuteronomy 16:5 ; Deuteronomy 17:15 , etc.). Deuteronomy 12:17

Thou mayest not eat within thy gates the {l} 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 freewill offerings, or heave offering of thine hand: (l) Meaning, whatever was offered to the Lord, may not be eaten, except where he had appointed.

Thou; either, 1. Thou, O Levite ; or rather, 2. Thou, O Israelite , whom he distinguisheth from the Levite, Deu 12:18 , accordingly as the following particulars agree to the one or to the other of you. Within thy gates, i.e. in your private habitations, here opposed to the place of God’s worship, Deu 12:18 . The tithe of thy corn, or of thy wine, or of thy oil. Here seems to be a great difficulty, not yet sufficiently observed nor cleared by interpreters. There were divers kinds of tithes: 1. The tithes given to the Levites out of all, of which Numbers 18:21,24 Deu 14:22 Nehemiah 10:31 . 2. The tithe of those tithes, which were to be given by the Levites to the priests, of which Numbers 18:21,24 Deu 14:29 Nehemiah 10:37 . 3. The third year’s tithe, of which Deu 14:28 . To which some add another tithe, which they call the second tithe , which they say was taken after the Levites’ tithe was laid by. Now each of these hath its difficulty. It seems this place cannot be understood, 1.

Of the Levites’ tithe; partly, because it might seem a great and wholly superfluous trouble to carry all their tithes up to Jerusalem, and to carry them back to their several habitations for their use; partly, because those were holy to the Lord , Leviticus 27:30 , and not to be eaten by the people, Leviticus 27:31 ; whereas these belonged principally to the people, the Levites being only taken in as accessories to eat with them, as it is here, Deu 12:18 ; and partly, because those might be eaten in every place , as it is expressly affirmed, Numbers 18:31 Nor, 2. Of the tithe of the tithe, which was the priest’s; and neither Levites nor others might eat of it, except they were of or in the priest’s household. Nor, 3. Of the third year’s tithe, because that was to be eaten within their gates , Deu 14:28,29 , as this was not. I do therefore humbly conceive that this is meant of the second tithe, spoken of Deu 14:22 ; and that this was the very same tithe with that third year’s tithe, with this only difference, that in the third year they were to eat them together with the Levites within their gates , Deu 14:28,29 , but in the two first years they were to eat them, together with the Levites also, in the place of God’s worship, as it is prescribed here and Deu 14:23 .

While a stringent injunction is laid down that the old rule (compare Leviticus 17:3 , etc.) must be adhered to as regards animals slain in sacrifice, yet permission is now given to slaughter at home what was necessary for the table. The ceremonial distinctions did not apply in such cases, anymore than to "the roebuck" (or gazelle) "and hart," animals allowed for food but not for sacrifice.

De 12:16-25. Blood Prohibited. 16. 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 (Ge 9:4), and the prohibition was repeatedly renewed by Moses with reference to the great objects of the law (Le 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 (Le 17:13), in opposition to the practice of heathen sportsmen, who left it exposed as an offering to the god of the chase.