Deuteronomy 12:26

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.

And we must do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to the Father through him. They must not even inquire into the modes and forms of idolatrous worship. What good would it do them to know those depths of Satan? And our inward satisfaction will be more and more, as we abound in love and good works, which spring from faith and the in-dwelling Spirit of Christ.

Only thy holy things which thou hast,.... Which the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan interpret of the tithe of their holy things, and Aben Ezra of their burnt offerings and peace offerings; they seem to include all in Deuteronomy 12:17 . and thy vows thou shalt take, and go unto the place which the Lord shall choose; so often referred to, but not named; see Deuteronomy 12:5.

(26) Only thy holy things . . . and thy vows. —The holy things probably mean the firstlings, which were necessarily holy, and must be made burnt offerings ( Deuteronomy 12:6 ). The second tithe was also considered holy. The first tithe, or ordinary provision for the Levites (see Numbers 18), was not considered holy. The vows might be either burnt offerings or peace offerings.

Verses 26, 27. - The holy things ; i . e . the offerings prescribed by the Law; "hallowed things" ( Numbers 18:8 ; cf. Leviticus 21:22 ). Which thou hast ; literally, which are to thee ; i . e . which are binding on thee. Thy burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood ; i . e . the flesh and the blood of the burnt offerings which were to be laid upon the altar ( Leviticus 1:5-9 ). The blood of thy sacrifices ( zebachim ) shall be poured out upon the altar. This refers to the ritual of the shelamim , or peace offering ( Leviticus 3:2, 8, 13 ). The word zebach ( זֶבַה ) is never used in the Pentateuch of an atoning sacrifice (Oehler, 'Theology of the Old Testament,' 2:2); it is used only of such offerings as furnished a sacrificial meal; hence it is added here, and thou shalt eat the flesh. Deuteronomy 12:26

De 12:26-32. Holy Things to Be Eaten in the Holy Place. 26. Only thy holy things which thou hast—The tithes mentioned (De 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 (Le 27:30).

On the promise for doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord, see Deuteronomy 6:18 . - In Deuteronomy 12:26 , Deuteronomy 12:27 , the command to offer all the holy gifts at the place chosen by the Lord is enforced once more, as in Deuteronomy 12:6 , Deuteronomy 12:11 , Deuteronomy 12:17 , Deuteronomy 12:18 ; also to prepare the sacrifices at His altar. קדשׁים, the holy offerings prescribed in the law, as in Numbers 18:8 ; see at Leviticus 21:22 . The "votive offerings" are mentioned in connection with these, because vows proceeded from a spontaneous impulse. לך יהיוּ אשׁר, "which are to thee," are binding upon thee. In v. 27, "the flesh and the blood" are in opposition to "thy burnt-offerings:" "thy burnt-offerings, namely the flesh and blood of them," thou shalt prepare at the altar of Jehovah; i.e., the flesh and blood of the burnt-offerings were to be placed upon and against the altar (see at Leviticus 1:5-9 ). Of the slain-offerings, i.e., the shelamim, the blood was to be poured out against the altar ( Leviticus 3:2 , Leviticus 3:8 , Leviticus 3:13 ); "the flesh thou canst eat" (cf. Leviticus 7:11 .). There is no ground for seeking an antithesis in ישּׁפך, as Knobel does, to the זרק in the sacrificial ritual. The indefinite expression may be explained from the retrospective allusion to Deuteronomy 12:24 and the purely suggestive character of the whole passage, the thing itself being supposed to be sufficiently known from the previous laws.

So without addition Deuteronomy 4:1 , Deuteronomy 11:17 , in the Pl. address, and Deuteronomy 15:7 , Deuteronomy 18:9 , Deuteronomy 26:2 , Deuteronomy 27:2-3 , Deuteronomy 28:8 ; Deuteronomy 28:52 , all passages in the Sg. address. With the addition to possess it as here, Deuteronomy 3:18 ( hath given ), Pl.; Deuteronomy 9:6 , Deuteronomy 12:1 , Deuteronomy 17:14 ( shalt possess ), Deuteronomy 19:14 , all Sg. (except perhaps Deuteronomy 12:1 , which is doubtful). With the addition for an inheritance , Deuteronomy 4:21 , Deuteronomy 15:4 (+ to possess it ), Deuteronomy 19:10 , Deuteronomy 24:4 , Deuteronomy 25:19 , Deuteronomy 26:1 , all Sg. Cp. Deuteronomy 12:10 causeth you , Deuteronomy 19:3 causeth thee, to inherit . Deuteronomy 5:31

13 . then thou shalt say before the Lord thy God ] That is (in accordance with Deuteronomy 26:5; Deuteronomy 26:10 , Deuteronomy 12:7 ; Deuteronomy 12:12 ; Deuteronomy 12:18 , Deuteronomy 14:23 ; Deuteronomy 14:25 f., Deuteronomy 15:20 , Deuteronomy 16:11 , Deuteronomy 19:17 ) at the sanctuary, and probably during the Feast of Booths (so all recent commentators). I have put away ] The same vb. as, in Deuteronomy 13:5 (6), q.v. , Deuteronomy 17:7 , etc., is used for putting away evil things. Equally with them the tithe is taboo , forbidden and dangerous for common use. the hallowed things ] Heb. the ḳodesh , lit. holiness or hallowedness (see above on Deuteronomy 7:6 ), but applied also to the concrete objects or persons set apart for the Deity or (as here) by His command, e.g. the Temple and its contents, the Holy City, sacrifices, etc.; in Deuteronomy 12:26 parallel to vows , here the tithes for the poor, an interesting extension of the idea of ceremonial sacredness; not without its ethical meaning for ourselves. ‘We are commanded to give alms of such things as we have ; and then, and not otherwise, all things are clean to us ’ (M. Henry). out of mine house ] where they had been stored, Deuteronomy 14:28 . all thy commandments ] So Sam., LXX. The anxiety to keep these ritual laws, with a great ethical purpose behind them—viz. the relief of the poor—is very striking. The laws are now detailed:—