Amplified Bible
Deuteronomy 12:15
15“However, you may slaughter and eat meat within any of your [city] gates, whatever you wish, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you [as His generous provision for daily life]. The [ceremonially] unclean and the clean may eat it, such as the gazelle and the deer.
Deuteronomy 12:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Notwithstanding thou mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy gates, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee: the unclean and the clean may eat thereof, as of the roebuck, and as of the hart.
- New International Version (NIV)Nevertheless, you may slaughter your animals in any of your towns and eat as much of the meat as you want, as if it were gazelle or deer, according to the blessing the Lord your God gives you. Both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat it.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"However, you may slaughter and eat meat within any of your towns, as much as you desire, according to the blessing of the Lord your God that he has given you. The unclean and the clean may eat of it, as of the gazelle and as of the deer.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“However, you may slaughter and eat meat within all your gates, whatever your heart desires, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you; the unclean and the clean may eat of it, of the gazelle and the deer alike.
Context of Deuteronomy 12:15
13“Be careful that you do not offer your burnt offerings in every [cultic] place you see, 14but [only] in the place which the Lord will choose in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do everything that I am commanding you. “However, you may slaughter and eat meat within any of your [city] gates, whatever you wish, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you [as His generous provision for daily life]. The [ceremonially] unclean and the clean may eat it, such as the gazelle and the deer. 16Only you shall not eat the blood; you are to pour it out on the ground like water. 17You are forbidden to eat within your [city] gates the tithe of your grain or new wine or oil, or the firstborn of your herd or flock, or any of your votive offerings, or your freewill offerings, or the contribution of your hand.
Read all of Deuteronomy 12Deuteronomy 12:15 word by word
רַק֩ בְּכָל־אַוַּ֨ת נַפְשְׁךָ֜ תִּזְבַּ֣ח׀ וְאָכַלְתָּ֣ בָשָׂ֗ר כְּבִרְכַּ֨ת יְהוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָֽתַן־לְךָ֖ בְּכָל־שְׁעָרֶ֑יךָ הַטָּמֵ֤א וְהַטָּהוֹר֙ יֹאכְלֶ֔נּוּ כַּצְּבִ֖י וְכָאַיָּֽל׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Notwithstanding thou mayest killזָבַחzâbach · to sacrificeH2076
- and eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- fleshבָּשָׂרbâώâr · fleshH1320
- in all thy gatesשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gate: townH8179
- whatsoever thy soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: myselfH5315
- lusteth afterאַוָּה'avvâh · desireH185
- according to the blessingבְּרָכָהberâkâh · blessingH1293
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- thy Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- which he hath givenנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- thee: the uncleanטָמֵאţâmê' · uncleanH2931
- and the cleanטָהוֹרţâhôr ţâhôr · pureH2889
- thereof, as of the roebuckצְבִיtsebîy · gazelleH6643
- and as of the hartאַיָּל'ayâl · deerH354
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 12:15
- Deuteronomy 14:26You may spend the money for anything your heart desires: for oxen, or sheep, or wine, or [other] strong drink, or anything else you want. You shall eat there in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice, you and your household.
- Deuteronomy 12:21If the place which the Lord your God chooses to put His Name (Presence) is too far away from you, then you may slaughter [animals] from your herd or flock which the Lord has given you, just as I have commanded you; and you may eat within your [city] gates whatever you wish.
- Deuteronomy 14:5the deer, the gazelle, the roebuck, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope and the mountain sheep.
- Deuteronomy 15:22You shall eat it within your [city] gates; the [ceremonially] unclean and the clean alike may eat it, as [if it were] a gazelle or a deer.
- Leviticus 17:3“Any man from the house of Israel who kills an ox or lamb or goat in the camp, or kills it outside the camp
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 12:15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Thou mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy gates - With the proviso that the blood be poured out on the ground. The blood should not be eaten. It should be poured out by way of sacrifice. I think this is the meaning; and not that they should pour out the blood with as little ceremony and respect as they poured water upon the ground, which is the meaning according to Calmet and others. The roebuck, and - the hart - It is very likely that by צבי tsebi the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15While 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.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-32Verses 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…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15whenever you want, you may slaughter and eat meat: This means animals for eating, not for ceremonial sacrifice. ceremonially clean and unclean: They could slaughter animals for food without purification ceremonies needed for sacrificial animals.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. 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…Read the comment
Topics related to Deuteronomy 12:15
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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