Deuteronomy 12:2

Deuteronomy 12:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree:
• New International Version (NIV)Destroy completely all the places on the high mountains, on the hills and under every spreading tree, where the nations you are dispossessing worship their gods.
• English Standard Version (ESV)You shall surely destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree.
• New King James Version (NKJV)You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations which you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree.

Context of Deuteronomy 12:2

1These are the statutes and ordinances, which ye shall take heed to do in the land, which Jehovah the God of thy fathers is giving thee to possess it, all the days that ye live upon the earth. Ye shall utterly destroy all the places wherein the nations which ye shall dispossess have served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree; 3and ye shall break down their altars, and shatter their statues, and burn their Asherahs with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and ye shall destroy the names of them out of that place. 4Ye shall not do so unto Jehovah your God;

Deuteronomy 12:2 word by word

אַבֵּ֣ד תְּ֠אַבְּדוּן אֶֽת־כָּל־הַמְּקֹמ֞וֹת אֲשֶׁ֧ר עָֽבְדוּ־שָׁ֣ם הַגּוֹיִ֗ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַתֶּ֛ם יֹרְשִׁ֥ים אֹתָ֖ם אֶת־אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֑ם עַל־הֶהָרִ֤ים הָֽרָמִים֙ וְעַל־הַגְּבָע֔וֹת וְתַ֖חַת כָּל־עֵ֥ץ רַעֲנָן׃Read the interlinear

• destroyאָבַד'âbad · to perishH6
• placesמָקוֹםmâqôm mâqôm meqômâh meqômâh · placeH4725
• nationsגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
• dispossessיָרַשׁyârash yârêsh · to possess: takeH3423
• servedעָבַד‛âbad · to serveH5647
• godsאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• highרוּםrûm · to exaltH7311
• mountainsהַרhar · mountain: mountH2022
• hillsגִּבְעָהgib‛âh · hillH1389
• treeעֵץ‛êts · treeH6086

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 12:2

• Deuteronomy 7:5But thus shall ye deal with them: ye shall break down their altars, and shatter their statues, and hew down their Asherahs, and burn their graven images with fire.
• Exodus 23:24Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their deeds; but thou shalt utterly destroy them, and utterly shatter their statues.
• Exodus 34:12Take heed to thyself, that thou make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land to which thou shalt come, lest it be a snare in the midst of thee;
• Numbers 33:51Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye pass over Jordan into the land of Canaan,
• Judges 2:2ye shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not hearkened unto my voice. Why have ye done this?
• Numbers 22:41And it came to pass on the morrow, that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up to the high places of Baal, and he saw from thence the extremity of the people.
• 2 Kings 16:4And he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.
• 2 Kings 17:10And they set them up columns and Asherahs on every high hill and under every green tree;
• 2 Kings 23:13And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile.
• Jeremiah 3:6And Jehovah said unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen what backsliding Israel hath done? She hath gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath committed fornication.
• Ezekiel 20:28When I had brought them into the land which I had lifted up my hand to give unto them, then they saw every high hill and all the thick trees, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering; and there they placed their sweet savour, and there poured out their drink-offerings.
• Hosea 4:13they sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oak and poplar and terebinth, because the shade thereof is good; therefore your daughters play the harlot and your daughters-in-law commit adultery.

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 12:2

• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2green tree: The Canaanites used groups of trees as places for worship. They chose these trees because their green leaves showed fertility and life. Sometimes the trees were made into wooden poles set in the ground. These poles were used to honor the mother goddess, Asherah (see 7:5).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods--This divine command was founded on the tendencies of human nature; for to remove out of sight everything that had been associated with idolatry, that it might never be spoken of and no vestige of it remain, was the only effectual way to keep the Israelites from temptations to it. It is observable that Moses does not make any mention of temples, for…Read the comment

Topics related to Deuteronomy 12:2

• Iconoclasm
• Mountain

In the dictionaries

• High place
• Idolatry
• Lust
• Rest
• Atonement, Day of
• Color; Colors
• Criticism
• Deuteronomy
• Elijah
• Exodus, the Book of

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