Deuteronomy 12:15

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

13So be careful! Do not offer your burnt offerings in any place that you choose for yourself. 14Only make offerings to the Lord in the place that he chooses. That will be in the land that belongs to one of your tribes. It is the place where you must do all the things that I am commanding you to do. But you may kill your animals and eat the meat in any of the towns where you live. When the Lord your God blesses you and he gives you animals, you may eat them as often as you want. It is the same as if you are eating meat from deer. Anyone may eat it. That includes people who are clean and people who are unclean. 16But you must not eat the blood of any animal. You must pour it on the ground like water. 17Do not eat any of your offerings to the Lord in the places where you live. Do not eat the tithes that you have taken from your grain, your new wine or your olive oil. Do not eat at home the firstborn animals from your cows, sheep or goats. Do not eat the gifts that you have promised, the gifts that you choose to give or any other special gifts.

Deuteronomy 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 14:26When you arrive there, you can use the money to buy any food that you choose: cows, sheep, wine, beer or anything else. Then you and your family should eat it there. You should enjoy your time together at the Lord's special home.
• Deuteronomy 12:21The place that God chooses as his special home may be far away from you. If it is, you may kill any of the animals that the Lord has given to you. You may eat the meat at your own town, in the way that I have told you.
• Deuteronomy 14:5deer, wild goats, mountain goats, antelopes and wild sheep.
• Deuteronomy 15:22You may eat animals like that at home. It is the same as if you are eating meat from deer. Anyone may eat it. That includes people who are clean and people who are unclean.
• Leviticus 17:3If a person sacrifices a bull, a sheep or a goat in the fields, that is a sin. Or if a person sacrifices it in the camp, that is a sin.

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

• Deer

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Hart
• High place
• Lust
• Rest
• Roe
• Atonement, Day of
• Criticism
• Deer

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