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

1“These are the statutes and the judgments which you shall carefully observe in the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess as long as you live on the earth. You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess serve their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. 3You shall tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and burn their Asherim with fire, and you shall cut down the engraved images of their gods and obliterate their name from that place. 4You shall not act like this toward the Lord 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

• You shall utterlyאָבַד'âbad · to perishH6
• allכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
• the placesמָקוֹםmâqôm mâqôm meqômâh meqômâh · placeH4725
• whereאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• whereשָׁםshâm · thereH8033
• the nationsגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
• you shall dispossessיָרַשׁyârash yârêsh · to possess: takeH3423
• serveעָבַד‛âbad · to serve: ministerH5647
• their godsאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• highרוּםrûm · to exaltH7311
• mountainsהַרhar · mountain: mountH2022
• and on the hillsגִּבְעָהgib‛âh · hillH1389
• and underתַּחַתtachath · underneath: underH8478
• greenרַעֲנָןra‛ănân · luxuriantH7488
• treeעֵץ‛êts · treeH6086

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 12:2

• Deuteronomy 7:5But thus you shall do to them: you shall tear down their altars, and smash their sacred pillars, and hew down their Asherim, and burn their graven images with fire.
• Exodus 23:24You shall not worship their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their deeds; but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their sacred pillars in pieces.
• Exodus 34:12Watch yourself that you make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, or it will become a snare in your midst.
• Numbers 33:51“Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you cross over the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
• Judges 2:2and as for you, you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed Me; what is this you have done?
• Numbers 22:41Then it came about in the morning that Balak took Balaam and brought him up to the high places of Baal, and he saw from there a portion of the people.
• 2 Kings 16:4He sacrificed and burned incense on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree.
• 2 Kings 17:10They set for themselves sacred pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree,
• 2 Kings 23:13The high places which were before Jerusalem, which were on the right of the mount of destruction which Solomon the king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the sons of Ammon, the king defiled.
• Jeremiah 3:6Then the Lord said to me in the days of Josiah the king, “Have you seen what faithless Israel did? She went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and she was a harlot there.
• Ezekiel 20:28When I had brought them into the land which I swore to give to them, then they saw every high hill and every leafy tree, and they offered there their sacrifices and there they presented the provocation of their offering. There also they made their soothing aroma and there they poured out their drink offerings.
• Hosea 4:13They offer sacrifices on the tops of the mountains And burn incense on the hills, Under oak, poplar and terebinth, Because their shade is pleasant. Therefore your daughters play the harlot And your brides 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