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 decrees and regulations you must be careful to obey when you live in the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. You must obey them as long as you live. “When you drive out the nations that live there, you must destroy all the places where they worship their gods—high on the mountains, up on the hills, and under every green tree. 3Break down their altars and smash their sacred pillars. Burn their Asherah poles and cut down their carved idols. Completely erase the names of their gods! 4“Do not worship the Lord your God in the way these pagan peoples worship their gods.

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• Ye shall utterlyאָבַד'âbad · to perishH6
• all the placesמָקוֹםmâqôm mâqôm meqômâh meqômâh · placeH4725
• wherein the nationsגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
• whichאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• ye shall possessיָרַשׁyârash yârêsh · to possess: takeH3423
• servedעָבַד‛âbad · to serve: ministerH5647
• their godsאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• upon the highרוּםrûm · to exaltH7311
• mountainsהַרhar · mountain: mountH2022
• and upon the hillsגִּבְעָהgib‛âh · hillH1389
• and under every greenרַעֲנָןra‛ănân · luxuriantH7488
• treeעֵץ‛êts · treeH6086

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 12:2

• Deuteronomy 7:5This is what you must do. You must break down their pagan altars and shatter their sacred pillars. Cut down their Asherah poles and burn their idols.
• Exodus 23:24You must not worship the gods of these nations or serve them in any way or imitate their evil practices. Instead, you must utterly destroy them and smash their sacred pillars.
• Exodus 34:12“Be very careful never to make a treaty with the people who live in the land where you are going. If you do, you will follow their evil ways and be trapped.
• Numbers 33:51“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel: When you cross the Jordan River into the land of Canaan,
• Judges 2:2For your part, you were not to make any covenants with the people living in this land; instead, you were to destroy their altars. But you disobeyed my command. Why did you do this?
• Numbers 22:41The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth-baal. From there he could see some of the people of Israel spread out below him.
• 2 Kings 16:4He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the pagan shrines and on the hills and under every green tree.
• 2 Kings 17:10They set up sacred pillars and Asherah poles at the top of every hill and under every green tree.
• 2 Kings 23:13The king also desecrated the pagan shrines east of Jerusalem, to the south of the Mount of Corruption, where King Solomon of Israel had built shrines for Ashtoreth, the detestable goddess of the Sidonians; and for Chemosh, the detestable god of the Moabites; and for Molech, the vile god of the Ammonites.
• Jeremiah 3:6During the reign of King Josiah, the Lord said to me, “Have you seen what fickle Israel has done? Like a wife who commits adultery, Israel has worshiped other gods on every hill and under every green tree.
• Ezekiel 20:28for when I brought them into the land I had promised them, they offered sacrifices on every high hill and under every green tree they saw! They roused my fury as they offered up sacrifices to their gods. They brought their perfumes and incense and poured out their liquid offerings to them.
• Hosea 4:13They offer sacrifices to idols on the mountaintops. They go up into the hills to burn incense in the pleasant shade of oaks, poplars, and terebinth trees. “That is why your daughters turn to prostitution, 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