Bible Strands

Deuteronomy 12:18

Instead, you must eat them in the presence of the LORD your God at the place the LORD your God will choose—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levite within your gates. Rejoice before the LORD your God in all you do,

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses instructs Israel to cease consuming tithes and firstborn offerings within their local settlements and instead bring them to the central sanctuary. This command transitions the community from decentralized worship to a unified gathering point.

The words — לִפְנֵי (lifnei) means "before" or "in the presence of," and תֹאכְלֶנּוּ (tokhelennu) translates to "you will eat it." These terms anchor the verse's core action: consuming the offerings specifically in Yahweh's presence at the designated location.

The thread — The directive to eat offerings before the LORD at a chosen place appears in Deuteronomy 12:7 and Deuteronomy 14:23. The warning regarding the Levites in the following verse echoes the inclusion of Levites in this communal meal.

Why it lands — The text commands the people, their households, servants, and local Levites to eat tithes and firstborns at the central sanctuary rather than in their own towns. It requires the community to gather for a shared meal and actively rejoice before God in their actions.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

כִּ֡יkithatאִם־'im-exceptלִפְנֵי֩li/f.Nei<to>/ beforeיְהוָ֨הYah.wehYahwehאֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ'e.lo.Hei./khaGod/ yourתֹּאכְלֶ֗נּוּto.khe.Le./nuyou will eat/ itבַּמָּקוֹם֙ba./ma.kOmin the/ placeאֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.Sherwhichיִבְחַ֜רyiv.Charhe will chooseיְהוָ֣הYah.wehYahwehאֱלֹהֶיךָ֮'e.lo.hei./KhaGod/ yourבּוֹ֒b/o<in>/ itאַתָּ֨ה'a.Tahyouוּבִנְךָ֤u./vin./Khaand/ son/ yourוּבִתֶּ֙ךָ֙u./vi.Te./khaand/ daughter/ yourוְעַבְדְּךָ֣ve./'av.de./Khaand/ [male] servant/ yourוַאֲמָתֶ֔ךָva./'a.ma.Te./khaand/ female servant/ yourוְהַלֵּוִ֖יve./ha./le.Viand/ the/ Leviteאֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.Sherwhoבִּשְׁעָרֶ֑יךָbi/sh.'a.Rei./kha[is] in/ gates/ yourוְשָׂמַחְתָּ֗ve./sa.mach.Taand/ you will rejoiceלִפְנֵי֙li/f.Nei<to>/ beforeיְהוָ֣הYah.wehYahwehאֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ'e.lo.Hei./khaGod/ yourבְּכֹ֖לbe./Kholin/ everyמִשְׁלַ֥חmish.Lach<the> undertaking ofיָדֶֽךָ׃ya.De./khahand/ your

King James Version

But thou must eat them before the Lord thy God in the place which the Lord thy God shall choose, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates: and thou shalt rejoice before the Lord thy God in all that thou puttest thine hands unto.

Cross-references