Deuteronomy 12:21

If the place where the LORD your God chooses to put His Name is too far from you, then you may slaughter any of the herd or flock He has given you, as I have commanded you, and you may eat it within your gates whenever you want.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses addresses the Israelites on the plains of Moab, prescribing worship regulations as they prepare to occupy the expanded territory. The instruction applies to all households settling beyond walking distance from the central sanctuary.

The words — The passage relies on יִרְחַ֨ק (yir.Chak), meaning “it will be far,” and הַ/מָּק֗וֹם (ha./ma.Kom), meaning “the place.” These terms mark a geographic boundary that triggers a specific legal exception.

The thread — The directive connects to the repeated command to seek the single location Yahweh chooses for His Name (Deuteronomy 12:5; Deuteronomy 12:11) and the earlier wilderness provision for earth altars (Exodus 20:24). The text moves from mobile worship structures to a fixed central sanctuary while allowing localized consumption.

Why it lands — The text states that distant residents may slaughter herd or flock animals for food without bringing them to the sanctuary. It requires readers to separate routine meat consumption from formal sacrificial obligations while maintaining centralized worship authority.

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

כִּֽי־ki-if יִרְחַ֨קyir.Chakit will be [too] far מִמְּךָ֜mi.me./Khafor/ you הַמָּק֗וֹםha./ma.Komthe/ place אֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.Sherwhere יִבְחַ֜רyiv.Charhe will choose יְהוָ֣הYah.wehYahweh אֱלֹהֶיךָ֮'e.lo.hei./KhaGod/ your לָשׂ֣וּםla./Sumto/ put שְׁמ֣וֹshe.M/oname/ his שָׁם֒shamthere וְזָבַחְתָּ֞ve./za.vach.Taand/ you will slaughter מִבְּקָרְךָ֣mi./be.ka.re./Chasome of/ herd/ your וּמִצֹּֽאנְךָ֗u./mi./tzo.ne./Khaand/ some of/ flock/ your אֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.Sherwhich נָתַ֤ןna.Tanhe has given יְהוָה֙Yah.wehYahwehלְךָ֔le./Khato/ youכַּאֲשֶׁ֖רka./'a.Sherjust/ as צִוִּיתִ֑ךָtzi.vi.Ti./khaI commanded/ you וְאָֽכַלְתָּ֙ve./'a.khal.Taand/ you will eat בִּשְׁעָרֶ֔יךָbi/sh.'a.Rei./khain/ gates/ your בְּכֹ֖לbe./Kholin/ all אַוַּ֥ת'a.Vat[the] desire of נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃naf.She./khaself/ your

King James Version

If the place which the Lord thy God hath chosen to put his name there be too far from thee, then thou shalt kill of thy herd and of thy flock, which the Lord hath given thee, as I have commanded thee, and thou shalt eat in thy gates whatsoever thy soul lusteth after.

Cross-references

Deuteronomy 12:5 Instead, you must seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to establish as a dwelling for His Name, and there you must go.
Exodus 20:24 You are to make for Me an altar of earth, and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and peace offerings, your sheep and goats and cattle. In every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you.
Deuteronomy 12:11 then the LORD your God will choose a dwelling for His Name. And there you are to bring everything I command you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, and all the choice offerings you vow to the LORD.
Deuteronomy 12:15 But whenever you want, you may slaughter and eat meat within any of your gates, according to the blessing the LORD your God has given you. Both the ceremonially clean and unclean may eat it as they would a gazelle or deer,
Deuteronomy 14:23 And you are to eat a tenth of your grain, new wine, and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks, in the presence of the LORD your God at the place He will choose as a dwelling for His Name, so that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always.
Deuteronomy 16:6 You must only offer the Passover sacrifice at the place the LORD your God will choose as a dwelling for His Name. Do this in the evening as the sun sets, at the same time you departed from Egypt.
Deuteronomy 16:11 and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God in the place He will choose as a dwelling for His Name—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levite within your gates, as well as the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widows among you.
Deuteronomy 26:2 you are to take some of the firstfruits of all your produce from the soil of the land that the LORD your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go to the place the LORD your God will choose as a dwelling for His Name,
1 Kings 14:21 Meanwhile, Rehoboam son of Solomon reigned in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the LORD had chosen from all the tribes of Israel in which to put His Name. His mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonite.
2 Chronicles 12:13 Thus King Rehoboam established himself in Jerusalem and reigned. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the LORD had chosen from all the tribes of Israel in which to put His Name. His mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonite.