Deuteronomy 12:7

There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your households shall eat and rejoice in all you do, because the LORD your God has blessed you.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses addresses Israel on the plains of Moab, directing them to centralize their worship and offerings at the location the LORD will choose.

The words — שָ֗ם (Sham, "there") and לִ/פְנֵי (li/f.Nei, "before") establish the fixed location and proximity required for the gathering.

The thread — The command to eat in the presence of the LORD at the chosen place recurs in Deuteronomy 12:18 and Deuteronomy 14:26.

Why it lands — The text mandates consuming offerings together in God's presence as a direct result of His blessing, demanding centralized obedience over individual discretion.

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

וַאֲכַלְתֶּם־va./'a.khal.tem-and/ you will eat שָׁ֗םShamthere לִפְנֵי֙li/f.Nei<to>/ before יְהוָ֣הYah.wehYahweh אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם'e.lo.hei./KhemGod/ your וּשְׂמַחְתֶּ֗םu./se.mach.Temand/ you will rejoice בְּכֹל֙be./Kholin/ every מִשְׁלַ֣חmish.Lach<the> undertaking of יֶדְכֶ֔םyed./Khemhand/ your אַתֶּ֖ם'a.Temyou וּבָתֵּיכֶ֑םu./va.tei./Khemand/ households/ your אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.Sherwhich בֵּֽרַכְךָ֖be.rakh./Khahe has blessed/ you יְהוָ֥הYah.wehYahweh אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃'e.lo.Hei./khaGod/ your

King James Version

And there ye shall eat before the Lord your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the Lord thy God hath blessed thee.

Cross-references

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,
Leviticus 23:40 On the first day you are to gather the fruit of majestic trees, the branches of palm trees, and the boughs of leafy trees and of willows of the brook. And you are to rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days.
Deuteronomy 14:26 Then you may spend the money on anything you desire: cattle, sheep, wine, strong drink, or anything you wish. You are to feast there in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice with your household.
Deuteronomy 12:12 And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levite within your gates, since he has no portion or inheritance among you.
Psalms 128:1 A song of ascents. Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in His ways!
Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
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 15:20 Each year you and your household are to eat it before the LORD your God in the place the LORD will choose.
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 27:7 There you are to sacrifice your peace offerings, eating them and rejoicing in the presence of the LORD your God.