Bible Strands

Deuteronomy 12:8

You are not to do as we are doing here today, where everyone does what seems right in his own eyes.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses addresses the Israelites on the eastern side of the Jordan, contrasting their current wilderness wanderings with the future settled life in the land God is about to give them.

The words — לֹא (lo') = not and עֹשִׂים ('o.Sim) = doing anchor the prohibition against adopting the decentralized conduct of the wilderness generation.

The thread — This pattern surfaces in Judges 17:6 and Judges 21:25 as the defining mark of the pre-monarchic era, and is echoed in Proverbs 21:2 where human self-approval is contrasted with divine examination.

Why it lands — The text commands Israel to abandon the wilderness habit of autonomous decision-making before they enter the inheritance. Readers must submit personal judgment to the centralized worship and law God will establish in the land.

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

לֹ֣אlo'notתַעֲשׂ֔וּןta.'a.Su/nyou must do/ !כְּ֠כֹלKe./kholaccording to/ allאֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.Sherthatאֲנַ֧חְנוּ'a.Nach.nuweעֹשִׂ֛ים'o.Sim[are] doingפֹּ֖הpohhereהַיּ֑וֹםhai./Yomthis/ dayאִ֖ישׁ'isheveryoneכָּל־kol-allהַיָּשָׁ֥רhai./ya.Sharthe/ rightבְּעֵינָֽיו׃be./'ei.Na/vin/ own eyes/ his

King James Version

Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes.

Cross-references