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.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses relays God’s command to the Israelites regarding the annual tithe, situated within the broader pre-entry instructions for centralized worship in Deuteronomy 14:22–24.

The words — The text specifies וְ/אָכַלְתָּ֞ (ve./'a.khal.Ta), meaning "and you will eat," and יִבְחַר֮ (yiv.Char), meaning "he will choose," to describe the required consumption of the tithe at the location God selects for His Name.

The thread — This directive aligns with Deuteronomy 12:5 regarding the place God will choose as a dwelling, contrasts with Deuteronomy 12:17 which prohibits eating the tithe within local gates, and echoes Deuteronomy 4:10’s emphasis on standing before God.

Why it lands — The instruction requires bringing agricultural and livestock tithes to the central sanctuary for communal consumption, establishing a regular, location-specific practice of reverence before God.

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

וְאָכַלְתָּ֞ve./'a.khal.Taand/ you will eat לִפְנֵ֣י׀li/f.Nei<to>/ before יְהוָ֣הYah.wehYahweh אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ'e.lo.Hei./khaGod/ your בַּמָּק֣וֹםba./ma.Komin the/ place אֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-where יִבְחַר֮yiv.Charhe will choose לְשַׁכֵּ֣ןle./sha.Kento/ cause to dwell שְׁמ֣וֹshe.M/oname/ his שָׁם֒shamthere מַעְשַׂ֤רma'.Sar[the] tithe of דְּגָֽנְךָ֙de.ga.ne./Khagrain/ your תִּֽירֹשְׁךָ֣ti.ro.she./Khanew wine/ your וְיִצְהָרֶ֔ךָve./yitz.ha.Re./khaand/ fresh oil/ your וּבְכֹרֹ֥תu./ve.kho.Rotand/ [the] firstborn<s> of בְּקָרְךָ֖be.ka.re./Chaherd/ your וְצֹאנֶ֑ךָve./tzo.Ne./khaand/ flock/ your לְמַ֣עַןle.Ma.'anso that תִּלְמַ֗דtil.Madyou may learn לְיִרְאָ֛הle./yir.'Ahto/ fear אֶת־'et-<obj.>יְהוָ֥הYah.wehYahweh אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ'e.lo.Hei./khaGod/ your כָּל־kol-all הַיָּמִֽים׃hai./ya.Mimthe/ days

King James Version

And thou shalt eat before the Lord thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the Lord thy God always.

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.
Deuteronomy 4:10 The day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, the LORD said to me, “Gather the people before Me to hear My words, so that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach them to their children.”
Deuteronomy 12:17 Within your gates you must not eat the tithe of your grain or new wine or oil, the firstborn of your herds or flocks, any of the offerings that you have vowed to give, or your freewill offerings or special gifts.
Deuteronomy 15:19 You must set apart to the LORD your God every firstborn male produced by your herds and flocks. You are not to put the firstborn of your oxen to work, nor are you to shear the firstborn of your flock.