Deuteronomy 14:24

But if the distance is too great for you to carry that with which the LORD your God has blessed you, because the place where the LORD your God will choose to put His Name is too far away,

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses addresses the Israelites on the plains of Moab, detailing covenant regulations for tithes before they cross the Jordan. The verse operates as a logistical exception clause within the broader tithe law.

The words — The phrase יִרְבֶּה הַדֶּרֶךְ (yirbeh haderekh) literally renders "the journey will be great," while תּוּכַל שְׂאֵת (tukhal se'et) means "you will be able to carry." These terms establish the physical constraint that triggers the legal provision.

The thread — The text parallels the distance exception in Deuteronomy 12:21 and reinforces the centralized worship mandate of Deuteronomy 12:5. The geographic limitation implicitly aligns with the territorial boundaries outlined in Exodus 23:31.

Why it lands — The verse states that physical impossibility does not nullify the tithe obligation, but rather redirects its fulfillment to a monetary exchange. It requires the reader to measure logistical reality and execute the prescribed alternative without abandoning the command.

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

King James Version

And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the Lord thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the Lord thy God hath blessed thee:

Cross-references

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.
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 23:31 And I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the Euphrates. For I will deliver the inhabitants into your hand, and you will drive them out before you.
Deuteronomy 11:24 Every place where the sole of your foot treads will be yours. Your territory will extend from the wilderness to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the Western Sea.