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.

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — Moses instructs Israel on the plains of Moab to bring their festival celebration to the central sanctuary during the Feast of Weeks. The words — The text commands וְ/שׂמַחְתָּ (ve./sa.mach.Ta) to "rejoice" and לִ/פְנֵי יְהוָה (li/f.Nei Yah.weh) "before the LORD," anchoring the command to a specific location and posture. The thread — This directive to gather at the chosen dwelling place appears in Deuteronomy 12:7, Deuteronomy 12:12, and Deuteronomy 12:18. Why it lands — The verse explicitly names you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widows as required participants in the celebration.

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

וְשָׂמַחְתָּ֞ve./sa.mach.Taand/ you will rejoice לִפְנֵ֣י׀li/f.Nei<to>/ before יְהוָ֣הYah.wehYahweh אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ'e.lo.Hei./khaGod/ your אַתָּ֨ה'a.Tahyou וּבִנְךָ֣u./vin./Khaand/ son/ your וּבִתֶּךָ֮u./vi.te./Khaand/ daughter/ your וְעַבְדְּךָ֣ve./'av.de./Khaand/ [male] servant/ your וַאֲמָתֶךָ֒va./'a.ma.te./Khaand/ female servant/ your וְהַלֵּוִי֙ve./ha./le.Viand/ the/ Levite אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.Sherwho בִּשְׁעָרֶ֔יךָbi/sh.'a.Rei./kha[is] in/ gates/ your וְהַגֵּ֛רve./ha./Gerand/ the/ sojourner וְהַיָּת֥וֹםve./hai./ya.Tomand/ the/ fatherless one וְהָאַלְמָנָ֖הve./ha./'al.ma.Nahand/ the/ widow אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.Sherwho בְּקִרְבֶּ֑ךָbe./kir.Be./cha[are] in/ midst/ your בַּמָּק֗וֹםba./ma.Komin the/ place אֲשֶׁ֤ר'a.Sherwhere יִבְחַר֙yiv.Charhe will choose יְהוָ֣הYah.wehYahweh אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ'e.lo.Hei./khaGod/ your לְשַׁכֵּ֥ןle./sha.Kento/ cause to dwell שְׁמ֖וֹshe.M/oname/ his שָֽׁם׃Shamthere

King James Version

And thou shalt rejoice before the Lord thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are among you, in the place which the Lord thy God hath chosen to place his name there.

Cross-references

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.
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.
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,
Deuteronomy 16:14 And you shall rejoice in your feast—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levite, as well as the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widows among you.
Isaiah 64:5 You welcome those who gladly do right, who remember Your ways. Surely You were angry, for we sinned. How can we be saved if we remain in our sins?
Isaiah 66:10 Be glad for Jerusalem and rejoice over her, all who love her. Rejoice greatly with her, all who mourn over her,
Habakkuk 3:18 yet I will exult in the LORD; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!
Romans 5:11 Not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
2 Corinthians 1:24 Not that we lord it over your faith, but we are fellow workers with you for your joy, because it is by faith that you stand firm.
Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!