Deuteronomy 12:18

18 but ¹you shall eat them before the LORD your God in ²the place that the LORD your God will choose, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, and the Levite who is within your towns. And ³you shall rejoice before the LORD your God in all that you undertake.

Deuteronomy 12:18 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 12:18

But thou must eat them before the Lord thy God, in the place
which the Lord thy God shall choose
Which may be said to be eaten before him, being eaten in the place where his sanctuary stood, in which he dwelt:

thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy
maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates;
who were all to come with him to this place; (See Gill on Deuteronomy 12:12)

and thou shalt rejoice before the Lord thy God in all that thou puttest
thine hand unto;
cheerfully make and keep this feast in the manner directed to, rejoicing with his family and his friends, with the Levites and with the poor, expressing his thankfulness to God for his blessing on his labour.

Deuteronomy 12:18 In-Context

16 Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it out on the earth like water.

17 You may not eat within your towns the tithe of your grain or of your wine or of your oil, or the firstborn of your herd or of your flock, or any of your vow offerings that you vow, or your freewill offerings or the contribution that you present,

18 but you shall eat them before the LORD your God in the place that the LORD your God will choose, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, and the Levite who is within your towns. And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God in all that you undertake.

19 Take care that you do not neglect the Levite as long as you live in your land.

20 "When the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as he has promised you, and you say, 'I will eat meat,' because you crave meat, you may eat meat whenever you desire.

Cross References

• 1. [See ver. 7 above]
• 2. [See ver. 5 above]
• 3. [See ver. 7 above]