Deuteronomy 12 20

Deuteronomy 12:20 kjv

When the LORD thy God shall enlarge thy border, as he hath promised thee, and thou shalt say, I will eat flesh, because thy soul longeth to eat flesh; thou mayest eat flesh, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after.

Deuteronomy 12:20 nkjv

"When the LORD your God enlarges your border as He has promised you, and you say, 'Let me eat meat,' because you long to eat meat, you may eat as much meat as your heart desires.

Deuteronomy 12:20 niv

When the LORD your God has enlarged your territory as he promised you, and you crave meat and say, "I would like some meat," then you may eat as much of it as you want.

Deuteronomy 12:20 esv

"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.

Deuteronomy 12:20 nlt

"When the LORD your God expands your territory as he has promised, and you have the urge to eat meat, you may freely eat meat whenever you want.

Deuteronomy 12 verses

Deuteronomy 12 20 Meaning

Deuteronomy 12:20 addresses a future scenario once Israel has entered and expanded within the Promised Land, as promised by the Lord. It anticipates the logistical difficulty of bringing every slaughtered animal to the central sanctuary for sacrificial purposes once their territory is vast. The verse grants permission for the Israelites to eat meat purely for sustenance and enjoyment ("because you crave meat"), allowing for the slaughter of animals for food without necessarily offering them as sacrifices at the Lord's chosen place, thereby differentiating between common (profane) slaughter for food and sacred (holy) slaughter for offerings. This acknowledges a natural human desire and provides practical accommodation for daily life in an enlarged territory.

Deuteronomy 12 20 Context

Deuteronomy chapter 12 is foundational to understanding the cultic and practical laws for Israel once they inhabit the Promised Land. The primary theme of the chapter is the establishment of a single, central place of worship chosen by the Lord (Dt 12:5). This mandate served to unify Israel, prevent idolatry, and maintain the purity of their worship by abolishing local Canaanite cult practices (Dt 12:2-4) and pagan altars. Historically, before entering Canaan, while nomadic or living compactly, the Levitical law (Lev 17:3-7) required all meat slaughter, whether for food or sacrifice, to be brought to the tabernacle entrance. This ensured sacrificial propriety and prevented the slaughter of animals to idols in the open fields. However, once Israel would settle the extensive land God promised, bringing every animal for slaughter to a single sanctuary would become impractical and burdensome for daily sustenance, especially for those living far from the central place. Deuteronomy 12:20 addresses this very logistical challenge, offering a gracious provision by allowing "secular" or "profane" slaughter (slaughter for food rather than sacrifice) in their towns, a significant relaxation of previous regulations, reflecting God's foresight and care for the people's practical needs in their new circumstances. This demonstrates a shift from a ritual-centric control over meat to a more common and permissible use of meat.

Deuteronomy 12 20 Word analysis

• When the Lord your God enlarges your territory:

  • Lord your God: (יהוה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, YHWH Eloheykha). Emphasizes the covenant relationship and God as the sovereign bestower of the land.
  • enlarges (rachab, רָחַב): Means to expand, make wide, spacious. Implies not just taking possession but expanding beyond their initial settlements. This word highlights the progressive fulfillment of the land promise. It is an act of God, a divine blessing and fulfillment of covenant.
  • your territory: Refers to the boundaries of the land Israel will occupy. The expansion is directly tied to God's faithfulness to His covenant promises.

• as he has promised you:

  • promised (dabar, דָּבַר): Literally "spoken." Refers to God's direct declarations and covenant pledges to the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob) and to Moses and the nation of Israel concerning the land. It roots the future expansion in divine decree and reliability. (Gen 12:7, Exod 32:13, Dt 1:8).

• and you say, 'I will eat meat,':

  • say, 'I will eat meat': Indicates a desire for a particular food type. Meat was often a luxury rather than a daily staple, frequently consumed on celebratory occasions or associated with communal sacrifices. Here, it denotes a desire for common consumption.

• because you crave meat, you may eat meat whenever you desire:

  • crave (avah, אָוָה): Strong desire, to long for. Unlike some instances where avah can denote sinful lust (e.g., Num 11:4 for quail), here it reflects a legitimate, natural human desire for sustenance and pleasure. The context (Dt 12:21-22) shows this craving is not condemned but graciously permitted. This is a desire God acknowledges and accommodates, contrasting with the problematic, impatient "craving" in Num 11.
  • you may eat meat whenever you desire: Grants explicit permission for the slaughter and consumption of animals for regular food, distinguishing it from sacred, sacrificial meat. This is a crucial practical adjustment from previous Mosaic laws that bound meat slaughter to the sanctuary, demonstrating God's understanding of human need and the realities of living in an extensive territory.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "When the Lord your God enlarges your territory, as he has promised you": This phrase establishes the divine initiative and the covenant basis for Israel's future prosperity. God is the active agent in fulfilling His word, granting a vast inheritance. This expansion is a sign of His blessing and faithfulness, not human achievement.
  • "and you say, 'I will eat meat,' because you crave meat": This highlights a common, legitimate human desire. It acknowledges that as the land expands, people will be further from the central sanctuary, making it impractical to bring every animal for slaughter there. The desire is legitimate; God accommodates the natural craving, differentiating it from sinful greed or lust.
  • "you may eat meat whenever you desire": This provides the practical allowance, modifying previous dietary laws concerning slaughter (e.g., Lev 17). It permits "profane" or "secular" slaughter, meaning animals could be killed for food anywhere in their towns, outside the sacrificial system. This was a significant legal innovation in Deuteronomy, reflecting a gracious adjustment to the new geographical realities.

Deuteronomy 12 20 Bonus section

This provision in Dt 12:20 and its subsequent verses (Dt 12:21-28) highlights a foundational distinction often overlooked: the sacred (קֹדֶשׁ, kodesh) and the common/profane (חֹל, chol). While prior law intertwined all animal slaughter with the sacred sacrificial system, Deuteronomy wisely separates the two. This "Deuteronomic innovation" or "profane slaughter law" is not a lessening of holiness but an acknowledgment of a legitimate "secular sphere" within daily life, under God's broader permission. This allows for normal living where a good God provides for natural desires without demanding a perpetual state of ritualistic sacrifice for every meal. It shows the law's adaptability and divine wisdom in application, transitioning from a highly regulated camp-based existence to a settled national life. It serves as an example of how God cares for His people's practical, earthly needs, providing liberty where it does not violate foundational ethical or spiritual principles. This distinction prefigures later discussions in the New Testament about Christian freedom concerning food, differentiating between necessary obedience and ritualistic externalisms.

Deuteronomy 12 20 Commentary

Deuteronomy 12:20 marks a crucial practical and theological development in the Mosaic law regarding dietary practices for Israel in the Promised Land. Prior legislation in Leviticus (Lev 17:3-7) stipulated that any slaughter of cattle, sheep, or goats had to occur at the Tabernacle entrance, largely to prevent idolatry and ensure the ritual purity of Israel's food consumption by associating it with the one true God and sacrificial atonement. However, God, knowing the vastness of the land He promised, and anticipating the geographical dispersion of His people, provides a forward-looking gracious allowance. This verse specifically addresses a future scenario: when their territory is indeed expanded by divine promise. It legitimizes a common human desire for meat, differentiating it from earlier, sinful cravings (like in Num 11), by explicitly permitting the secular slaughter and consumption of animals ("you may eat meat whenever you desire").

This verse is a prime example of God's accommodation to human need within the divine covenant. It demonstrates that not all former rules needed to remain unchanged under new circumstances. It facilitates the practical living for the Israelites far from the central sanctuary without compromising the fundamental command to have one central place of worship (Dt 12:5). The implication is that not all eating of meat must be sacrificial or religious; meat can be eaten for simple sustenance and enjoyment, similar to hunting and eating wild game like gazelles or deer, as elaborated in Dt 12:21-23. The only consistent dietary prohibition maintained is the eating of blood, underscoring its sanctity as the life principle belonging to God. This provision enabled the Israelites to thrive in their new expansive land while still adhering to the core tenets of their faith concerning idolatry and the centrality of legitimate worship.