Deuteronomy 12:25 kjv
Thou shalt not eat it; that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the LORD.
Deuteronomy 12:25 nkjv
You shall not eat it, that it may go well with you and your children after you, when you do what is right in the sight of the LORD.
Deuteronomy 12:25 niv
Do not eat it, so that it may go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is right in the eyes of the LORD.
Deuteronomy 12:25 esv
You shall not eat it, that all may go well with you and with your children after you, when you do what is right in the sight of the LORD.
Deuteronomy 12:25 nlt
Do not consume the blood, so that all may go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what pleases the LORD.
Deuteronomy 12 25 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 9:4 | "But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood." | Early command against eating blood |
| Lev 3:17 | "It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, in all your dwelling places, that you eat neither fat nor blood." | Perpetual prohibition of blood |
| Lev 7:26-27 | "Moreover, you shall eat no blood whatever, whether of fowl or of animal, in any of your dwelling places." | Reinforces the prohibition for all blood |
| Lev 17:10-12 | "If any one of the house of Israel... eats any blood, I will set My face against that person... For the life of the flesh is in the blood..." | Penalty for eating blood, life in blood |
| Lev 17:13-14 | "...pour out its blood and cover it with earth. For the life of every creature is its blood." | Proper disposal of blood |
| Deut 4:40 | "Therefore you shall keep His statutes... that it may go well with you and with your children after you..." | Direct parallel: obedience brings generational well-being |
| Deut 5:16 | "Honor your father and your mother... that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you..." | Specific command tied to well-being |
| Deut 6:3 | "...that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised..." | Obedience to commands brings well-being |
| Deut 6:18 | "And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, that it may go well with you..." | Similar phrasing: doing right for well-being |
| Deut 10:12-13 | "...to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways... that it may be well with you." | Summarizes what God requires for well-being |
| Deut 11:21 | "that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied... as the days of the heavens above the earth." | Blessings extending to children and future |
| Deut 28:1-2 | "If you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God... all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you..." | Blessings for full obedience |
| Josh 1:8 | "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth... for then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have good success." | Prosperity through adhering to the Law |
| 1 Sam 12:23-25 | "...fear the LORD and serve Him in truth... Only do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart." | Warnings about turning from God, emphasizing wholehearted service |
| Ps 103:17-18 | "But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting... upon those who keep His covenant..." | God's enduring covenant love for the obedient |
| Prov 3:1-2 | "My son, forget not my law, but let your heart keep my commandments; for length of days and years of life..." | Wisdom literature on benefits of obedience |
| Isa 1:19 | "If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;" | Conditional promise of good through obedience |
| Jer 7:23 | "But this command I gave them: ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’" | The core of the covenant relationship for Israel |
| Rom 12:2 | "...be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." | New Testament perspective on discerning God's will |
| Eph 6:1-3 | "Children, obey your parents... 'that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.'" | Echoes Deut 5:16 on honoring parents |
| Acts 15:28-29 | "For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality." | Early Church council reaffirming abstinence from blood |
Deuteronomy 12 verses
Deuteronomy 12 25 Meaning
Deuteronomy 12:25 reinforces the divine command against consuming blood, linking strict adherence to this prohibition with enduring well-being for the Israelites and their descendants. This blessing is directly conditional upon their diligent and unwavering obedience to what God deems morally and covenantally correct. The act of not eating blood signifies respect for life as belonging to God and upholding His standards of purity and holiness within the covenant relationship.
Deuteronomy 12 25 Context
Deuteronomy chapter 12 serves as a pivotal passage establishing core principles for Israelite worship in the Promised Land. The preceding verses emphasize the command to centralize worship at "the place that the LORD your God will choose," dismantling all local pagan sites of worship. It introduces rules for eating meat that is not part of sacrificial offerings, making a distinction between clean and unclean animals. Within this framework, a strict prohibition against consuming blood is given in verses 16 and 23-24, where blood is explicitly identified with life and must be poured out onto the earth as water. Verse 25 reiterates and solidifies this prohibition, presenting the long-term benefits of obedience to both the individual and their future generations. The historical and cultural context highlights Israel's distinctiveness from the surrounding Canaanite nations, whose idolatrous practices often involved the ritualistic use or consumption of blood in ways forbidden by the God of Israel. This command thus also carries a polemical weight, marking Israel as a people set apart by God's holy statutes.
Deuteronomy 12 25 Word analysis
- You shall not eat it: This phrase (לֹא תֹאכְלֶנּוּ - lo tokhelenu) refers back directly to the prohibition against consuming blood, specifically from the preceding verses (Deut 12:16, 23). The negative imperative "you shall not" (לֹא - lo) denotes an absolute, uncompromising command, emphasizing its serious nature.
- that it may go well with you: The Hebrew phrase is לְמַעַן יִיטַב לָךְ (lema'an yiytaḇ lach). "That it may go well" signifies "that it may be good for you," or "that you may prosper." It encompasses well-being, success, peace, and spiritual flourishing, not just material prosperity. This phrase is a common motif in Deuteronomy, explicitly linking obedience to God's commandments with direct blessing.
- and with your children after you: The phrase וּלְבָנֶיךָ אַחֲרֶיךָ (u'levanekha 'akhareykha) highlights the generational nature of God's covenant blessings and curses. Obedience here secures not only immediate personal welfare but also the future prosperity and stability of the family line. This underscores the profound intergenerational impact of covenant fidelity within Israelite society. It points to God's faithfulness across generations who remain in the covenant.
- when you do what is right: The Hebrew כִּי תַעֲשֶׂה הַיָּשָׁר (ki ta'aseh hayyashar) literally means "when you do the straight/upright." "The right" implies acting in accordance with God's revealed will and His moral standards, which are inherently just and good. It’s about integrity and moral rectitude that aligns with divine instruction.
- in the sight of the LORD: The Hebrew בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה (be'einey YHWH) emphasizes that the standard of "right" is not human opinion or cultural norms, but solely God's divine perspective. It stresses that all actions are performed under His watchful eye, underscoring His sovereignty and ultimate judgment. This ensures that the basis for their conduct is divine revelation, not human ethics, and provides accountability directly to God.
Words-group analysis:
- "You shall not eat it; that it may go well with you": This pairing explicitly links obedience (refraining from eating blood) with benefit and blessing. The consequence of disobedience (eating blood, representing life) is disruption of well-being, implying punishment or distress.
- "that it may go well with you and with your children after you": This phrase emphasizes the extensive scope of the blessing, extending beyond the individual to impact future generations, thus promoting the long-term stability and continuity of the covenant community. It illustrates God's plan for a flourishing people across time.
- "when you do what is right in the sight of the LORD": This forms the core condition for all blessings. It summarizes the entire principle of covenant obedience—that blessings are not automatic but depend on consistent, righteous living as defined by God. It defines the "right" not as a subjective human standard, but as an objective, divine standard.
Deuteronomy 12 25 Bonus section
The command not to eat blood transcends simple dietary restrictions; it is deeply symbolic.
- Sanctity of Life: Blood symbolizes life (Lev 17:11), which God alone bestows and takes. Refusing to consume it is an acknowledgement that life itself is sacred and belongs to the Creator.
- Purity and Separation: In a culture where blood was often central to pagan rituals (sometimes involving consumption or abhorrent practices), this command sharply distinguished Israel, demanding a lifestyle of purity set apart for God.
- Preparation for Christ: While the specific dietary restriction on blood is not universally commanded in the New Covenant (e.g., Rom 14), the underlying theological principle of life being sacred and belonging to God foreshadows the significance of Christ's shed blood as the ultimate atonement for sin (Heb 9:22). The New Testament command to abstain from blood for Gentile believers (Acts 15) likely served a practical purpose to facilitate fellowship between Jewish and Gentile Christians, respecting Jewish dietary customs rooted in these Old Testament commands.
Deuteronomy 12 25 Commentary
Deuteronomy 12:25 distills a crucial principle of the Mosaic Covenant: obedience to God's specific commands, even those seemingly ritualistic or dietary, carries profound and tangible blessings that span generations. The prohibition of blood is rooted in the theological understanding that life (represented by blood) belongs to God, serving also as an important symbol for atonement (Lev 17:11). To consume it would be to appropriate what belongs exclusively to God and violate the sanctity of life. By upholding this distinction, Israel was called to reflect God's holiness and avoid the defiling practices of surrounding nations, reinforcing their unique identity. The promise of "it may go well with you and with your children after you" is not mere worldly prosperity, but a holistic state of favor, security, and peace, directly attributable to living righteously by divine standards, ensuring their survival and thriving within the land God had promised.