Deuteronomy 12 8

Deuteronomy 12:8 kjv

Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes.

Deuteronomy 12:8 nkjv

"You shall not at all do as we are doing here today? every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes?

Deuteronomy 12:8 niv

You are not to do as we do here today, everyone doing as they see fit,

Deuteronomy 12:8 esv

"You shall not do according to all that we are doing here today, everyone doing whatever is right in his own eyes,

Deuteronomy 12:8 nlt

"Your pattern of worship will change. Today all of you are doing as you please,

Deuteronomy 12 verses

Deuteronomy 12 8 Meaning

This verse is a direct divine prohibition against the Israelites continuing their ad-hoc and individually determined manner of worship and life, characteristic of their nomadic period in the wilderness, once they enter the Promised Land. It commands a shift from decentralised, self-guided practice where each person does what seems right in their own estimation, to a centralised system of worship and life strictly defined by God's commandments. It signifies a transition from a temporary state of religious and ethical autonomy to one of corporate obedience under a singular divine standard.

Deuteronomy 12 8 Context

Deuteronomy chapter 12 outlines a pivotal command concerning Israel's worship in the Promised Land. The preceding verses (12:1-7) establish that upon entering Canaan, Israel must dismantle all places of pagan worship and instead bring their sacrifices and offerings to a single, God-chosen "place." This revolutionary command aimed to prevent syncretism with local pagan religions and ensure purity of worship. Verse 8, therefore, serves as a direct prohibition, stating that the ad-hoc, individually determined religious practices they currently employed in the wilderness—where worship could be performed wherever convenient or according to personal preference—would no longer be permissible. It mandates a complete overhaul from scattered, self-regulated practices to centralized, divinely prescribed obedience as a unified nation under God's explicit laws, contrasting their temporary "doing here today" with the strict requirements of their new life in the land.

Deuteronomy 12 8 Word analysis

• You shall not do (לֹא־תַעֲשׂוּן - lo’-ta‘asûn): This is a strong negative command. Lo is a firm "no" or "not," and ta‘asûn means "you (plural) shall do" or "you shall make." It signifies an absolute prohibition against continuing a particular mode of action. The verb "do" here encompasses actions related to worship, ethical conduct, and daily life in the broader context of covenant living.

• according to all that we are doing here today (כֹּל אֲשֶׁר אֲנַחְנוּ עֹשִׂים פֹּה הַיּוֹם - kol ’asher ’ănachnû ‘osim po hayyôm):

  • kol ’asher: "all that," indicating comprehensiveness.
  • ’ănachnû ‘osim: "we are doing." This is a present participle, implying continuous or habitual action. It refers to their current nomadic wilderness practices, where, out of necessity or lack of a central sanctuary, worship and ethical practices were more flexible, and potentially more individually determined.
  • po hayyôm: "here today." This specific temporal and spatial marker signifies the immediate context of their temporary wilderness encampment, prior to the settled life in Canaan. It highlights that the decentralized worship they practiced was transient and soon to be superseded.

• every man (אִישׁ - ’îsh): Literally "man" or "each man," emphasizing individual choice and personal initiative. It underscores the danger of unchecked individual autonomy in matters pertaining to God's will and community life.

• doing whatever is right in his own eyes (כָּל־הַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינָיו - kol-hayyāšār b‘êynâw): This is the critical phrase.

  • kol-hayyāšār: "all that is right" or "all that is straight/pleasing." Yashar (יָשָׁר) means "straight," "right," "upright," or "proper." It refers to what one perceives as ethically or morally correct, or perhaps simply convenient or agreeable.
  • b‘êynâw: "in his eyes." This is an idiomatic expression for subjective perception, personal opinion, or self-judgment. It implies a standard determined by the individual rather than an objective, external authority.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "You shall not do according to all that we are doing here today": This command marks a sharp transition. It dismisses their previous ad-hoc spiritual and communal arrangements as unsuitable for the ordered life under God in the land. The current practices, born of necessity during their wilderness wanderings (e.g., local altars, individual family rituals), are explicitly forbidden as a model for their future, settled life in Canaan. This prohibition paves the way for a unified, standardized worship life under the specific instructions of the covenant.
  • "every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes": This phrase describes the inherent human tendency toward self-will and subjective morality, especially concerning spiritual matters. It pinpoints the dangerous principle of personal preference replacing divine prescription. Such self-rule leads to spiritual chaos, theological corruption, and a weakening of communal identity centered on God's law, as later vividly illustrated in the period of Judges. It speaks to a profound anthropological truth: without an external, objective standard from God, humanity inevitably devolves into relativism, where truth and righteousness are merely what seems agreeable to the individual.

Deuteronomy 12 8 Bonus section

The danger of "doing what is right in one's own eyes" is that it often masks self-interest, spiritual laziness, or a desire for convenience behind a facade of personal piety. It assumes human perception of "right" aligns with divine "right," a fallacy explicitly corrected by passages like Prov 14:12 and Is 55:8-9. This principle directly challenges the contemporary human inclination towards radical autonomy and self-determination, especially in matters of morality and religion, showing God's emphasis on objective truth and obedience over subjective experience and personal opinion. The central sanctuary commandment (Dt 12) was designed to combat not only idolatry but also the very individualism expressed in verse 8, forging a cohesive nation defined by common allegiance to God's singular standard.

Deuteronomy 12 8 Commentary

Deuteronomy 12:8 marks a crucial turning point in Israel's covenant relationship with God. It moves from a flexible, wilderness-born practice where individual and tribal worship occurred wherever possible to a divinely ordained, centralized system in the Promised Land. The prohibition "You shall not do according to all that we are doing here today" is not a rebuke of past acts, but a demarcation of temporary practices from permanent, established law. The essence of the verse lies in forbidding individual discretion ("every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes") as the standard for worship and ethical living.

This "doing what is right in his own eyes" signifies subjective moral autonomy, a dangerous principle for any covenant people. God demands obedience to His revealed will, not to human preferences, however well-intentioned. This ensures purity of worship, prevention of syncretism with paganism, and the preservation of a distinct identity for Israel. It also highlights a timeless theological principle: true worship and obedience must be directed by divine command, not human wisdom or personal feeling. Disregarding this leads to chaos, moral relativism, and eventual spiritual decay, as demonstrated repeatedly throughout biblical history. The call is for a life lived not by convenience or subjective judgment, but by the objective standard of God's revealed truth.