Deuteronomy 15 22

Deuteronomy 15:22 kjv

Thou shalt eat it within thy gates: the unclean and the clean person shall eat it alike, as the roebuck, and as the hart.

Deuteronomy 15:22 nkjv

You may eat it within your gates; the unclean and the clean person alike may eat it, as if it were a gazelle or a deer.

Deuteronomy 15:22 niv

You are to eat it in your own towns. Both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat it, as if it were gazelle or deer.

Deuteronomy 15:22 esv

You shall eat it within your towns. The unclean and the clean alike may eat it, as though it were a gazelle or a deer.

Deuteronomy 15:22 nlt

Instead, use it for food for your family in your hometown. Anyone, whether ceremonially clean or unclean, may eat it, just as anyone may eat a gazelle or deer.

Deuteronomy 15 verses

Deuteronomy 15 22 Meaning

Deuteronomy 15:22 instructs the Israelite householder concerning the eating of the firstborn of his herd and flock. This dedicated animal, having been set apart to the Lord from birth, was not to be consumed as common food. Instead, it was to be eaten in a specific manner: before the Lord, by the owner and his entire household, annually, at the centralized place of worship that the Lord would choose. This commandment underscores the sacred nature of the offering, the communal aspect of its consumption, and the importance of consecrated worship at the divinely appointed sanctuary. It was a communal feast, an act of worship, thanksgiving, and fellowship with God, demonstrating obedience and remembrance of God's blessing.

Deuteronomy 15 22 Context

Deuteronomy chapter 15 addresses various social and religious laws in preparation for Israel's settlement in the Promised Land. It transitions from laws regarding the sabbatical year for debt release (verses 1-11) and the freeing of Hebrew servants (verses 12-18) to the laws concerning the dedication and consumption of the firstborn of the herd and flock (verses 19-23). Verse 22 specifically details the practice surrounding these consecrated animals, which belong to the Lord. It reinforces a central tenet of Deuteronomic theology: the centralization of worship at the single, chosen sanctuary. This central point of worship was crucial for maintaining the purity of Israelite religion, preventing syncretism, and fostering national unity around the Lord's commands. It ensures that such significant acts of communal and religious eating were performed in the sacred context prescribed by God, distinct from the surrounding pagan practices of local altars and varied deities.

Deuteronomy 15 22 Word analysis

• Thou shalt eat it (Hebrew: אֲכַלְתֶּ֣מּוֹ - akal-temmo, 'you shall eat them' - plural, referring to the firstborn animal).
  • Significance: The verb indicates a direct command and highlights the personal responsibility of the householder. The plural implicitly includes the household as stated in the subsequent words. This was a communal meal for the family, not just for the priests.
• before the LORD your God (Hebrew: לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ - lifnei YHWH Eloheykha, 'in the presence of YHWH your God').
  • לִפְנֵי (lifnei): Literally "before the face of" or "in the presence of." This signifies that the eating was not merely a meal, but an act of worship and communion, as if dining with the Divine Host. It imparted sacredness to the consumption.
  • יְהוָה (YHWH): The covenant name of God, emphasizing His personal relationship with Israel.
  • אֱלֹהֶיךָ (Eloheykha): "Your God," highlighting the exclusive claim God had on Israel and Israel's exclusive relationship with Him.
  • Significance: Elevates the act of eating from common sustenance to a spiritual experience, emphasizing reverence and the sacred covenant.
• year by year (Hebrew: שָׁנָה֙ בְּשָׁנָ֔ה - shanah b'shanah, literally 'year in year').
  • Significance: An idiom for "annually" or "every year." It signifies the regular, perpetual, and customary nature of this offering and meal. It instilled rhythm and consistency in their worship life.
• in the place which the LORD shall choose (Hebrew: בַּמָּקוֹם֙ אֲשֶׁר־יִבְחַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ - bammaqom asher yivchar YHWH, 'in the place that YHWH will choose').
  • בַּמָּקוֹם (bammaqom): "In the place." Refers specifically to the single, centralized sanctuary that God would designate (initially Shiloh, later Jerusalem).
  • אֲשֶׁר־יִבְחַר יְהוָה (asher yivchar YHWH): "Which the LORD shall choose." This emphasizes divine election of the site, not human preference.
  • Significance: This is a foundational tenet of Deuteronomic theology. It served to unify worship, prevent idolatry at scattered local altars ("high places"), and establish a central spiritual hub for the nation.
• thou and thy household (Hebrew: אַתָּ֖ה וּבֵיתֶֽךָ - atah u'veitekha, 'you and your household').
  • Significance: Reconfirms that this was a family-oriented meal, underscoring the corporate responsibility and blessing that extended to the entire family unit. It strengthened family bonds through shared religious experience.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "You and your family will eat it before the LORD your God": This phrase highlights the participatory nature of the worship. It's not a priestly ceremony exclusively, but a shared experience of the householder and his kin in God's presence, signifying communion and thankfulness for divine provision. It brings the sacred into the familial sphere.
• "each year in the place the LORD chooses": This emphasizes both the consistent rhythm of worship (annually) and the divinely ordained location. The "chosen place" doctrine prevented syncretism and established a unified cult for Israel, demonstrating obedience to God's specific commands regarding location for major sacrifices and offerings. It ensures communal identity and spiritual discipline.

Deuteronomy 15 22 Bonus section

The injunction to eat the firstborn before the LORD is a recurring theme in Deuteronomy concerning sacrifices that allow consumption by the lay person, especially for peace offerings (Dt 12:7, 12:18, 14:23). This concept establishes the importance of communion and thanksgiving in Israelite worship, where the sacred act of sacrifice was not just atonement or presentation, but also a meal shared with the divine. The emphasis on "year by year" instilled a pedagogical rhythm, continually teaching gratitude and the sovereignty of God over time and all provisions. Furthermore, the exclusion of the physically blemished firstborn in Deut 15:21 prior to this verse implicitly underscores the divine demand for perfection and holiness in offerings, which ultimately pointed forward to the flawless sacrifice of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, the firstborn over all creation, who completely fulfilled the requirement for a spotless offering and by whom we have ultimate fellowship with God.

Deuteronomy 15 22 Commentary

Deuteronomy 15:22 outlines a foundational aspect of Israelite worship: the proper consumption of firstborn animals dedicated to the Lord. It commands the householder and his family to partake in this sacred meal annually at the divinely appointed central sanctuary. This practice served multiple critical functions. Spiritually, it reinforced the covenant relationship with Yahweh, allowing the worshiper to symbolically 'dine' with God, fostering intimacy and gratitude. Economically, it taught dependence on God as the provider of abundance, preventing materialism by requiring the sacrifice of the initial increase of the herd. Sociologically, the communal feast strengthened family ties and national unity around a common faith and shared sanctuary, distinct from surrounding pagan practices. It underlined God's claim on the first and best, and the joy derived from communal obedience and fellowship with Him in the prescribed manner and location. The specificity of the command ensured proper reverence and upheld the distinction between common and holy.

• Example for Practical Usage: Just as the Israelites brought their best and partook in fellowship, modern believers are called to give their 'first fruits' (e.g., first portion of income, best of time/talent) to God in worship and participate in Christian fellowship, particularly in corporate worship settings, remembering His provision and Christ's ultimate sacrifice which fulfilled all such offerings.