Deuteronomy 12:5

12:5 But you must seek only the place he ¹  chooses from all your tribes to establish his name as his place of residence, ²  and you must go there.

Deuteronomy 12:14

12:14 for you may do so ³  only in the place the Lord chooses in one of your tribal areas – there you may do everything I am commanding you. ⁴ 

Deuteronomy 14:25

14:25 you may convert the tithe into money, secure the money, ⁵  and travel to the place the Lord your God chooses for himself.

Deuteronomy 16:2

16:2 You must sacrifice the Passover animal ⁶  (from the flock or the herd) to the Lord your God in the place where he ⁷  chooses to locate his name.

Deuteronomy 16:7

16:7 You must cook ⁸  and eat it in the place the Lord your God chooses; you may return the next morning to your tents.

Deuteronomy 17:10

17:10 You must then do as they have determined at that place the Lord chooses. Be careful to do just as you are taught.

Deuteronomy 23:16

23:16 Indeed, he may live among you in any place he chooses, in whichever of your villages ⁹  he prefers; you must not oppress him.

Deuteronomy 31:11

31:11 when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God in the place he chooses, you must read this law before them ¹⁰  within their hearing.

---

¹ tn Heb “the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.

² tc Some scholars, on the basis of v. 11, emend the MT reading שִׁכְנוֹ (shikhno, “his residence”) to the infinitive construct לְשָׁכֵן (lÿshakhen, “to make [his name] to dwell”), perhaps with the 3rd person masculine singular sf לְשַׁכְּנוֹ (lÿshakÿno, “to cause it to dwell”). Though the presupposed nounשֵׁכֶן (shekhen) is nowhere else attested, the parallel here with שַׁמָּה (shammah, “there”) favors retaining the MT as it stands.

³ tn Heb “offer burnt offerings.” The expression “do so” has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.

⁴ sn This injunction to worship in a single and central sanctuary – one limited and appropriate to the thrice-annual festival celebrations (see Exod 23:14-17; 34:22-24; Lev 23:4-36; Deut 16:16-17) – marks a departure from previous times when worship was carried out at local shrines (cf. Gen 8:20; 12:7; 13:18; 22:9; 26:25; 35:1, 3, 7; Exod 17:15). Apart from the corporate worship of the whole theocratic community, however, worship at local altars would still be permitted as in the past (Deut 16:21; Judg 6:24-27; 13:19-20; 1 Sam 7:17; 10:5, 13; 2 Sam 24:18-25; 1 Kgs 18:30).

⁵ tn Heb “bind the silver in your hand.”

⁶ tn Heb “sacrifice the Passover” (so NASB). The word “animal” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

⁷ tn Heb “the Lord.” See note on “he” in the previous verse.

⁸ tn The rules that governed the Passover meal are found in Exod 12:1-51, and Deut 16:1-8. The word translated “cook” (בָּשַׁל, bashal) here is translated “boil” in other places (e.g. Exod 23:19, 1 Sam 2:13-15). This would seem to contradict Exod 12:9 where the Israelites are told not to eat the Passover sacrifice raw or boiled. However, 2 Chr 35:13 recounts the celebration of a Passover feast during the reign of Josiah, and explains that the people “cooked (בָּשַׁל, bashal) the Passover sacrifices over the open fire.” The use of בָּשַׁל (bashal) with “fire” (אֵשׁ, ’esh) suggests that the word could be used to speak of boiling or roasting.

⁹ tn Heb “gates.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “before all Israel.”