Discovery BoxDeuteronomy 12:11-14 
Context12:11 Then you must come to the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to reside, bringing 1 everything I am commanding you – your burnt offerings, sacrifices, tithes, the personal offerings you have prepared, 2 and all your choice votive offerings which you devote to him. 3 12:12 You shall rejoice in the presence of the Lord your God, along with your sons, daughters, male and female servants, and the Levites in your villages 4 (since they have no allotment or inheritance with you). 5 12:13 Make sure you do not offer burnt offerings in any place you wish, 12:14 for you may do so 6 only in the place the Lord chooses in one of your tribal areas – there you may do everything I am commanding you. 7
1 tn Heb “and it will be (to) the place where the Lord your God chooses to cause his name to dwell you will bring.”
2 tn Heb “heave offerings of your hand.”
3 tn Heb “the
4 tn Heb “within your gates” (so KJV, NASB); NAB “who belongs to your community.”
5 sn They have no allotment or inheritance with you. See note on the word “inheritance” in Deut 10:9.
6 tn Heb “offer burnt offerings.” The expression “do so” has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
7 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).
