The Meaning of Deuteronomy 12:18 Explained

Deuteronomy 12:18

KJV: But thou must eat them before the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD thy God shall choose, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates: and thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God in all that thou puttest thine hands unto.

YLT: but before Jehovah thy God thou dost eat it, in the place which Jehovah thy God doth fix on, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy man-servant, and thy handmaid, and the Levite who is within thy gates, and thou hast rejoiced before Jehovah thy God in every putting forth of thy hand;

Darby: but before Jehovah thy God shalt thou eat them in the place which Jehovah thy God will choose, thou and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy bondman, and thy handmaid, and the Levite that is within thy gates; and thou shalt rejoice before Jehovah thy God in all the business of thy hand.

ASV: but thou shalt eat them before Jehovah thy God in the place which Jehovah thy God shall choose, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy man-servant, and thy maid-servant, and the Levite that is within thy gates: and thou shalt rejoice before Jehovah thy God in all that thou puttest thy hand unto.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But thou must eat  them before  the LORD  thy God  in the place  which the LORD  thy God  shall choose,  thou, and thy son,  and thy daughter,  and thy manservant,  and thy maidservant,  and the Levite  that [is] within thy gates:  and thou shalt rejoice  before  the LORD  thy God  in all that thou puttest  thine hands  unto. 

What does Deuteronomy 12:18 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 12

1  Monuments of idolatry to be destroyed
4  The place of God's service to be kept
15  Blood is forbidden
17  Holy things must be eaten in the holy place
19  The Levite is not to be forsaken
20  Blood is again forbidden
26  and holy things must be eaten in the holy place
29  Idolatry is not to be enquired after

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 12:18 mean?

For but before Yahweh your God you must eat them in the place which chooses your God in you and your son and your daughter and your manservant and your maidservant and the Levite who [is] within your gates and you shall rejoice your God in all to which you put your hands
כִּ֡י אִם־ לִפְנֵי֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ תֹּאכְלֶ֗נּוּ בַּמָּקוֹם֙ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִבְחַ֜ר אֱלֹהֶיךָ֮ בּוֹ֒ אַתָּ֨ה וּבִנְךָ֤ וּבִתֶּ֙ךָ֙ וְעַבְדְּךָ֣ וַאֲמָתֶ֔ךָ וְהַלֵּוִ֖י אֲשֶׁ֣ר בִּשְׁעָרֶ֑יךָ וְשָׂמַחְתָּ֗ אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ בְּכֹ֖ל מִשְׁלַ֥ח יָדֶֽךָ

לִפְנֵי֩  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
יְהוָ֨ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
תֹּאכְלֶ֗נּוּ  you  must  eat  them 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
בַּמָּקוֹם֙  in  the  place 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָקֹום  
Sense: standing place, place.
יִבְחַ֜ר  chooses 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּחוּר 
Sense: to choose, elect, decide for.
אֱלֹהֶיךָ֮  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
וּבִנְךָ֤  and  your  son 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
וּבִתֶּ֙ךָ֙  and  your  daughter 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
וְעַבְדְּךָ֣  and  your  manservant 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
וַאֲמָתֶ֔ךָ  and  your  maidservant 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אָמָה  
Sense: maid-servant, female slave, maid, handmaid, concubine.
וְהַלֵּוִ֖י  and  the  Levite 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֵוִי  
Sense: the descendants of Levi, the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  who  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בִּשְׁעָרֶ֑יךָ  within  your  gates 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.
וְשָׂמַחְתָּ֗  and  you  shall  rejoice 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: שָׂמַח  
Sense: to rejoice, be glad.
אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
בְּכֹ֖ל  in  all  to  which 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
מִשְׁלַ֥ח  you  put 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מִשְׁלֹוחַ 
Sense: outstretching, sending, sending forth.
יָדֶֽךָ  your  hands 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.