Deuteronomy 12:6

And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings,.... For the daily sacrifice, and upon any other account whatsoever; this was before ordered to be brought to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and now to the place where that should be fixed, Lev 17:8.

and your sacrifices: all other distinct from burnt offerings, as sin offerings, trespass offerings, and peace offerings, especially the latter. Jarchi interprets them of peace offerings of debt, such as a man was obliged to bring; but as the distance of some persons from Jerusalem was very great, and it was troublesome and expensive, they might, according to the Jewish writers, bring them the next grand festival, when all the males were obliged to appear there; so says Maimonides (c), all offerings of a man, whether by obligation (such as he was bound to bring) or freewill offerings, he must bring at the first feast that comes; and another of their writers observes (d), that if only one feast has passed, and he has not brought his vow, he transgresses an affirmative precept, Deu 12:6 the first feast on which thou comest thither, thou must needs bring it; and if three have passed, he transgresses a negative precept, Deu 23:21.

and your tithes; tithes of beasts, and the second tithes, according to Jarchi:

and heave offerings of your hand; these according to the same writer were the firstfruits, and so it is rendered in the Septuagint version; and thus Maimonides (e) says, the firstfruits are called Trumot, or heave offerings; see Exo 22:29.

and your vows and your freewill offerings; which were a type of peace offerings, Lev 7:16.

and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks; which were sanctified and devoted to the Lord, Exo 13:2.

(c) Praefat. ad Yad Chazakah. (d) Bartenora in Misn. Roshhashanah, c. 1. sect. 1. & in Misn. Ediot, c. 7. sect. 6. (e) In Misn. Meilah, c. 4. sect. 2.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Deu 12:6 And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks:

Ver. 6. Heave offerings of your hands.] For none might appear empty handed before the Lord.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The

sacrifices were wisely appropriated to that one and public place, partly for the security of the true religion, and for the prevention of idolatry and superstition, which otherwise might more easily have crept in; and partly to signify that their sacrifices were not accepted for their own worth, but by God’s gracious appointment, and for the sake of God’s altar, by which they were sanctified, and for the sake of Christ, whom the altar did manifestly represent. Of

tithes, See Poole "Deu 12:17".

Heave-offerings, i.e. your first-fruits, to wit, of the earth, as of corn and wine and oil and other fruits, as plainly appears by comparing this place with Deu 18:4; 26:2, where these are commanded to be brought thither; and seeing here is an exact and particular enumeration of all such things, and these cannot be put under any of the other branches, these must needs be intended here, the rather because the other kind of first-fruits, to wit, of the

herds and

flocks, are here expressly mentioned. And these are called here the heave-offerings of their hand, because the offerer was first to take these into his hands, and to heave them before the Lord, (as other places tell us,) and then to give them to the priest, as appears from Deu 18:3,4; 26:4.

Your free-will offerings; even for your voluntary oblations, which were not due by my prescription, but only by your own choice and voluntary engagement: you may choose what kind of offering you please to vow and offer, but not the place where you shall offer them.

The firstlings of your herds and of your flocks; either,

1. The holy firstlings or first-born, as appears by Num 18, where they are commanded to be brought to this one place here designed, and to be offered upon God’s altar, Deu 12:17. It is objected by some, that those were given to the priests, Num 18:18, but these were to be eaten by the people here, Deu 12:7. But that the next verse doth not say, but only in general, there shall ye eat, to wit, such of the offerings mentioned Deu 12:6 as they were allowed to eat, but not such as were the priest’s peculiar, for these they might not eat, nor all there expressed; for it is evident they might not eat any of the burnt-offerings, nor some parts of the other sacrifices, which are here mentioned. Or,

2. The second births, which were the people’s first-born, or the first which they could eat of, which they were to eat before the Lord by way of acknowledgment of his favour in giving them to them and all their succeeding births. See more on Deu 12:17.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Deu 12:6. Thither bring your burnt-offerings — Which were wisely appropriated to that one place, for the security of the true religion, and for the prevention of idolatry and superstition, which might otherwise more easily have crept in; and to signify that their sacrifices were not accepted for their own worth, but by God’s gracious appointment, and for the sake of God’s altar, by which they were sanctified, and for the sake of Christ, whom the altar manifestly represented. Your heave-offerings — That is, your first-fruits of corn, and wine, and oil, and other fruits. And these are called the heave-offerings of their hand, because the offerer was first to take these into his hands, and to heave them before the Lord, and then to give them to the priest. Your free-will-offerings — Even your voluntary oblations, which were not due by my prescription, but only by your own choice: you may choose what kind of offerings you please to offer, but not the place where you shall offer them.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

12:6 All of the offerings listed here are expressions of thanksgiving, fellowship, and loyalty to the Lord. In covenant relationships, the vassal offered tribute to the great king as a sign of submission and a promise of dependability (see study note on 1:31).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Meaning, the firstfruits.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

(6) And thither ye shall bring . . . your tithes—i.e., what the Jews understand as the “second tithe;” on which see Deu_12:17.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Some have objected that this command cannot possibly have been ever carried out, at all events until in later (lays the territory which owned obedience to it was narrowed to the little kingdom of Judah. But in these and in other precepts Moses doubtless takes much for granted. He is here, as elsewhere, regulating and defining more precisely institutions which had long been in existence, as to many details of which custom superseded the necessity of specific enactment. No doubt the people well understood what Maimonides expressly tells us in reference to the matter, namely, that where immediate payment could not be made, the debt to God was to be reserved until the next great Feast, and then duly discharged. The thing especially to be observed was that no kind of sacrifice was to be offered except at the sacred spot fixed by God for its acceptance.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Hands, which you have procured by your industry, (Menochius) or what you are able to present to the Lord, Leviticus v. 11.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

6. Thither ye shall bring — To the place appointed by Jehovah and consecrated by his presence they were to bring their gifts, and celebrate sacrificial festivals. To the objection that it would not be possible for the people from every part of the land to bring these offerings, it may be said that what is provided for in Deu_14:24-25, was doubtless applicable in such cases. Then it must be borne in mind that no part of the land was at a very great distance from the central sanctuary. Dan, the northern limit, was not a hundred miles from Jerusalem.

Burnt offerings — These were to be wholly consumed on the altar, except that the skin was the perquisite of the officiating priest. See Lev_7:8.

Sacrifices — Animals that were slaughtered. With these two classes were also associated meat offerings and drink offerings.

And your tithes — See notes on the seventeenth verse.

Heave offerings — The word here and elsewhere rendered heave is obscurely translated. It refers evidently to some act by which the offering is dedicated to Jehovah.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

To the appointed place all their sacrificial gifts and offerings were to be brought, and there they were to keep their holy feasts. The gifts are classified in groups.

1. Burnt offerings and sacrifices, the two principal kinds of altar offerings, with which meal offerings and drink offerings were united. (Num_15:4, etc.)

2. Tithes and heave offerings (cf. Lev_27:30-33; Num_18:21-24) The heave offerings are described as of your hand, either because offered by the offerer"s own hand, or to indicate such gifts as were made off-hand (so to speak), voluntary offerings made in addition to the legal offerings from an immediate impulse of grateful emotion.

3. Vows and freewill offerings, sacrifices which were offered in consequence of vows or of spontaneous impulse (cf. Lev_7:16 Lev_22:21 Lev_23:38; Num_15:3 Num_29:39)

4. Firstlings of their herds and of their flocks (cf. Exo_13:2, Exo_13:12; Num_18:15, etc.)

Vers. 6-29. The central sanctuary.

There are difficulties connected with this law from which conclusions have been drawn adverse to the Mosaic authorship of Deuteronomy. These arise:

1. From the lack of evidence that the law was in force in the days of the judges and earlier kings.

2. From the practice of judges, kings, prophets, and other good men in offering sacrifices elsewhere than at the prescribed center.

3. From the mention of other sanctuaries in the history. (e.g. 1Sa 7:26, 1Sa 7:30) But:

1. Ver. 10 shows that it was not contemplated that the law should come into perfect operation till the land was settled, and till a place for a fixed center had been definitely chosen. In point of fact, the unsettled state of matters lasted till the reign of David. (2Sa_7:1) Accordingly, in 1Ki_3:2, it is not urged that, the law did not exist, or that it was not known, but the excuse is advanced for irregularities that "there was no house built unto the Name of the Lord until those days" (cf. 1Ki_8:29 1Ki_9:9; 2Ch_6:5, 2Ch_6:6)

2. While the law lays down the general rule, it is not denied that circumstances might arise, in which under proper Divine authority, exceptional sacrifices might be offered. This fully explains the cases of Gideon, (Jud_1:6:18, 26) of Manoah, (Jud_1:13:16) of David, (2Sa_24:18) of Solomon, (1Ki_3:4, 1Ki_3:5) of Elijah. (1Ki_18:31)

3. Even while the tabernacle was at Shiloh, the ark, for reasons unknown to us, was moved from place to place a circumstance which accounts for sacrifices being offered at the spots where, for the time being, it was located. (Jud_1:21:2) We may infer the presence of the ark in Jud_1:20:26 and on various other occasions.

4. It is not fair to plead, as contradictory of the law, the falling back on local sanctuaries in periods of great national and religious disorganization, as when the land was possessed by enemies, (Jud 6:1-7) or when the ark was in captivity (1Sa_6:1) or separated from the tabernacle; (2Sa_6:11) much less the prevailing neglect of this law in times of acknowledged backsliding and declension. In particular, the period following the rejection of Eli and his sons (1Sa_2:30-35) was one of unusual complications, during which, indeed, Samuel"s own person would seem to have been the chief religious center of the nation.

5. It may further be remarked that the worship at local sanctuaries, having once taken root, justified perhaps by the exigencies of the time, it would be no easy matter to uproot it again, and a modified toleration would have to be accorded. Whatever difficulties inhere in the view of the early existence of this law, it will be found, we believe, that equal or greater difficulties emerge on any other reading of the history. This law was

I AN ASSERTION OF THE PRINCIPLE THAT GOD"S WORSHIP MUST BE ASSOCIATED WITH HIS PRESENCE. (Vers. 5-11.) The sanctuary was constituted by God having "put his Name" there. Under the New Testament the worship of the Father "in spirit and in truth" is liberated from special sacred places, (Joh_4:24) but the principle holds good that his being "in the midst" of his people is essential to worship being acceptable. (Mat_18:20)

II AN IMPORTANT MEANS OF KEEPING ALIVE THE SENSE OF NATIONAL UNITY. The union of the tribes was far from being close. Tribe feeling was often stronger than national feeling. A powerful counteractive to the local interests, and to the jealousies, rivalries, and feuds which tended to divide the nation, was found in the central sanctuary, and in the festivals therewith connected. Like the Olympic games in Greece, the sanctuary festivals formed a bond of unity for the entire people, helped them to realize their national distinctness, and awakened in them lofty and patriotic aspirations. In the Christian Church, everything is valuable which helps to develop the sense of catholicity.

III A MEANS, FURTHER, OF INFUSING WARMTH AND VITALITY INTO RELIGIOUS SERVICES. In religion, as in other matters, we need to avail ourselves of social influences. We need public as well as private worship. The self-wrapt man grows cold. There is a time for outward demonstration, not less than for internal meditation. Sharing our gladness with others, it is multiplied to ourselves a hundred-fold. The importance, in this view of them, of the sanctuary festivals, was very great. They were, from the nature of the case, "events," matters to be looked forward to with interest, and long to be remembered after they had taken place. They involved preparations, and often long journeys. Everything about them the journey in company with neighbors, the season of the year, the friendly greetings, the exhilaration of the scene as they neared the sanctuary, the varied and solemn services at the sanctuary itself was fitted in a singular degree to exalt, awe, quicken, and impress their minds. Such influences, even in gospel times, are not to be despised.

IV A COUNTERACTIVE TO IDOLATRY. It; put something in place of that which was taken away. It provided counter-attractions. Negation is not an effective instrument of reform. If we remove with one hand, we must give with the other. Our methods must be positive. J.O.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Thither bring your burnt-offerings - Which were wisely appropriated to that one place, for the security of the true religion, and for the prevention of idolatry and superstition, which might otherwise more easily have crept in: and to signify that their sacrifices were not accepted for their own worth, but by God's gracious, appointment, and for the sake of God's altar, by which they were sanctified, and for the sake of Christ, whom the altar manifestly represented. Your heave-offerings - That is, your first-fruits, of corn, and wine, and oil, and other fruits. And these are called the heave-offerings of their hand, because the offerer was first to take these into his hands, and to heave them before the Lord, and then to give them to the priest. Your free-will-offerings - Even your voluntary oblations, which were not due by my prescription, but only by your own choice: you may chuse what kind of offering you please to offer, but not the place where you shall offer them.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

וזבחיהם AND YOUR SACRIFICES — Obligatory feast-offerings (cf. Sifrei Devarim 63:7)

מעשרתיכם [THERE YOU SHALL BRING] YOUR TITHES — i.e. both the tithe of the cattle and the second tithe, in order to consume them within the wall(cf. Sifrei Devarim 63:8).

תרומת ידכם THE HEAVE-OFFERING OF YOUR HAND — These are the first-fruits of which it is said, (Deuteronomy 26:4) “And the priest shall take the basket out of thine hand” (cf. Sifrei Devarim 63:9).

ובכרת בקרכם AND THE FIRSTLINGS OF YOUR HERD — in order to give them to the priest that he may offer them there.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

YOUR TITHES — “the tithe of cattle and the Second Tithe which are to be eaten within the wall [of Jerusalem]. AND HEAVE-OFFERING OF YOUR HAND — these are the first-fruits of which it is said, And the priest shall take the basket out of thy hand. ” This is Rashi’s language quoting the words of our Rabbis. 63.In line with the plain meaning of Scripture the verse mentions the burnt-offerings, and the sacrifices that he is obligated to eat there within the boundary [of Jerusalem] before the Eternal.. It mentions also that he is to bring there the tithe and the heave-offering to give them to the priests and Levites who are the ministers of the Sanctuary so that they too, rejoice with you and your families, as it says, Bring ye the whole tithe into the store-house, that there be food in My house, and try Me now herewith, saith the Eternal of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall be more than enough. ) is given to the priest, the First Tithe (ma’aseir rishon) to the Levite. The Levite in turn sets aside a tenth of that tithe for the priest, which is called “the heave-offering of the tithe” (terumath ma’aseir). It is also referred to as “the tithe of the tithe.” And so indeed [the prophets and leaders] established an ordinance during the Second Temple concerning the heave-offering and the heave-offering of the tithe ) is given to the priest, the First Tithe (ma’aseir rishon) to the Levite. The Levite in turn sets aside a tenth of that tithe for the priest, which is called “the heave-offering of the tithe” (terumath ma’aseir). It is also referred to as “the tithe of the tithe.” that the people bring them to the Sanctuary, as it is said, and that we should bring the first of our dough, and our heave-offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, the wine and the oil, unto the priests, to the chambers of the House of our G-d, and it is further said, [and the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes] unto the House of our G-d, to the chambers, into the treasure-house., Verse 39.And the meaning of the expression and heave-offering of your hand is [in line with the simple meaning of Scripture a reference to the heave-offering and not to the first-fruits] because the Torah has set no fixed measure for the heave-offering [which the Israelite gives to the priest]; rather it consists of whatever his hand sets aside [for the priest]. Similarly, that which is said, Thou mayest not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy corn etc. or the heave-offering of thine hand Second Tithes outside Jerusalem, and to a priest’s eating of first-fruits outside Jerusalem (Makkoth 18a); see also “The Commandments,” Vol. II, pp. 131-140, for various prohibitions included in this verse. Thus here again the heave-offering of thine hand is interpreted as referring to the first-fruits, as explained by Rashi in the verse before us. In line with the plain meaning of Scripture as explained by Ramban, however, the verse is a reminder to the Israelite etc. reminds the Israelite that he is not to eat in his own city the tithe, the firstlings, the vow-offerings, or the heave-offering. And then the verse proceeds to distinguish between them, but thou shalt eat them before the Eternal thy G-d etc. thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, Verse 18. whatever may be eaten by you [i.e., the Second Tithe]; and the Levite that is within thy gates, Verse 18. shall eat there in your gates [i.e., outside Jerusalem] what is due him [i.e., the First Tithe] as it is stated concerning them, And ye may eat in every place. Scripture thus abbreviates concerning matters that are explained elsewhere.And I am further of the opinion regarding the plain meaning of this verse that the expression [in the verse before us] heave-offering of your hand denotes that which a person lifts up to the Eternal of his silver and gold to buy with it a burnt-offering or a [peace-]offering. And [the verse before us] mentions three kinds of offerings: the vow-offerings which are [assumed as obligations when a person says], “I pledge myself to bring an offering of a bullock, or a sheep, or a goat: ” the freewill-offering when he says of a bullock or sheep, “This shall be a burnt-offering and I will bring it to the Sanctuary,” and terumah (the donation) which he lifts up, silver or gold from anything he has, or when he brings his unconsecrated animal to the Sanctuary Court and says to the priests, “This is [given] from my possession to G-d,” similar in expression to the verse, Every one that ‘meirim terumath’ (did lift up an offering) of silver and brass, brought the Eternal’s offering. So also, All ‘terumoth’ of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto the Eternal denotes “the offerings” [as explained above rather than, the heave-offering]. Similarly He states with reference to the shekels, half a shekel after the shekel of the Sanctuary etc. half a shekel for ‘terumah’ (an offering) to the Eternal, these to be used for buying the communal offerings, is not limited to the heave-offering given to the priest from the produce of the field, but that it may also signify any donation or offering that a person gives to the Sanctuary. The expression in the verse before us heave-offering of your hand thus denotes the setting aside of any valuables for a sacred purpose. for whatever a person lifts up to G-d from whatever is his own — whether for offerings or for Temple maintenance, as it is stated, and they take for Me ‘terumah’ (an offering);, 25:2. In this case the word terumah denotes “something set apart” for the construction of the Tabernacle. or for the priests, the ministers of the Eternal — it is all called terumah. This is similar to what is written concerning the tax, and thou shalt give it unto Eleazar the priest as ‘terumath Hashem’ (a portion set apart for the Eternal), which remained entirely unconsecrated in Eleazar’s possession [thus proving that terumah need not refer exclusively to the priestly tithe]. A similar usage [of the term terumah is found in the following verse]: And I weighed unto them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, even ‘terumath’ (the donation for) the House of our G-d, which the king, and his counsellors had offered. Now Scripture [here in the verse before us] does not state “your heave-offerings,” so that we should not mistake it to mean the heave-offering given to the priests [from the produce of the field]; instead it says, the heave-offering of your hand, what you set aside as a freewill offering from what has become your property. Now all things mentioned here must be consumed within a certain location, refers to the Second Tithe and the tithe of cattle, and heave-offering of your hand denotes the donations for the offerings which also require a certain location where they may be eaten — the holiest offerings within the Sanctuary Court, and those of lesser holiness within the city of Jerusalem. for the expression your tithes denotes the tithe of cattle and the Second Tithe which are eaten before the Eternal [i.e., within the wall of the city of Jerusalem]. However, the First Tithe is the tithe of the Levites, and the Poorman’s Tithe belongs to them [the poor; and are the personal property of the recipients and may be eaten anywhere].

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.