Deuteronomy 12:20
“When the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as he has promised you, and you say, ‘I will eat meat,’ because you crave meat, you may eat meat whenever you desire.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse reveals a shift from strict ritual to a more practical application of God's law once Israel settles in the promised land. It shows that when God's blessing (an enlarged territory) makes distant worship impossible, permission is granted to eat meat as a regular food source, not just as a sacrifice, freeing them from a potentially burdensome restriction that was intended for a different stage of their journey.
This passage addresses a practical concern that arises as Israel's territory expands: how to eat meat when the central sanctuary is far away. Previously, the law required all animals to be brought to the designated place of worship for slaughter, but this becomes impossible as the nation grows and occupies a vast land. The text anticipates a future where people living at the edges of this enlarged territory might crave meat and provides permission to eat it locally, as long as they strictly avoid consuming blood.
You've been following God's strict rules about eating meat, but what happens when life gets bigger? This verse reveals God's thoughtful provision for changing circumstances.
The entire chapter of Deuteronomy 12 is about centralizing worship to the one place God chooses. This was meant to prevent idolatry. However, the scholars point out a practical challenge: as Israel's territory expanded, many would live far from the central sanctuary.
Deuteronomy 12:20 addresses this! When God 'enlarges your territory,' meaning He blesses them with more land and likely more livestock, they get permission to eat meat even if they can't bring it all to the central altar for ritual slaughter. This isn't a loophole; it's God adjusting the rules for His people's practical needs as they grow and prosper under His promises. He wants them to enjoy His blessings!
Craving meat is a simple, human desire. But in ancient Israel, it came with strict religious requirements. This passage offers a surprising freedom.
The ancient Near Eastern world often saw the slaughter of animals as inherently sacramental – tied to religious rites and appeasing deities. Leviticus and earlier parts of Deuteronomy emphasize bringing sacrifices to the central sanctuary.
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However, Deuteronomy 12:20-21 allows for non-ritual slaughter and eating of meat under specific conditions: God has expanded their territory, and they live too far from the central altar. The key condition here is that the blood must be poured out on the ground (as detailed in verses 23-25), separating the act from idolatrous practices where blood might be consumed or offered to other gods.
This gives Israel freedom to enjoy the 'meat whatsoever your soul lusteth after,' but it's a freedom tethered to obedience and a right understanding of God. It shows God cares about both His sacred worship and the wholesome enjoyment of His creation.
This passage directly echoes the promise of God enlarging Israel's borders, setting the stage for the practical adjustments in dietary laws mentioned in Deuteronomy.
Leviticus 17:10-11This verse explains the underlying reason for the blood prohibition, which is directly linked to the permissibility of eating meat in Deuteronomy 12, emphasizing the sanctity of life.
1 Samuel 14:32-35This narrative shows the Israelites' unrestrained desire for meat and their failure to observe the blood prohibition, highlighting the need for the regulations in Deuteronomy.
Hosea 9:3-4This prophecy contrasts the ideal worship in the promised land with exile, illustrating how restrictions on food and sacrifice are tied to dwelling in God's chosen place.
Romans 14:14This New Testament passage echoes the freedom to eat permitted foods, reflecting a similar principle of liberty in dietary matters under the new covenant, freed from the specific Old Testament sanctuary restrictions.
ellicottDeuteronomy 12:20: "When the LORD thy God shall enlarge thy border, as he hath promised thee, and thou shalt say, I will eat flesh, because thy soul longeth to eat flesh; thou mayest eat flesh, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after."
(20) When the Lord thy God shall enlarge thy border. . . .— This and the following verses (20-25) are perfectly intelligible as an expansion of Deuteronomy 12:15-16 , and a modification of the strict rule introduced in Leviticus 18:2 , &c. The distance from the central…
cambridgeDeuteronomy 12:20: "When the LORD thy God shall enlarge thy border, as he hath promised thee, and thou shalt say, I will eat flesh, because thy soul longeth to eat flesh; thou mayest eat flesh, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after."
20–28. Practical Corollary to the Law of the One Altar Originally among the Semites as among some other races all slaughter of domestic animals was sacramental1[132]: cp. the Heb. and Arab. word ‘for altar, lit. slaughter-place (see on Deuteronomy 12:3 ). But if this l…
This verse reveals a shift from strict ritual to a more practical application of God's law once Israel settles in the promised land. It shows that when God's blessing (an enlarged territory) makes distant worship impossible, permission is granted to eat meat as a regular food source, not just as a sacrifice, freeing them from a potentially burdensome restriction that was intended for a different stage of their journey.
This passage addresses a practical concern that arises as Israel's territory expands: how to eat meat when the central sanctuary is far away. Previously, the law required all animals to be brought to the designated place of worship for slaughter, but this becomes impossible as the nation grows and occupies a vast land. The text anticipates a future where people living at the edges of this enlarged territory might crave meat and provides permission to eat it locally, as long as they strictly avoid consuming blood.
This passage addresses a practical concern that arises as Israel's territory expands: how to eat meat when the central sanctuary is far away. Previously, the law required all animals to be brought to the designated place of worship for slaughter, but this becomes impossible as the nation grows and occupies a vast land. The text anticipates a future where people living at the edges of this enlarged territory might crave meat and provides permission to eat it locally, as long as they strictly avoid consuming blood.
"“When the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as he has promised you, and you say, ‘I will eat meat,’ because you crave meat, you may eat meat whenever you desire." — This verse reveals a shift from strict ritual to a more practical application of God's law once Israel settles in the promised land. It shows that when God's blessing (an enlarged territory) makes di…
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