Deuteronomy 12:5 Instead, you must seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to establish as a dwelling for His Name, and there you must go.

Bible > Deuteronomy > Chapter 12 > Verse 5

◄ Deuteronomy 12:5 ►

New International Version
But you are to seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for his dwelling. To that place you must go;

New Living Translation
Rather, you must seek the LORD your God at the place of worship he himself will choose from among all the tribes—the place where his name will be honored.

English Standard Version
But you shall seek the place that the LORD your God will choose out of all your tribes to put his name and make his habitation there. There you shall go,

Berean Standard Bible
Instead, you must seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to establish as a dwelling for His Name, and there you must go.

King James Bible
But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come:

New King James Version
“But you shall seek the place where the LORD your God chooses, out of all your tribes, to put His name for His dwelling place; and there you shall go.

New American Standard Bible
But you shall seek the LORD at the place which the LORD your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and you shall come there.

NASB 1995
“But you shall seek the LORD at the place which the LORD your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and there you shall come.

NASB 1977
“But you shall seek the LORD at the place which the LORD your God shall choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and there you shall come.

Legacy Standard Bible
But you shall seek Yahweh at the place which Yahweh your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and there you shall come.

Amplified Bible
But you shall seek the LORD at the place which the LORD your God will choose out of all your tribes to establish His Name there for His dwelling [place], and there you shall come [to worship Him].

Christian Standard Bible
Instead, turn to the place the LORD your God chooses from all your tribes to put his name for his dwelling and go there.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Instead, you must turn to the place Yahweh your God chooses from all your tribes to put His name for His dwelling and go there.

American Standard Version
But unto the place which Jehovah your God shall choose out of all your tribes, to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come;

English Revised Version
But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The LORD your God will choose a place out of all your tribes to live and put his name. Go there and worship him.

Good News Translation
Out of the territory of all your tribes the LORD will choose the one place where the people are to come into his presence and worship him.

International Standard Version
Instead, you must seek to enter only the place that the LORD your God will choose among your tribes. There he will establish his name and live.

Majority Standard Bible
Instead, you must seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to establish as a dwelling for His Name, and there you must go.

NET Bible
But you must seek only the place he chooses from all your tribes to establish his name as his place of residence, and you must go there.

New Heart English Bible
But to the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes, to put his name there, even to his habitation you shall seek, and there you shall come;

Webster's Bible Translation
But the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come:

World English Bible
But to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose out of all your tribes, to put his name there, you shall seek his habitation, and you shall come there.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
rather—that you seek after the place which your God YHWH chooses out of all your tribes to put His Name there, for His Dwelling Place, and you have entered there,

Young's Literal Translation
but unto the place which Jehovah your God doth choose out of all your tribes to put His name there, to His tabernacle ye seek, and thou hast entered thither,

Smith's Literal Translation
But the place which Jehovah your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, to his dwelling shall ye seek, and there do thou come:

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
But you shall come to the place, which the Lord your God shall choose out of all your tribes, to put his name there, and to dwell in it:

Catholic Public Domain Version
Instead, you shall approach the place which the Lord your God will choose among all your tribes, so that he may set his name there, and may dwell in that place.

New American Bible
Instead, you shall seek out the place which the LORD, your God, chooses out of all your tribes and designates as his dwelling to put his name there. There you shall go,

New Revised Standard Version
But you shall seek the place that the LORD your God will choose out of all your tribes as his habitation to put his name there. You shall go there,

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
But to the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, his habitation shall you seek, and thither you shall go;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
But in the place that LORD JEHOVAH your God had chosen from all your tribes to put his name there, be seeking out the house of his dwelling and going there:

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put His name there, even unto His habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
But in the place which the Lord thy God shall choose in one of your cities to name his name there, and to be called upon, ye shall even seek him out and go thither.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

One Place for Worship
…4You shall not worship the LORD your God in this way. 5Instead, you must seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to establish as a dwelling for His Name, and there you must go. 6To that place you are to bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and heave offerings, your vow offerings and freewill offerings, as well as the firstborn of your herds and flocks.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

1 Kings 9:3
And the LORD said to him: “I have heard your prayer and petition before Me. I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting My Name there forever; My eyes and My heart will be there for all time.

2 Chronicles 7:16
For I have now chosen and consecrated this temple so that My Name may be there forever. My eyes and My heart will be there for all time.

Psalm 132:13-14
For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His home: / “This is My resting place forever and ever; here I will dwell, for I have desired this home.

1 Kings 8:29
May Your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, toward the place of which You said, ‘My Name shall be there,’ so that You may hear the prayer that Your servant prays toward this place.

2 Chronicles 6:6
But now I have chosen Jerusalem for My Name to be there, and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel.’

Exodus 20:24
You are to make for Me an altar of earth, and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and peace offerings, your sheep and goats and cattle. In every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you.

1 Kings 11:36
I will give one tribe to his son, so that My servant David will always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city where I chose to put My Name.

2 Chronicles 12:13
Thus King Rehoboam established himself in Jerusalem and reigned. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the LORD had chosen from all the tribes of Israel in which to put His Name. His mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonite.

1 Kings 14:21
Meanwhile, Rehoboam son of Solomon reigned in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the LORD had chosen from all the tribes of Israel in which to put His Name. His mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonite.

2 Chronicles 7:12
the LORD appeared to him at night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice.

John 4:20-24
Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place where one must worship is in Jerusalem.” / “Believe Me, woman,” Jesus replied, “a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. / You worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. ...

Matthew 18:20
For where two or three gather together in My name, there am I with them.”

Hebrews 10:19-22
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, / by the new and living way opened for us through the curtain of His body, / and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ...

Acts 7:48-49
However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says: / ‘Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. What kind of house will you build for Me, says the Lord, or where will My place of repose be?

Revelation 21:3
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.

Treasury of Scripture

But to the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even to his habitation shall you seek, and thither you shall come:

But unto

Deuteronomy 12:11
Then there shall be a place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I command you; your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the LORD:

Deuteronomy 16:2
Thou shalt therefore sacrifice the passover unto the LORD thy God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which the LORD shall choose to place his name there.

Deuteronomy 26:2
That thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name there.

habitation

Exodus 15:2
The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him.

Exodus 25:22
And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

Numbers 7:89
And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with him, then he heard the voice of one speaking unto him from off the mercy seat that was upon the ark of testimony, from between the two cherubims: and he spake unto him.

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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

Berean Study Bible

Instead
This word marks a contrast from previous instructions given to the Israelites. In the context of Deuteronomy, it signifies a shift from the practices of the surrounding nations, which often involved worship at multiple high places. The Hebrew root here implies a decisive change, urging the Israelites to abandon pagan practices and focus on a singular, divinely appointed location for worship.

you must seek
The Hebrew verb "darash" conveys a sense of diligent searching or inquiring. This is not a passive action but an active pursuit. The Israelites are called to earnestly seek out the place God has chosen, emphasizing the importance of intentionality in worship. This reflects a broader biblical theme of seeking God with all one's heart, as seen in passages like Jeremiah 29:13.

the place
This phrase refers to a specific location that God will designate for His worship. Historically, this would become the Temple in Jerusalem. Theologically, it underscores the idea of sacred space, a central location where God's presence dwells among His people. This concept is foundational in understanding the significance of the Temple and later, the Church as the body of Christ.

that the LORD your God will choose
The sovereignty of God is highlighted here. The choice of the place of worship is not left to human decision but is determined by God Himself. This reflects the biblical principle that true worship is defined by God's revelation and not human invention. It also foreshadows the New Testament understanding of Jesus as the chosen cornerstone (1 Peter 2:4-6).

from among all your tribes
This phrase indicates that the chosen place will be central and accessible to all the tribes of Israel, promoting unity among the people. It serves as a reminder that worship is a communal activity, drawing all of God's people together in a shared faith and purpose.

to establish His name
In Hebrew culture, a name represents character and presence. God's name being established in a place signifies His presence and authority there. This is not merely about a physical location but about the manifestation of God's glory and holiness. It points to the ultimate revelation of God's name in Jesus Christ, who embodies God's presence among us (John 1:14).

as a dwelling
The Hebrew word "mishkan" is often translated as "tabernacle" or "dwelling place." It conveys the idea of God residing with His people. This anticipates the incarnation, where God dwells among humanity in the person of Jesus. It also looks forward to the eschatological promise of God dwelling with His people in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:3).

To that place you must go
This command underscores the necessity of obedience in worship. The Israelites are instructed to physically go to the place God has chosen, symbolizing the journey of faith and the act of drawing near to God. It serves as a reminder that worship involves movement—both physical and spiritual—toward God, aligning with James 4:8, "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you."

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(5) But unto the place which the Lord your God shall choose out of all your tribes.--The very form of the order proves its antiquity. No one who was acquainted with the removal of that "place" from Shiloh to Nob, from Nob to Gibeon, from Gibeon to Jerusalem, could have written with such utter unconsciousness of later history as these words imply. It is noticeable that in the reading of this precept in the times of our Lord, the Jews seem to have arrived at the came state of unconsciousness. They could not conseive of the presence or worship of Jehovah anywhere but at Jerusalem. (See on this topic St. Stephen's speech in Acts 7, and the incidental proofs it contains of God's presence with Israel in many places, in reply to the accusation made against Stephen of preaching the destruction of the one idolized seat of worship at Jerusalem.)

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

Instead,
כִּ֠י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

you must seek
תִדְרְשׁ֖וּ (ṯiḏ·rə·šū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 1875: To tread, frequent, to follow, to seek, ask, to worship

the place
הַמָּק֞וֹם (ham·mā·qō·wm)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4725: A standing, a spot, a condition

the LORD
יְהוָ֤ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

your God
אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶם֙ (’ĕ·lō·hê·ḵem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

will choose
יִבְחַ֨ר (yiḇ·ḥar)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 977: To try, select

from among all
מִכָּל־ (mik·kāl)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

your tribes
שִׁבְטֵיכֶ֔ם (šiḇ·ṭê·ḵem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 7626: Rod, staff, club, scepter, tribe

to establish
לָשׂ֥וּם (lā·śūm)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set

as a dwelling
לְשִׁכְנ֥וֹ (lə·šiḵ·nōw)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7933: A residence

for His Name,
שְׁמ֖וֹ (šə·mōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 8034: A name

and there
שָֽׁמָּה׃ (šām·māh)
Adverb | third person feminine singular
Strong's 8033: There, then, thither

you must go.
וּבָ֥אתָ (ū·ḇā·ṯā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

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OT Law: Deuteronomy 12:5 But to the place which Yahweh your (Deut. De Du)