TITHE AND OFFERINGS (12:1-7, 10-12, 17-19, 28)

Deuteronomy 12 marks the beginning of the stipulation section of the book. It falls into three major parts. The first deals with the place of worship: the many sanctuaries of the Canaanites are to be destroyed, and the Israelites are to shun the Canaanite practice of worshipping at many sanctuaries and limit their sacrificial worship to one place, chosen by God (vv 2-7). The second part clarifies the restriction of sacrifice to a single place and spells out the ramifications of this restriction (vv 8-28). The last part generalizes the principle of shunning Canaanite ways of worship and identifies the most horrendous of them, which is child sacrifice (vv 29-32). The limitation of sacrificial worship to the central sanctuary, which is peculiar to Deuteronomy, affected the religious lives of individuals, the sacrificial system, the way festivals were celebrated, the economic status of the Levites, local sanctuaries, and the judicial system. For our discussion on the tithe system in connection with the central sanctuary regulation, we have selected relevant verses in the chapter.

1. These are the statutes and ordinances86 that you must surely keep in the land that the

LORD, the God of your ancestors, gave87 you as an everlasting inheritance.

2. You must surely destroy all the places where the nations you are about to dispossess

served their gods, on the high mountains, on the hills, and under every flourishing tree.

86 _{םיִטָפּ ְשִׁמַּהְו םי ִקֻּחַֽה}

(the statutes and ordinances). The two words refer to a clear communicated regulation or prescription of what one should do (Swanson 1997:2976). This verse serves as an introduction to the next major portion of Deuteronomy, the portion containing specific legislation or stipulation (i.e. 12:1-26:15; cf. Craigie 1976:215).

3. You must tear down their altars, smash their stone pillars, and burn their asherah poles

with fire; you must cut down the carved images of their gods, and destroy their names out of that place.

4. You must not do so to the LORD your God.

5. But you must seek and go to the place which the LORD your God shall choose88 out of all

your tribes as a dwelling for the LORD’S name.

6. You must bring your burnt offerings, sacrifices, tithes, and contribution there,89 including your votive offerings, freewill offering, and the firstlings of herd and flock.

7. And you, with your family, must eat there before the LORD your God, rejoicing in your

labour, which the LORD your God has blessed you.

10. When you cross over the Jordan to live in the land, which the Lord your God gives you to

inherit, the LORD shall give you rest from all your enemies all around, and you shall live securely.

11. Then to the place which the LORD your God shall choose as a dwelling for the LORD’S

name, you must bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings, sacrifices, tithes, and your contribution, including your choice votive offerings, which you vow to the LORD.

12. You shall rejoice before the LORD your God, including your sons and daughters, your

male and female servants, and the Levite90 resident in your towns because he has no portion or inheritance with you.

88_{םֶכיֵהֹֽלֱא ה ָוהְי ר ַחְבִי־ר ֶשֲׁא םו ֹקָמַּה (The place which the LORD your God will choose). “The place” referred}

to here is in sharp antithesis to the “places” (v.2) where the Canaanites worshipped their gods. Craigie (1976:217) argues that this part of Moses’ address on the law was concerned with this antithesis, rather than with the theoretical question of whether there could be more than one sanctuary in the Promised Land. The Israelites were to avoid all places associated with Canaanite worship, and only resort to the place divinely chosen. The passage did not indicate how this divine choice will be made or determined.

89_{הָמּ ָשׁ(there). To this divinely appointed place, the people were to bring their tithes and offerings, which will be}

used to support the festival meal in the presence of the LORD, partaken by the givers’ households (vv 6-7).

90_{יִוֵלַּהְו (the Levite). Since the Levites had no allotted tribal territory from which to derive their income, they were}

dependent economically on the largesse of the general populace. Christensen (2001:248) reported that not all Levites officiated at the central sanctuary. They were distributed throughout the land of Israel with duties of teaching and expounding the faith, including the law (cf. 33:10; 2 Chron 15:3). When the term “Levite” is used alone in Deuteronomy, it refers to the teaching priests who functioned at the local level, in towns throughout the land of Israel. They were clients of the community and thus were included with the poor and landless who must be cared for (cf. vv 18-19).

17. You should not eat within your towns91 the tithe of grain, new wine and oil, the firstlings of your herd and flock, or any of your votive offerings, which you vow, or your freewill offering and contribution.

18. But you must eat them before the LORD your God92 in the place, which the LORD your

God shall choose with your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levite resident in your towns; you shall rejoice before the LORD your God in all your labour.

19. Be careful not to abandon the Levite as long as you live in your land.

28. Pay careful attention93 to these words, which I command you, so that it may be well with you and your descendants forever when you do what is good and right in the sight of the LORD your God.