John Calvin Commentary Deuteronomy 12:10

"But when ye go over the Jordan, and dwell in the land which Jehovah your God causeth you to inherit, and he giveth you rest from all your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety;" — Deuteronomy 12:10 (ASV)

But when ye go over Jordan. This verse confirms what I have previously said: that the Jews were bound by a specific rule once they reached the promised land; and yet that the place where the Ark was to rest perpetually would not be immediately revealed to them. For what is declared at the end of the verse—that God would give them rest all around, so that they would dwell in safety—was not, in fact, perfectly fulfilled before the time of David.

Still, God intended for them, once they were enjoying the land, to gather even from their most distant borders to the sanctuary.

He omits certain kinds of offerings of which He had recently spoken and substitutes for “vows,”¹⁰⁹ “the choice vows,” which some translate as “very choice vows,” or “the chief things in your vows.” I do not reject this interpretation; however, the other meaning is simpler: that it included all the vows that everyone had made of his own free will and choice.

Shortly thereafter, He expresses His meaning more fully when He prohibits them from offering sacrifices wherever they pleased. For, “to see a place,” here, means to be captivated by the sight, thereby connecting religion and holiness with elegance and beauty.

¹⁰⁹ A.V., Your choice vows; ., Your choice vows; margin, the choice of your vows. Ainsworth the choice of your vows. Ainsworth in loco, “i.e., the best, the best, or fairest, as the Chaldee translateth."as the Chaldee translateth."