John Calvin Commentary Deuteronomy 12:5

"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;" — Deuteronomy 12:5 (ASV)

But unto the place which the Lord your God shall choose. It is asked why God would have sacrifices offered to Him only on one altar. Besides the reason I have recently advanced, it is not to be doubted that He, in this way, had regard for believers, so that He might foster in them an agreement in the unity of the faith. This place, then, was like a standard to gather the people together, so that their religion would not be torn by divisions, and so that no diversities would creep in. Moreover, God, by claiming His right and authority to choose the place, commends obedience, on which the purity of worship also depends.

But again, another question arises. Because, before the time of David, the Ark had nowhere a fixed resting-place but traveled about, so to speak, to various lodgings, therefore, if the chosen place is understood to be Mount Zion, were the people free in the meantime to perform the sacrifices wherever they pleased?

I reply that the place was not chosen until the Ark was placed in Zion, for not until then was fulfilled what is said in the Psalm:

I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord;
our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem (Psalms 122:1–2).

In these words, the Prophet indicates that there was previously no resting-place, because God had not yet pointed out the place in which He would be worshipped. Therefore it is expressly said, out of all your tribes, or in one of your tribes, by which a special privilege is referred to, which was to be conferred on one of their tribes, to the exclusion of the others. And to this relates what is said in another Psalm:

Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim, but chose the tribe of Judah, the Mount Zion which he loved: and he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth, which he hath established for ever (Psalms 78:67–69).

To the same effect, the faithful elsewhere congratulate themselves, after the Ark was deposited with David: We will go into his tabernacles, we will worship at his footstool; and, on the other hand, the Spirit declares:

The Lord hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it (Psalms 132:13–14).

Similar statements occur everywhere, confirming the opinion that the Ark never rested in its true home until it was deposited on Zion. And God, in my judgment, so that He might keep the hope of His people in suspense, promised—although the Ark changed its place from time to time—that He had still determined on a perpetual abode in which it should rest.

Yet it does not therefore follow that, until that period, free permission was given to the people to sacrifice wherever they wished. For, wherever the sanctuary was, there was also a temporary choice of the place, until the legitimate resting-place was shown them.

Therefore God, chastising through Jeremiah the foolish confidence by which the Jews were puffed up, said:

Go ye now unto my place, which was in Shiloh, and see what I did to it, etc. (Jeremiah 7:12).

In these words, he implies that Shiloh had been highly honored for a time, but had now been deprived of its honor because the sacrifices there had been unworthily polluted.

Although, then, there is a special promise here concerning Zion, still there is no doubt that God in the meantime confines the Jews to His sanctuary, so that no one would erect a private altar for himself, or build for himself other cities and other temples. The phrase is noteworthy, to put his name there, and again, his habitation. The gross imaginations of men are thus countered, so that the people would not enclose God within walls, as they are accustomed to circumscribe His infinite essence, or to draw Him down from heaven and place Him beneath the elements of the world.

But God’s name is said to inhabit a place, not in His own nature, but with reference to humanity; while, out of consideration for their ignorance, He presents to their eyes a visible symbol of His presence. Thus He is often said to come down, not as if He, who fills heaven and earth, actually moved, but because the familiar knowledge of Him brings Him near to men.

But although He allows Himself to be invoked on earth, yet He would not have the minds of men rest there, but rather lifts them up high as if by steps. Therefore, through Isaiah, He harshly rebukes them because, although enveloped in their sins, they still thought that He was under obligation to them because His temple was in their sight (Isaiah 66:1), while it is our task to approach Him by faith and with serious feelings when He extends His hand to us.

The Ark of the Covenant indeed is often called His face; but, so that men would not form any gross or earthly conceptions of Him, the sanctuary is also called His footstool.

The various kinds of oblations which are listed here will be more clearly explained later. I will only briefly remind you that the burnt-offerings are included in the sacrifices, as a part is taken for the whole.

The Hebrew word, which we have translated the elevating of the hand, is תרומה, therumah,¹⁰⁴ to which another word, תנופה, thenuphah, is often added. But, although both are derived from the act of elevating, still they seem to differ, and those skilled in the language distinguish them thus: namely, that תרומה, therumah, is to be lifted up and then brought down; and תנופה, thenuphah, to be turned at the same time to the right and left, although others think it means to be turned round to the four quarters of the globe.

There is a difference between vows and freewill-offerings; for although a vow is at first freely made, we may still offer things which we have not vowed. I have already spoken of the firstlings.

¹⁰⁴ תרומה, the heaving or elevating; , the heaving or elevating; תנופה, the heaving or vibrating. , the heaving or vibrating. C.’s translation of the first word is that of translation of the first word is that of S.M.; and his note on both is extracted from a note of .; and his note on both is extracted from a note of S.M. on on Exodus 25:2, where , where תרומה occurs, and is rendered occurs, and is rendered offering in the text of in the text of A.V., but ., but heave-offering in its margin. — in its margin. — W