WhenכִּיYHWHיְהוָהyour Elohimאֱלֹהֶיךָenlargesיַרְחִיבyour territoryאֶת גְּבוּלְךָasכַּאֲשֶׁרhe has spokenדִּבֶּרto you,לָךְand you say,וְאָמַרְתָּ“I will eatאֹכְלָהmeat,”בָשָׂרbecauseכִּיyour soulנַפְשְׁךָcravesתְאַוֶּהto eatלֶאֱכֹלmeat,בָּשָׂרyou may eatתֹּאכַלmeatבָּשָׂרwith allבְּכָלthe desireאַוַּתof your soul.נַפְשְׁךָ
Deuteronomy 12:20
Study it in the app“When YHWH your Elohim enlarges your territory as he has spoken to you, and you say, “I will eat meat,” because your soul craves to eat meat, you may eat meat with all the desire of your soul.”
With the Hebrew beneath
Deuteronomy 12:20, word by word
- YHWHיְהוָהyehva
YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
Where else “yehva” appears- your Elohimאֱלֹהֶיelohe
Elohim
The one true God, the Creator; the word is plural but means one.
Where else “elohe” appears- enlargesיַרְחִיבyarchiv
make room, enlarge
Make wide, give ample room; enlarge.
Where else “yarchiv” appears- your territoryגְּבוּלְgevul
territory
The land within that border.
Where else “gevul” appears- he has spokenדִּבֶּרdiber
speak
To speak, say something; above all God to his people.
Where else “diber” appears- and you sayאָמַרְתָּamarta
say
To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.
Where else “amarta” appears- “I will eatאֹכְלָהochla
eat
To bring food to the mouth and swallow it, above all at a shared table.
Where else “ochla” appears- meatבָשָׂרvasar
meat
Meat to eat.
Where else “vasar” appears- your soulנַפְשְׁnafsh
appetite
Hunger or craving; the throat.
Where else “nafsh” appears- cravesתְאַוֶּהteave
crave, desire
Desire strongly, crave something.
Where else “teave” appears- the desireאַוַּתavat
desire, craving
Desire: a strong wanting of something.
Where else “avat” appears
The context
19Guard yourself so that you do not abandon the Levite all your days on your land.
20 · This verse (above)
21If the place that YHWH your Elohim chooses to put his name there is far from you, then you may sacrifice from your herd and from your flock that YHWH has given you, as I have commanded you, and you may eat within your gates with all the desire of your soul.