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 16:2KJV
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Deuteronomy 16:2 (KJV)

What does Deuteronomy 16:2 mean?

Deuteronomy 16:2 instructs the Israelites to offer the Passover sacrifice to the LORD their God, using animals from their flock or herd, and to do this in the specific place that the LORD will choose for His name. The verse emphasizes both the act of sacrifice and the importance of the chosen location for worship.

In this verse, Moses is speaking to the people of Israel as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. The instruction connects to the annual Passover festival, recalling their deliverance from Egypt. The command highlights that worship and sacrifice should not happen just anywhere, but only at the place God designates, which later becomes Jerusalem.

The Hebrew behind Deuteronomy 16:2

  • "sacrifice" (זָבַח, zavach): This word means to slaughter or offer an animal as a sacrifice. It points to the specific ritual act required for the Passover, not just any meal or celebration.
  • "passover" (פֶּסַח, pesach): This refers to the special festival and the lamb or animal sacrificed in memory of God sparing the Israelites in Egypt. The use of this word ties the command directly to the foundational story of Israel’s rescue.
  • "place" (מָקוֹם, maqom): This word means a specific location. The verse stresses that God—not the people—chooses where true worship and sacrifice should take place.
  • "choose" (בָּחַר, bachar): This verb means to select or appoint. The text underlines that the place for sacrifice is not random or traditional, but is determined by God’s own decision.

Why Deuteronomy 16:2 matters

  • Deuteronomy 16:2 clarifies that Passover sacrifices were not to be made just anywhere, but only at the central sanctuary God would choose, correcting any idea that worship could happen at any local altar.
  • The verse connects the act of sacrifice with God’s authority and presence, showing that true worship involves both obedience and recognition of God’s chosen place.
  • This instruction sets the stage for later developments in Israel’s history, where Jerusalem becomes the central place of worship, and helps explain why local altars were eventually forbidden.

Where else these words appear

“passover” Hebrew H6453 · used in 46 verses

  • Exodus 12:11 And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD'S passover.
  • Numbers 28:16 And in the fourteenth day of the first month is the passover of the LORD.
  • 2 Chronicles 30:18 For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good LORD pardon every one

“place” Hebrew H7931 · used in 123 verses

  • Genesis 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
  • 1 Chronicles 23:25 For David said, The LORD God of Israel hath given rest unto his people, that they may dwell in Jerusalem for ever:
  • Proverbs 10:30 The righteous shall never be removed: but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth.

“sacrifice” Hebrew H2076 · used in 127 verses

  • Genesis 31:54 Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount.
  • 1 Samuel 2:13 And the priests' custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand;
  • 2 Chronicles 15:11 And they offered unto the LORD the same time, of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.