Deuteronomy 12:20 Meaning: When God Gives You Room to Enjoy
When Yahweh your God enlarges your border, as he has promised you, and you say, “I want to eat meat,” because your soul desires to eat meat, you may eat meat, after all the desire of your soul.
When the Lord thy God shall enlarge thy border, as he hath promised thee, and thou shalt say, I will eat flesh, because thy soul longeth to eat flesh; thou mayest eat flesh, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after.
When Jehovah thy God shall enlarge thy border, as he hath promised thee, and thou shalt say, I will eat flesh, because thy soul desireth to eat flesh; thou mayest eat flesh, after all the desire of thy soul.
`When Jehovah thy God doth enlarge thy border, as He hath spoken to thee, and thou hast said, Let me eat flesh--for thy soul desireth to eat flesh--of all the desire of thy soul thou dost eat flesh.
When Jehovah thy God shall enlarge thy border, as he promised thee, and thou say, I will eat flesh, because thy soul longeth to eat flesh, thou mayest eat flesh, according to all the desire of thy soul.
Meaning in one sentence
Why does God permit eating meat freely when territory expands? Deuteronomy 12:20 reveals God's care for ordinary desires within His boundaries.
Context
This verse sits inside a long section where Moses explains how worship will work once Israel enters the land. The big change is that sacrifice will happen at one place God chooses, not at local altars. But that raises a problem: if all slaughter was previously connected to worship, what happens when you live far from the central sanctuary and simply want a meal? Earlier law in Leviticus 17 had treated domestic animal slaughter as sacrificial, requiring it at the tabernacle. Now, with the promise that God will enlarge their territory, that rule becomes unworkable. So Moses gives a new permission. The same God who drew the boundary around worship also makes room for ordinary life to flourish within it.
Key Words
Three Hebrew words hold the warmth of this verse. The verb for 'enlarges' is rachav, to make wide, to create space. God is the one who pushes the borders outward; the permission to eat freely is not a human invention but a gift that comes with the expanded land itself. The word for 'desires' here is avah, a deep craving, a longing that rises from the belly. It is the same word used in Numbers 11 when the people wept for meat in the wilderness, only there, the craving came with grumbling against God. Here, the same hunger is met with a simple 'you may eat.' And 'soul' translates nephesh, the whole living self, not some separate spirit, but the you that breathes and hungers. Your nephesh wants meat, and God says yes. He does not treat your ordinary appetites as shameful. The permission flows from the enlargement; it is provision, not indulgence.
How Christians Read This Verse
Jewish tradition has long read this verse as the basis for the permission of non-sacrificial slaughter, the shechitah practiced far from the Temple. The rabbis saw in it God's accommodation to ordinary life, a concession, but also a blessing. Protestant commentators like Matthew Henry emphasize that the permission comes with the condition of the land and is meant for rejoicing before the Lord, not for mere appetite. Anglican writers like the Cambridge Bible note the practical necessity: the law of the one altar could not function without this release. Catholic teaching, while not basing canon law directly on this text, shares the principle that the regulation of worship does not bind when it becomes impossible in practice. Across traditions, readers agree: God is not threatened by our physical needs. He made them, and He makes room for them.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers think this verse gives a blanket permission for Christians to eat anything, anytime, without restraint. In fact, the permission is tied to the expansion of Israel's territory and the distance from the altar. It is not a license for gluttony or indifference to God's presence. The surrounding verses still insist on the blood prohibition and the obligation to bring holy things to the sanctuary. The freedom here is real, but it moves within boundaries: rejoice, yes, but remember the life is in the blood, and the Lord is still the giver.
Living This Out
Maybe you are in a season where God has 'enlarged your border', more room, more resources, more freedom than before. It can feel uncomfortable. You might wonder if it is right to enjoy what you have. This verse says yes. Your desire to enjoy good things is not something to hide or feel guilty about. But the permission comes within the story of God's promise. He is the one who made the room. So enjoy the meal. Invite someone to share it. Pour the sauce on the plate, not the blood in the cup. The freedom is real because the Giver is faithful. Let the meal remind you that He keeps His word.
Main takeaway: God gives you room to enjoy ordinary desires because He is the one who makes the border wide.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God promised to give His people lots of land. When they wanted meat, He said they could eat it. God likes to give us good things.
For ages 9, 12
In the Old Testament, most meat came from sacrifices at the temple. But when God gave Israel more land, people lived too far away to bring every animal there. So God made a new rule: they could eat meat at home, as long as they didn't eat the blood. This shows that God cares about our needs, even simple things like wanting a meal. He doesn't make rules just to be strict. He makes room for us to enjoy what He gives.
Questions People Ask
Was it wrong to eat meat before this verse?
Not wrong, but restricted. Under the earlier law in Leviticus 17, domestic animals that could be sacrificed had to be killed at the tabernacle. This meant meat was only eaten as part of a sacrificial meal. Deuteronomy 12:20 relaxes that rule when people live far from the sanctuary, allowing them to slaughter and eat at home.
Does this verse teach that God wants us to have whatever we crave?
Not exactly. The craving in this verse is for meat, a basic food that was scarce in the wilderness. God permits it within the context of the land He has given. The Hebrew word 'avah' can mean a strong desire, but it is not inherently sinful. The permission is tied to God's provision, not to every passing wish. The surrounding verses still command holiness and forbid eating blood.
What does 'enlarges your border' mean for Christians today?
Christians have seen this as a picture of God's provision and abundance. Some apply it to seasons of blessing where God gives more resources or freedom. The principle is that God is not stingy. He gives room for joy. The specifics about the altar and blood belong to Israel's ceremonial law, but the heart of the verse, God making space for human need, remains true.
Why is the blood prohibition still important in this verse?
Verse 16 and 23-24 emphasize that the blood must be poured out like water. Even though meat can now be eaten at home, the life is still in the blood and belongs to God. The relaxation of the slaughter rule does not mean God's holiness is relaxed. It shows that freedom comes with boundaries that honor the giver of life.
Is this verse about eating meat from animals, or can it apply to other foods?
It is specifically about meat (basar). The context is the difference between sacred slaughter at the altar and ordinary slaughter for food. But the pattern, God providing for legitimate human desire within the bounds of His covenant, applies to all good gifts. The key is that the gift comes from God, and we receive it with thankfulness.
For pastors & researchers
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