Deuteronomy 16:6 · Bible study
Deuteronomy 16:6 Commentary: The Central Sanctuary and the Passover
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why must the Passover be sacrificed only at the place God chooses? Discover the theological and pastoral significance of this command.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The Passover must be sacrificed only at the central sanctuary God chooses, not in local towns or homes.
- Key words: ‘place’ (maqom), ‘choose’ (bachar), ‘cause his name to dwell’ (shakhan piel infinitive), ‘Passover’ (pesach), ‘appointed time’ (mo’ed).
- Main debate: Whether this command applied only to the tabernacle/Temple era or carries a permanent principle for worship; also the relationship between Passover and Unleavened Bread as two originally separate feasts.
- Theological theme: Centralization of worship as a safeguard against idolatry and as a means of national unity; Passover as a type of Christ’s sacrifice.
- Best use: Teaching the importance of corporate worship, the historical roots of Christian liturgy, and the typological connection between the Passover lamb and Jesus.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
You must only offer the Passover sacrifice at the place the LORD your God will choose as a dwelling for His Name. Do this in the evening as the sun sets, at the same time you departed from Egypt.
WEB World English Bible 2000
but at the place which Yahweh your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell in, there you shall sacrifice the Passover at evening, at the going down of the sun, at the season that you came out of Egypt.
KJV King James Version 1769
But at the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
but at the place which Jehovah thy God shall choose, to cause his name to dwell in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
except at the place which Jehovah thy God doth choose to cause His name to tabernacle--there thou dost sacrifice the passover in the evening, at the going in of the sun, the season of thy coming out of Egypt;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
but at the place that Jehovah thy God will choose, to cause his name to dwell in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, at the going down of the sun, at the time that thou camest forth out of Egypt.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
But in the place which the Lord thy God shall choose, that his name may dwell there: thou shalt immolate the phase in the evening, at the going down of the sun, at which time thou camest out of Egypt.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Sino en el lugar que Jehová tu Dios escogiere para hacer habitar allí su nombre, sacrificarás la pascua por la tarde á puesta del sol, al tiempo que saliste de Egipto:
Mas sim no lugar que o SENHOR teu Deus escolher para fazer habitar ali seu nome, sacrificarás a páscoa pela tarde ao pôr do sol, ao tempo que saíste do Egito:
mais c’ est dans le lieu que choisira l’ Éternel, ton Dieu, pour y faire résider son nom, que tu sacrifieras la Pâque, le soir, au coucher du soleil, à l’ époque de ta sortie d’ Égypte.
sondern an der Stätte, die der HERR, dein Gott erwählen wird, daß sein Name daselbst wohne, da sollst du das Passah schlachten des Abends, wenn die Sonne ist untergegangen, zu der Zeit, als du aus Ägypten zogst.
Maar aan de plaats, die de HEERE, uw God, verkiezen zal om daar Zijn Naam te doen wonen, aldaar zult gij het pascha slachten aan den avond, als de zon ondergaat, ter bestemder tijd van uw uittrekken uit Egypte.
anzi, immolerai la Pasqua soltanto nel luogo che l’Eterno, il tuo Dio, avrà scelto per dimora del suo nome; la immolerai la sera, al tramontar del sole, nell’ora in cui uscisti dall’Egitto.
Ale na miejscu, które obierze Pan, Bóg twój, aby tam mieszkało imię jego, ofiarować będziesz ofiarę świętą przejścia w wieczór przy zajściu słońca, w ten czas, któregoś wyszedł z Egiptu.
но только на том месте, которое изберет Господь, Бог твой, чтобы пребывало там имя Его, заколай Пасху вечером при захождении солнца, в то самое время, в которое ты вышел из Египта;
只 當在 耶和華─你 神 所 選擇 要立 為他名的 居所，晚上 日 落的時候，乃是你出 埃及 的時候，獻 逾越節的祭。
But in the place marked out by the Lord your God as the resting-place of his name, there you are to put the Passover to death in the evening, at sundown, at that time of the year when you came out of Egypt.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Deuteronomy 16:6
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this verse drives home the need for centralizing worship around one sanctuary, a theme repeated at least six times in Deuteronomy 16 alone (Barnes). The Passover must be sacrificed at the specific location where God causes His name to dwell, which for later readers pointed to Jerusalem and the Temple (Gill). Wesley sees in this command a design to prefigure the death of Christ, the true Passover lamb. The Cambridge Bible notes that the timing 'at evening, at the going down of the sun' roots the ritual directly in the original Exodus event. Despite source-critical debates about the relationship between Passover and Unleavened Bread, the core requirement is clear: God chooses a single place for his people’s central act of redemption-remembrance.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Literal central sanctuary: Barnes, Gill, and most traditional commentators read the verse as a straightforward command to sacrifice the Passover only at the one altar God designates—first the tabernacle, later the Temple in Jerusalem.
- Typological/Christological: Wesley sees the one place as prefiguring the place where Christ, the true Passover, would be sacrificed; this view connects the Old Testament command to New Testament fulfillment (John 1:29, 1 Corinthians 5:7).
- Liturgical development: The Cambridge Bible and other critical scholars note a debated source-critical issue: the original Passover law (vv. 1–2, 5–7) may have been expanded later to include the Feast of Unleavened Bread (vv. 3–4, 8), affecting how we understand the unity of the passage.
What is clear: God requires the Passover to be sacrificed at the one place He chooses to put His name, and the timing is tied to the evening of the Exodus.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Central sanctuary requirement | All traditions affirm that the verse commands the Passover to be sacrificed at the one place God chooses, not in local towns. | Some see this as a permanent law for Israel; others as a temporary measure during the wilderness and settlement; Christians vary on whether it applies to church buildings or remains uniquely fulfilled in Christ. |
| Timing of the sacrifice | All agree the sacrifice occurred in the evening, at sunset on the fourteenth day of Abib. | The exact meaning of 'at the going down of the sun' is debated: some take it as strictly sunset (the moment the sun disappears), others as the whole period between the afternoon and night (the 'between the two evenings' tradition). |
| Relationship with Unleavened Bread | Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread are both commemorated in this chapter and are historically connected. | Source critics argue they were originally separate feasts later combined (Cambridge Bible). Others see them as integrated from the beginning. |
| Typology of Christ | Many Christian traditions see the Passover as a type pointing to Jesus’ sacrifice. | Wesley explicitly reads the central sanctuary as prefiguring the place of Christ’s death. Other traditions emphasize the literal, continuing significance for Israel. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Deuteronomy is a series of sermons by Moses as Israel stands on the edge of the Promised Land. In Exodus 12, the first Passover was a family meal eaten in every Israelite home. But now, as the nation prepares to settle in Canaan, God insists that the Passover be offered only at the sanctuary he chooses, the same principle already laid down in Deuteronomy 12:5. This shift served several purposes. It prevented the corruption of worship at local high places, which often became sites of idolatry. It also made the Passover a pilgrimage feast, requiring every adult male to travel to the central sanctuary three times a year. The repeated phrase 'the place which Yahweh your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell in' carries the Piel infinitive of shakhan, meaning 'to settle' or 'to establish.' God’s name dwelling signified his unique presence, his Shekinah, in that spot (Gill). The timing is equally deliberate: 'at evening, at the going down of the sun' corresponds to the fourteenth day of Abib (Exodus 12:6). In the Hebrew day, sunset marked the transition to the next day, so the sacrifice occurred at the very boundary between days, binding the ritual to the moment of the original departure from Egypt. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown notes that the sheer number of victims, thousands of lambs, required the orderly precincts of the central sanctuary, which had many priests and a large altar. This command thus shaped Israel’s identity: their defining act of redemption could not be privatized. It had to be done together, in the one place God chose, as a united people.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Deuteronomy 16:6. The Masoretic Text is stable across Hebrew manuscripts, and the ancient versions (LXX, Targums, Vulgate) consistently reflect the same wording. The main textual question involves the broader composition of chapter 16, whether verses 3, 4 and 8 on Unleavened Bread were added later, but that does not affect the received text of verse 6 itself.
Reception History
Jewish tradition emphasized this verse as establishing the requirement for a Passover pilgrimage to Jerusalem after the Temple was built. The Mishnah (Pesachim) details the logistics of sacrificing so many lambs in the temple courts. In Christian interpretation, the verse was read through a typological lens: the one place where the Passover lamb must be killed pointed to Calvary, the one place where the true Lamb was sacrificed (John 19:16, 18). The Reformers (Calvin, Luther) used the passage to argue for the purity of worship according to God’s command, rejecting the multiplication of altars they saw in medieval practice. More recently, Catholic and Orthodox readings connect the central sanctuary to the Eucharist, the Church’s one sacrifice offered in multiple locations but united in Christ.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God chooses the place of worship. He does not leave it to human preference. Israel must go where He puts His name.
- Worship is both communal and costly. Traveling to the central sanctuary required effort and faith. It bound the nation together around a shared memory.
- The Passover points forward to Christ. As Wesley observed, the one place where the lamb was slain prefigured the one place, Calvary, where the Lamb of God would be sacrificed for the world.
Five-point outline
- The place: Only at the sanctuary God chooses, no private altars.
- The time: At evening, at the going down of the sun, the hour of transition and redemption.
- The sacrifice: The Passover lamb, a memorial of deliverance from Egypt.
- The season: The appointed time (mo’ed), fixed by God’s calendar, not human convenience.
- The connection: From Egypt to the Promised Land, from the first Passover to the Last Supper.
Illustration hooks
- Planning a family reunion requires a central meeting spot. No one stays home and expects to be part of the celebration. The same principle applied to Israel’s annual gathering at the sanctuary.
- Think of the inconvenience of traveling to the same place every year for a major holiday. That inconvenience was part of the point, it reminded the people that worship was not optional and that their shared history mattered more than individual comfort.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does it really matter where I worship? Can’t I just connect with God anywhere?
- Why did God change the Passover from a home celebration to a temple sacrifice?
- What does it mean for God’s name to ‘dwell’ in a place? Is that still true in some way for the church today?
Leading a Discussion
This passage challenges us to think about the role of gathered worship in our own walk with God. The Israelites could not celebrate the defining event of their history in private; they had to travel to the place God chose. What does that say about our need for the church community today?
Discussion questions
- What stands out to you in the way God describes the place of worship: 'where he causes his name to dwell'?
- Why do you think God insisted on one central sanctuary rather than allowing local Passover celebrations? What dangers was he preventing?
- How does the timing 'at the going down of the sun' connect the Passover to the original Exodus? Why might that matter for understanding the ritual?
- In what ways is our own worship shaped by the principle of gathering in a designated place? Is that always easy? Is it always necessary?
- Wesley saw this verse as pointing to the sacrifice of Christ. How does that interpretation deepen your appreciation of either the Old Testament command or the New Testament fulfillment?
- What does this passage teach about the relationship between personal faith and corporate worship?
- How can we apply the idea of 'the place God chooses' to our own church life? Does it have any bearing on church unity or church splits?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 12:6 | You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month; and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at evening. |
| Exodus 12:9 | Don’t eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted with fire; with its head, its legs and its inner parts. |
| Numbers 9:3 | On the fourteenth day of this month, at evening, you shall keep it in its appointed season. You shall keep it according to all its statutes and according to all its ordinances.” |
| Numbers 9:11 | In the second month, on the fourteenth day at evening they shall keep it; they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. |
| Deuteronomy 12:5 | But to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose out of all your tribes, to put his name there, you shall seek his habitation, and you shall come there. |
| Matthew 26:20 | Now when evening had come, he was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples. |
| Hebrews 1:2 | has at the end of these days spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds. |
| Hebrews 1:3 | His Son is the radiance of his glory, the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, who, when he had by himself purified us of our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high, |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes stresses that the repeated command in these verses is not merely to observe the three annual feasts, but to observe them exclusively at the one central sanctuary. He notes this point is made six times in sixteen verses, partly because the Passover had been neglected for thirty-nine years in the wilderness.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentary argues that Deuteronomy 16:1-8 shows signs of being a compilation of two originally separate laws, one on Passover and one on Unleavened Bread. The instructions about unleavened bread break the flow of the Passover commands, and verse 8 appears to be an addition by a later editor.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses that the Passover must be offered only at the place God designates, not anywhere else, and precisely at evening near sunset—tying the sacrifice's timing to the very hour Israel departed from Egypt.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights the precise location where the Passover must be sacrificed—the temple in Jerusalem, where God's Shechinah dwells—and the exact timing: at sunset, between the two evenings, eaten until midnight. He ties this to the redemption from Egypt, which began at midnight when Pharaoh released Israel.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB counters the common objection that so many Passover lambs could not be sacrificed in just a few hours. He points to the large number of skilled priests, the vast altar, and the orderly ceremonial system that made the task efficient, reducing what would otherwise take days into a manageable timeframe.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange sees the entire passage as a deliberate unfolding of the Sabbath idea in six ascending stages: rest from debt, freedom from bondage, consecration of life, redemption through Passover, joy in harvest, and final perfection in the feast of tabernacles. For him, the Sabbath principle shapes not just a day but all of Israel's economic and worship life as a preparation for God's ultimate rest.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley points to the specific location—the temple or tabernacle court—where the Passover lamb was slain, and gives three reasons: for greater solemnity, because the blood sprinkling made it a true sacrifice, and to foreshadow the place where Christ, the true Lamb, would be killed.