Deuteronomy 16:11
in Deuteronomy 16and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God in the place He will choose as a dwelling for His Name—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levite within your gates, as well as the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widows among you.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and thou shalt rejoice before Jehovah thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy man-servant, and thy maid-servant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the sojourner, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are in the midst of thee, in the place which Jehovah thy God shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there.
KJV
And thou shalt rejoice before the Lord thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are among you, in the place which the Lord thy God hath chosen to place his name there.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 16
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThou shalt rejoice - The offerings of the Israelites were to be eaten with festivity, communicated to their friends with liberality, and bestowed on the poor with great generosity, that they might partake with them in these repasts with joy before the Lord. To answer these views it was necessary to eat the flesh while it was fresh, as in that climate putrefaction soon took place; therefore they were commanded to let nothing remain until the morning, Deu 16:
This site's exposition
and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God
on Deuteronomy 16:11-12
Rejoicing is commanded in company, and the list runs past the household to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widows. People with no land are named at the feast beside the household that holds some. Verse 12 gives the ground, “Remember that you were slaves in Egypt”.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Holy joy is the heart and soul of thankful praises, which are as the language and expression of holy joy. They must rejoice in their receivings from God, and in their returns of service and sacrifice to him; our duty must be our delight as well as our enjoyments. They must have their very servants to rejoice with them, "for remember (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens+odd-straight-quotes
And thou shalt rejoice before the Lord thy God,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Seven weeks shalt thou number--The feast of weeks, or a WEEK OF WEEKS: the feast of pentecost (see on Le 23:10; also see Ex 34:22; As on the second day of the passover a sheaf of new barley, reaped on purpose, was offered, so on the second day of pentecost a sheaf of new wheat was presented as first-fruits (Ex 23:16;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
How the passage was read
On Deuteronomy 16:1-17On Deuteronomy 16:1-17
Three times a year, on the road
This passage sets the rhythm behind half the New Testament's travel scenes: three times a year (Passover, Weeks, Tabernacles) every Israelite male was to appear “before the LORD” at the one chosen place, which became Jerusalem. That is pilgrimage: whole families and villages walking or riding for days, camping, filling the city to bursting. It is why the boy Jesus is in Jerusalem in Luke 2, why the city is crowded at the crucifixion, and why devout Jews “from every nation” are there at Pentecost in Acts 2.
The Mishnah opens its tractate on the festival visit by asking exactly who is obligated to make the trip (Chagigah 1:1): men were bound; women and children came freely, as Mary did.
What the Jewish commentators add
He mentions here [that you are to rejoice] in the place which the Eternal thy G-d shall choose to cause His Name to dwell there, 359 Verse.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Rabbi Abraham [ibn Ezra] said that this phrase is connected with the expression and thy manservant, and thy maidservant. Verse. [mentioned in the first part of the preceding verse]. The correct interpretation is according to the plain meaning thereof, that you are to observe these statutes.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Sources: Mishnah Chagigah 1:1 (who must appear) · Luke 2:41 (the family's yearly pilgrimage)
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
25 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְשָׂמַחְתָּ֞ | vesamachta | and you will rejoice | H8055 → | 155 times |
| לִפְנֵ֣י׀ | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ | ʾeloheikha | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אַתָּ֨ה | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| וּבִנְךָ֣ | uvinkha | and son your | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| וּבִתֶּךָ֮ | uvitekha | and daughter your | H1323 → | 588 times |
| וְעַבְדְּךָ֣ | veavdekha | and [male] servant your | H5650 → | 799 times |
| וַאֲמָתֶךָ֒ | vaamatekha | and female servant your | H519 → | 56 times |
| וְהַלֵּוִי֙ | vehalevi | and the Levite | H3881 → | 291 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בִּשְׁעָרֶ֔יךָ | bishareikha | [is] in gates your | H8179 → | 374 times |
| וְהַגֵּ֛ר | vehager | and the sojourner | H1616 → | 92 times |
| וְהַיָּת֥וֹם | vehaiyatom | and the fatherless one | H3490 → | 42 times |
| וְהָאַלְמָנָ֖ה | vehaalmanah | and the widow | H490 → | 56 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בְּקִרְבֶּ֑ךָ | bekirbecha | [are] in midst your | H7130 → | 227 times |
| בַּמָּק֗וֹם | bamakom | in the place | H4725 → | 401 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר | ʾasher | where | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יִבְחַר֙ | yivchar | he will choose | H977 → | 171 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ | ʾeloheikha | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| לְשַׁכֵּ֥ן | leshaken | to cause to dwell | H7931 → | 129 times |
| שְׁמ֖וֹ | shemo | name his | H8034 → | 864 times |
| שָֽׁם׃ | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
וְשָׂמַחְתָּ֞and you will rejoice
vesamachtaH8055 →155 times
לִפְנֵ֣י׀<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
יְהוָ֣הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָGod your
ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times
אַתָּ֨הyou
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
וּבִנְךָ֣and son your
uvinkhaH1121 →4930 times
וּבִתֶּךָ֮and daughter your
uvitekhaH1323 →588 times
וְעַבְדְּךָ֣and [male] servant your
veavdekhaH5650 →799 times
וַאֲמָתֶךָ֒and female servant your
vaamatekhaH519 →56 times
וְהַלֵּוִי֙and the Levite
vehaleviH3881 →291 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בִּשְׁעָרֶ֔יךָ[is] in gates your
bishareikhaH8179 →374 times
וְהַגֵּ֛רand the sojourner
vehagerH1616 →92 times
וְהַיָּת֥וֹםand the fatherless one
vehaiyatomH3490 →42 times
וְהָאַלְמָנָ֖הand the widow
vehaalmanahH490 →56 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בְּקִרְבֶּ֑ךָ[are] in midst your
bekirbechaH7130 →227 times
בַּמָּק֗וֹםin the place
bamakomH4725 →401 times
אֲשֶׁ֤רwhere
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יִבְחַר֙he will choose
yivcharH977 →171 times
יְהוָ֣הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָGod your
ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times
לְשַׁכֵּ֥ןto cause to dwell
leshakenH7931 →129 times
שְׁמ֖וֹname his
shemoH8034 →864 times
שָֽׁם׃there
shamH8033 →834 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Philippians 4:4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
it leads to
- 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18
Rejoice at all times.
- Romans 12:12
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, persistent in prayer.
- James 1:2–4
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds,
- Philippians 3:1
Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.
- Matthew 5:12
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18
Through
Deuteronomy 12:18Instead, you must eat them in the presence of the LORD your God at the place the LORD your God will choose—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levite within…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 12:7
There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your households shall eat and rejoice in all you do, because the LORD your God has blessed you.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 12:7
Through
Deuteronomy 12:7There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your households shall eat and rejoice in all you do, because the LORD your God has blessed you.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 12:18
Instead, you must eat them in the presence of the LORD your God at the place the LORD your God will choose—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levite within…
- Leviticus 23:40
On the first day you are to gather the fruit of majestic trees, the branches of palm trees, and the boughs of leafy trees and of willows of the brook. And you are to…
- Deuteronomy 12:18
Where this verse is studied
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.