King James Version

Deuteronomy 12:20

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.

Study

Hebrew

Tap a word to see its meaning. Words run left to right in English reading order.

כִּֽיkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…יַרְחִיב֩yarchivmake roomרָחַבverb, hiphil, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “make room”, an unfinished actionH7337to broaden (intransitive or transitive, literal or figurative)be an en-(make) large(-ing), make room, make (open) wide.יְהוָ֨הyehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).אֱלֹהֶ֥יךָeloheykhaGodאֱלֹהִיםnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “God”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH430gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlativeangels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.אֶֽתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).גְּבֽוּלְךָ֮gevulekhaborderגְּבוּלnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “border”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1366properly, a cord (as twisted), i.e. (by implication) a boundary; by extension the territory inclosedborder, bound, coast, [idiom] great, landmark, limit, quarter, space.כַּאֲשֶׁ֣רkaasheras becauseאֲשֶׁרpreposition, particle, relative — “as because”H834who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.[idiom] after, [idiom] alike, as (soon as), because, [idiom] every, for, [phrase] forasmuch, [phrase] from whence, [phrase] how(-soever), [idiom] if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), [idiom] though, [phrase] until, [phrase] whatsoever,…דִּבֶּרdiberspeakדָבַרverb, piel, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “speak”, a completed actionH1696perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdueanswer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work.לָךְ֒lakhetoלָךְ֒preposition, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, feminine, singular — “to”toוְאָמַרְתָּ֙veamartaand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, a completed action in a sequenceH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…אֹכְלָ֣הokhelaheatאָכַלverb, qal, cohortative, 1st person, common, singular — “eat”, a determination or requestH398to eat (literally or figuratively)[idiom] at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, [idiom] freely, [idiom] in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, [idiom] quite.בָשָׂ֔רvasarbodyבָּשָׂרnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “body”, the ordinary formH1320flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body, person; also (by euphemistically) the pudenda of amanbody, (fat, lean) flesh(-ed), kin, (man-) kind, [phrase] nakedness, self, skin.כִּֽיkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…תְאַוֶּ֥הteavehcovetאָוָהverb, piel, imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “covet”, an unfinished actionH183to wish forcovet, (greatly) desire, be desirous, long, lust (after).נַפְשְׁךָ֖nafshekhacreatureנֶפֶשׁnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “creature”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5315properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, [idiom] dead(-ly), desire, [idiom] (dis-) contented, [idiom] fish, ghost, [phrase] greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, [idiom] jeopardy of) life ([idiom] in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally,…לֶאֱכֹ֣לleekholto eatאָכַלpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to eat”, the to-form of the verbH398to eat (literally or figuratively)[idiom] at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, [idiom] freely, [idiom] in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, [idiom] quite.בָּשָׂ֑רbasarbodyבָּשָׂרnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “body”, the ordinary formH1320flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body, person; also (by euphemistically) the pudenda of amanbody, (fat, lean) flesh(-ed), kin, (man-) kind, [phrase] nakedness, self, skin.בְּכָלbekhalin allכֹּלpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “in all”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3605properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).אַוַּ֥תavatdesireאַוָּהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “desire”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH185longingdesire, lust after, pleasure.נַפְשְׁךָ֖nafshekhacreatureנֶפֶשׁnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “creature”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5315properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, [idiom] dead(-ly), desire, [idiom] (dis-) contented, [idiom] fish, ghost, [phrase] greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, [idiom] jeopardy of) life ([idiom] in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally,…תֹּאכַ֥לtokhaleatאָכַלverb, qal, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “eat”, an unfinished actionH398to eat (literally or figuratively)[idiom] at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, [idiom] freely, [idiom] in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, [idiom] quite.בָּשָֽׂרbasarbodyבָּשָׂרnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “body”, the ordinary formH1320flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body, person; also (by euphemistically) the pudenda of amanbody, (fat, lean) flesh(-ed), kin, (man-) kind, [phrase] nakedness, self, skin.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

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 desireth to eat flesh; thou mayest eat flesh, after all the desire of thy soul.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

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.

Young’s Literal Translation

'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.

World English Bible

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.

Darby Translation

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.

Douay-Rheims

When the Lord thy God shall have enlarged thy borders, as he hath spoken to thee, and thou wilt eat the flesh that thy soul desireth:

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And if the Lord thy God shall enlarge thy borders, as he said to thee, and thou shalt say, I will eat flesh; if thy soul should desire to eat flesh, thou shalt eat flesh according to all the desire of thy soul.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἐὰν δὲ ἐμπλατύνῃ Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου τὰ ὅριά σου, καθάπερ ἐλάλησέ σοι, καὶ ἐρεῖς, φάγομαι κρέα, ἐὰν ἐπιθυμήσῃ ἡ ψυχή σου ὥστε φαγεῖν κρέα, ἐν πάσῃ ἐπιθυμίᾳ τῆς ψυχῆς σου φάγῃ κρέα.