The Meaning of Deuteronomy 12:2 Explained

Deuteronomy 12:2

KJV: Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree:

YLT: ye do utterly destroy all the places where the nations which ye are dispossessing served their gods, on the high mountains, and on the heights, and under every green tree;

Darby: Ye shall utterly destroy all the places wherein the nations which ye shall dispossess have served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree;

ASV: Ye shall surely destroy all the places wherein the nations that ye shall dispossess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Ye shall utterly  destroy  all the places,  wherein the nations  which  ye shall possess  served  their gods,  upon the high  mountains,  and upon the hills,  and under every green  tree: 

What does Deuteronomy 12:2 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 12

1  Monuments of idolatry to be destroyed
4  The place of God's service to be kept
15  Blood is forbidden
17  Holy things must be eaten in the holy place
19  The Levite is not to be forsaken
20  Blood is again forbidden
26  and holy things must be eaten in the holy place
29  Idolatry is not to be enquired after

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 12:2 mean?

Utterly You shall destroy - all the places where served there the nations which you shall dispossess - - their gods on the mountains high and on the hills and under every tree green
אַבֵּ֣ד תְּ֠אַבְּדוּן אֶֽת־ כָּל־ הַמְּקֹמ֞וֹת אֲשֶׁ֧ר עָֽבְדוּ־ שָׁ֣ם הַגּוֹיִ֗ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַתֶּ֛ם יֹרְשִׁ֥ים אֹתָ֖ם אֶת־ אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֑ם עַל־ הֶהָרִ֤ים הָֽרָמִים֙ וְעַל־ הַגְּבָע֔וֹת וְתַ֖חַת כָּל־ עֵ֥ץ רַעֲנָן‪‬

אַבֵּ֣ד  Utterly 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Infinitive absolute
Root: אָבַד  
Sense: perish, vanish, go astray, be destroyed.
תְּ֠אַבְּדוּן  You  shall  destroy 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, second person masculine plural, Paragogic nun
Root: אָבַד  
Sense: perish, vanish, go astray, be destroyed.
אֶֽת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַמְּקֹמ֞וֹת  the  places 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מָקֹום  
Sense: standing place, place.
אֲשֶׁ֧ר  where 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
עָֽבְדוּ־  served 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָבַד  
Sense: to work, serve.
הַגּוֹיִ֗ם  the  nations 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
יֹרְשִׁ֥ים  shall  dispossess 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: יָרַשׁ  
Sense: to seize, dispossess, take possession off, inherit, disinherit, occupy, impoverish, be an heir.
אֹתָ֖ם  - 
Parse: Direct object marker, third person masculine plural
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֑ם  their  gods 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
הֶהָרִ֤ים  the  mountains 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
הָֽרָמִים֙  high 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: יָרוּם 
Sense: to rise, rise up, be high, be lofty, be exalted.
וְעַל־  and  on 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הַגְּבָע֔וֹת  the  hills 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: גִּבְעָה  
Sense: hill.
וְתַ֖חַת  and  under 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.
כָּל־  every 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
עֵ֥ץ  tree 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
רַעֲנָן‪‬  green 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רָעַן 
Sense: (Palel) to be or grow luxuriant or fresh or green adj.