Deuteronomy 14 meaning explained in AI Summary
Dietary Laws
- Distinguishing Clean and Unclean Animals: God establishes dietary laws that differentiate between clean and unclean animals. The Israelites are permitted to eat only the designated clean animals, promoting a sense of holiness and setting them apart from the surrounding nations.
- Focus on the Lord: These dietary restrictions are not simply about health but about reminding the Israelites of their dependence on God as the source of all provision.
- Offering the Firstfruits: The chapter also instructs the Israelites to offer the firstfruits of their harvest to the Lord as a sign of gratitude and recognition of His blessings.
This chapter focuses on laws concerning ritual purity, dietary restrictions, and tithes. It emphasizes the Israelites' distinct identity as God's chosen people, set apart by their practices.
1. Distinctive Practices (1-2):
- Israelites are forbidden from self-mutilation, a common practice among pagans mourning the dead. This reinforces their unique relationship with the living God.
- They are declared "a people holy to the Lord," highlighting their special status and calling for holy living.
2. Dietary Laws (3-21):
- A detailed list of clean and unclean animals is provided, dictating what Israelites can and cannot eat.
- Clean: Animals that chew the cud and have split hooves (e.g., cattle, sheep, goats) and certain fish with fins and scales.
- Unclean: Animals that don't meet both criteria (e.g., pigs, camels, rabbits), birds of prey, most insects, and creatures that crawl on the ground.
- Eating carrion (dead animals) is prohibited, except for foreigners residing among them.
- The purpose of these laws is to maintain ritual purity and distinguish Israelites from surrounding nations.
3. Tithing Laws (22-29):
- Israelites are commanded to tithe (give a tenth) of their produce and livestock annually.
- Every third year, this tithe is to be shared with the Levites (priests), foreigners, orphans, and widows within their communities.
- This practice acknowledges God's ownership of everything and emphasizes compassion for the less fortunate.
Overall, Deuteronomy 14 emphasizes:
- Holiness and Separation: God's chosen people are to live differently than surrounding nations, reflecting their unique relationship with Him.
- Obedience and Blessing: Following God's laws, including dietary restrictions and tithing, brings blessings and demonstrates faithfulness.
- Compassion and Justice: Caring for the vulnerable, such as the poor and marginalized, is an integral part of living out their faith.
This chapter provides practical guidelines for living as God's holy people, emphasizing both personal conduct and communal responsibility.
Deuteronomy 14 bible study ai commentary
The laws in Deuteronomy 14 serve as practical applications of Israel's core identity as a nation set apart for God. The chapter outlines three key areas of distinction from surrounding pagan cultures: mourning rituals, dietary laws, and the practice of tithing. These regulations are not arbitrary but are deeply symbolic, teaching Israel about holiness, life, order, and compassionate justice. By observing these laws, Israel was to live out its unique status as God's "treasured possession," reflecting His character in their daily lives, from what they ate to how they worshipped and cared for the vulnerable in their community.
Deuteronomy 14 context
This chapter is part of Moses' second major address to the new generation of Israelites on the plains of Moab, just before they entered Canaan. The context is covenant renewal. Having established the core theological principles in earlier chapters (e.g., the Shema in Deut 6), Moses now provides specific case laws for life in the land. These laws were designed to establish a theocratic society that was intentionally distinct from the polytheistic, often depraved, Canaanite cultures they were about to encounter and displace. The regulations functioned as visible, daily reminders of their covenant relationship with Yahweh, creating a cultural and religious boundary against pagan assimilation.
Deuteronomy 14:1-2
“You are the children of the Lord your God. Do not cut yourselves or shave the front of your heads for the dead, for you are a people holy to the Lord your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the Lord has chosen you to be his treasured possession.”
In-depth-analysis
- You are the children of the Lord: This establishes the foundational reason for the following commands. Their relationship with God defines their identity and dictates their behavior. This status brings dignity and forbids behavior associated with pagan desperation.
- Do not cut yourselves or shave... for the dead: These were common mourning practices in Canaanite and other Ancient Near Eastern religions. They were associated with the worship of deities like Ba'al, sometimes done in a frenzy to awaken or appease the gods of the underworld or the dead.
- Word - Holy (קָדוֹשׁ, qadosh): Means "set apart," "sacred," or "consecrated." Israel's holiness is not based on their own merit but is conferred upon them by God's choice. Their lifestyle must reflect this set-apart status.
- Word - Treasured possession (סְגֻלָּה, segullah): A unique term denoting a special, highly-valued treasure of a king. It emphasizes Israel's unique relationship, privilege, and responsibility to God among all nations.
Bible references
- 1 Peter 2:9: 'But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession...' (NT fulfillment of Israel's calling in the church).
- Leviticus 19:28: 'You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves...' (A parallel prohibition in the Holiness Code).
- Exodus 19:5: '...then you will be my treasured possession out of all the nations...' (The original statement of the segullah promise at Sinai).
- Jeremiah 16:6: '...no one will cut himself or make himself bald for them.' (Prophetic condemnation of these same pagan mourning rites).
Cross references
Tit 2:14 (a people for his own possession); Rom 8:16 (we are children of God); 1 Kings 18:28 (prophets of Baal cutting themselves); Hos 4:6 (My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge).
Polemics: This is a direct polemic against Canaanite death cults. Archaeological finds, particularly at Ugarit, describe rituals of self-laceration for the deceased god Ba'al. For Israel, death is not the final word, and their God is the God of the living, not the dead. Their mourning was to be marked by hope and restraint, befitting children of the living God.
Deuteronomy 14:3
“Do not eat any detestable thing.”
In-depth-analysis
- This verse serves as a heading for the entire dietary section (vv. 4-21).
- Word - Detestable thing (תּוֹעֵבָה, to'evah): Often translated as "abomination." This is a strong term used for things that are ritually or morally repugnant to God, often associated with idolatry and pagan practices (e.g., Deut 7:25, 18:9). It frames the dietary laws not merely as matters of health but of holiness and rejection of paganism.
Bible references
- Leviticus 11:44-45: 'I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy... I am the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.' (The theological basis for the dietary laws).
- Acts 10:14-15: '“Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”' (The abrogation of the ceremonial dietary laws in the New Covenant).
Cross references
Isa 66:17 (those who eat detestable things); Eze 4:14 (avoiding unclean food); Dan 1:8 (Daniel's resolve not to defile himself).
Deuteronomy 14:4-8
"These are the animals you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat, the deer, the gazelle, the roe deer, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope and the mountain sheep. You may eat any animal that has a divided hoof and that chews the cud. However, of those that chew the cud or that have a divided hoof you may not eat the camel, the rabbit or the hyrax. Although they chew the cud, they do not have a divided hoof; they are ceremonially unclean for you. The pig is also unclean; although it has a divided hoof, it does not chew the cud. You are not to eat their meat or touch their carcasses."
In-depth-analysis
- System of Order: The law establishes clear criteria for "clean" land animals: they must (1) have a completely divided hoof and (2) chew the cud (ruminate). This reflects a divine preference for order and clear categories, echoing the ordered creation in Genesis 1.
- Examples Given: It first lists ten examples of clean animals that were common food sources. It then lists four specific exceptions (camel, rabbit/hyrax, pig) that meet one criterion but not the other, reinforcing the strictness of the categories.
- Symbolism: Chewing the cud was seen by some Jewish sages as symbolic of meditating on God's Word, while the divided hoof represented rightly "dividing" or discerning between good and evil.
- Rejection of Ambiguity: Animals that don't fit the clear, "perfect" land-animal paradigm are excluded. They blur categories and thus represent disorder, which is contrary to God's holiness.
Bible references
- Leviticus 11:2-8: '...whatever divides the hoof... and is cloven-footed and chews the cud... you may eat.' (The primary parallel passage outlining these same laws).
- Genesis 1:24-25: 'And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds..."' (The laws reflect and protect the "kinds" established at creation).
Cross references
Gen 7:2 (clean animals on the ark); Isa 65:4 (those who eat pigs' flesh).
Deuteronomy 14:9-10
"Of all the creatures living in the water, you may eat any that has fins and scales. But whatever does not have fins and scales you may not eat; for you it is unclean."
In-depth-analysis
- Clear Criteria: For aquatic life, the system is again simple and binary: they must have (1) fins and (2) scales.
- Exclusions: This excludes all shellfish (crabs, lobsters, shrimp), eels, and catfish.
- Thematic Consistency: Creatures like shellfish are often bottom-dwellers or scavengers, and serpents like eels blur the line between fish and snake. Again, the principle is avoiding ambiguity and disorder. Fins for propulsion and scales for protection were seen as the normative features of a "proper" fish.
Bible references
- Leviticus 11:9-12: 'Of all the creatures that are in the waters, you may eat these: anything that has fins and scales... is clean for you.' (The parallel passage).
- Genesis 1:20-21: '...let the waters teem with living creatures...' (Again, a reference back to the order of creation).
Deuteronomy 14:11-20
"You may eat any clean bird. But these you may not eat... any kind of raven... the hoopoe... and the bat. All flying insects that swarm are unclean for you; do not eat them. But you may eat any clean winged creature."
In-depth-analysis
- Negative List: Unlike land and sea animals, there are no positive criteria for birds. Instead, a specific list of unclean birds is provided.
- Common Characteristics: The prohibited birds are overwhelmingly predators, scavengers, or nocturnal. They are associated with death, darkness, and the consumption of blood/carrion—all antithetical to a God of life.
- The Bat: Notably listed with the birds, the bat is a winged mammal, an ambiguous creature that blurs categories, making it unclean under this system of order.
- Insects: "Flying insects that swarm" are unclean, with the exception of certain locusts/grasshoppers (as detailed in Lev 11:22), which were clean.
Bible references
- Leviticus 11:13-23: (The longer, parallel list of unclean birds and insects).
- Revelation 18:2: 'Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird.' (Unclean birds used symbolically for judgment and demonic presence).
Cross references
Isa 34:11 (desert owl and raven); Zep 2:14 (owl and raven).
Deuteronomy 14:21
"Do not eat anything you find already dead. You may give it to the foreigner residing in any of your towns, and they may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner. But you are a people holy to the Lord your God. Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk."
In-depth-analysis
- Already Dead: Consuming an animal that died naturally (carrion) was forbidden because the blood had not been properly drained (Lev 17:15). Blood represented life and belonged to God.
- The Foreigner: A distinction is made for the non-Israelite foreigner (ger) or alien (nokri). They were not under the covenant's ceremonial purity laws and could therefore eat it. This highlights that the law was an identity marker for Israel, not a universal health code.
- Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk: This is the third time this cryptic command appears (Exo 23:19; 34:26). While it became the foundation for the extensive Jewish laws separating meat and dairy, its original meaning was likely a polemic. Ugaritic texts suggest a Canaanite fertility ritual involved boiling a kid in its mother's milk to promote agricultural abundance. Israel was to reject such magical practices. It is a profound rejection of perverting the symbol of life (mother's milk) by mixing it with death.
Bible references
- Exodus 23:19: '...You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk.' (First instance of this command).
- Leviticus 17:11: 'For the life of a creature is in the blood...' (The theological basis for draining blood from meat).
- Acts 15:20: '...abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.' (Early church council upheld the principle of not consuming blood).
Deuteronomy 14:22-27
“Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. Eat the tithe... in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose to make his Name dwell... so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always. But if the journey is too long... you are to turn your tithe into silver... go to the place the Lord your God will choose. Use the silver to buy whatever you like... and you and your household shall eat and rejoice in the presence of the Lord your God."
In-depth-analysis
- The Second Tithe / Festival Tithe: This tithe is distinct from the one in Numbers 18 which supported the Levites. This was a "celebration tithe" to be consumed by the worshipper's family.
- Purpose - Learn to Revere: The explicit purpose is not just financial, but spiritual: to foster a continuous, joyful reverence for God.
- Worship as Celebration: This frames worship not as a somber duty but as a joyful feast and festival in God's presence, shared with family. It connected God's material provision directly with the act of worship.
- Practicality: The provision to convert the tithe into money for travel demonstrates God's understanding of human circumstances. The journey to the central sanctuary (Jerusalem) was not meant to be an impossible burden.
- Rejoice: This word is central to Deuteronomy's theology. Obedience and worship should lead to joy in the presence of God.
Bible references
- Deuteronomy 12:5-7: '...the place the Lord your God will choose... There... you and your households shall eat in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice...' (The foundational law of central worship that this tithe fulfills).
- Nehemiah 10:37: '...we will bring a tithe of our crops to the Levites...' (Refers to the other tithe, highlighting the distinction).
- Malachi 3:10: '"Bring the full tithe into the storehouse..."' (A call to restore the practice of tithing to support the Levites and the temple system).
- 2 Corinthians 9:7: 'Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.' (NT principle of joyful giving echoes the spirit of this tithe).
Cross references
Deut 16:10-11 (rejoicing at the Feast of Weeks); Pro 3:9-10 (honor the Lord with your wealth); Deut 26:1-11 (firstfruits ceremony).
Deuteronomy 14:28-29
“At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year’s produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.”
In-depth-analysis
- The Third-Year Tithe: This outlines a different use for the tithe in a repeating three-year cycle (also the sixth year). Instead of being taken to the central sanctuary, it was stored locally.
- Social Justice System: Its purpose was to function as a divinely ordained welfare system. It provided for four specific vulnerable groups:
- The Levites: Had no land inheritance and depended on the people's faithfulness.
- The Foreigners (ger): Residents without land rights or tribal protection.
- The Fatherless: Lacked a patriarch for provision and protection.
- The Widows: Lacked a husband for provision and protection.
- Blessing and Obedience: The command is tied to a promise: proper care for the vulnerable within the covenant community ensures the blessing of God upon the nation's economy ("all the work of your hands"). God's blessing is linked to the practice of justice and mercy.
Bible references
- Deuteronomy 26:12: 'When you have finished setting aside a tenth... you shall give it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow...' (A declaration to be made when this tithe is paid).
- James 1:27: 'Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress...' (The NT expression of this same divine priority).
- Numbers 18:21: 'I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do...' (The primary Levitical tithe, showing this third-year tithe is a separate social provision).
Cross references
Deut 24:19-21 (leaving gleanings for the poor); Psa 68:5 (a father to the fatherless); Pro 19:17 (he who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord); Act 4:34-35 (early church sharing possessions).
Deuteronomy chapter 14 analysis
- Identity Markers: The entire chapter is about creating a distinct identity for Israel. Their bodies (mourning), their diet (food laws), and their economy (tithing) are all marked by the holiness required by their covenant with Yahweh.
- Life, Order, and Holiness: The food laws are built on a framework that esteems order and life. Animals that fit a clear prototype (e.g., cloven-hoofed ruminants) are "clean," symbolizing order. Predators and scavengers associated with death are "unclean." This framework constantly taught the Israelites to choose life and order, reflecting the God of Genesis 1, over chaos and death.
- Polemic against Paganism: Many of the prohibitions are direct rejections of specific Canaanite religious practices—from self-laceration in mourning to fertility rituals involving a goat's milk. The laws served as a firewall against syncretism.
- From Worship to Justice: The chapter masterfully connects worship and social ethics. The same principle of tithing that funds joyful worship festivals before God (vv. 22-27) is also the mechanism for ensuring social justice and care for the poor (vv. 28-29). True reverence for God must result in tangible compassion for the vulnerable.
Deuteronomy 14 summary
This chapter provides a set of practical laws to ensure Israel lives as God's holy and treasured people. It begins by forbidding pagan mourning rituals, grounding Israel's behavior in their identity as children of God. It then details the dietary laws, distinguishing between clean and unclean animals to teach principles of order, life, and separation. Finally, the chapter outlines two forms of the tithe: one for joyful, celebratory worship at the central sanctuary, and another, every third year, for a localized welfare system to support the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows, linking divine blessing directly to social justice.
Deuteronomy 14 AI Image Audio and Video










Deuteronomy chapter 14 kjv
- 1 Ye are the children of the LORD your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.
- 2 For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.
- 3 Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing.
- 4 These are the beasts which ye shall eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat,
- 5 The hart, and the roebuck, and the fallow deer, and the wild goat, and the pygarg, and the wild ox, and the chamois.
- 6 And every beast that parteth the hoof, and cleaveth the cleft into two claws, and cheweth the cud among the beasts, that ye shall eat.
- 7 Nevertheless these ye shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the cloven hoof; as the camel, and the hare, and the coney: for they chew the cud, but divide not the hoof; therefore they are unclean unto you.
- 8 And the swine, because it divideth the hoof, yet cheweth not the cud, it is unclean unto you: ye shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead carcass.
- 9 These ye shall eat of all that are in the waters: all that have fins and scales shall ye eat:
- 10 And whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye may not eat; it is unclean unto you.
- 11 Of all clean birds ye shall eat.
- 12 But these are they of which ye shall not eat: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray,
- 13 And the glede, and the kite, and the vulture after his kind,
- 14 And every raven after his kind,
- 15 And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckoo, and the hawk after his kind,
- 16 The little owl, and the great owl, and the swan,
- 17 And the pelican, and the gier eagle, and the cormorant,
- 18 And the stork, and the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.
- 19 And every creeping thing that flieth is unclean unto you: they shall not be eaten.
- 20 But of all clean fowls ye may eat.
- 21 Ye shall not eat of anything that dieth of itself: thou shalt give it unto the stranger that is in thy gates, that he may eat it; or thou mayest sell it unto an alien: for thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.
- 22 Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year.
- 23 And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always.
- 24 And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the LORD thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the LORD thy God hath blessed thee:
- 25 Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose:
- 26 And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household,
- 27 And the Levite that is within thy gates; thou shalt not forsake him; for he hath no part nor inheritance with thee.
- 28 At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates:
- 29 And the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest.
Deuteronomy chapter 14 nkjv
- 1 "You are the children of the LORD your God; you shall not cut yourselves nor shave the front of your head for the dead.
- 2 For you are a holy people to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.
- 3 "You shall not eat any detestable thing.
- 4 These are the animals which you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat,
- 5 the deer, the gazelle, the roe deer, the wild goat, the mountain goat, the antelope, and the mountain sheep.
- 6 And you may eat every animal with cloven hooves, having the hoof split into two parts, and that chews the cud, among the animals.
- 7 Nevertheless, of those that chew the cud or have cloven hooves, you shall not eat, such as these: the camel, the hare, and the rock hyrax; for they chew the cud but do not have cloven hooves; they are unclean for you.
- 8 Also the swine is unclean for you, because it has cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud; you shall not eat their flesh or touch their dead carcasses.
- 9 "These you may eat of all that are in the waters: you may eat all that have fins and scales.
- 10 And whatever does not have fins and scales you shall not eat; it is unclean for you.
- 11 "All clean birds you may eat.
- 12 But these you shall not eat: the eagle, the vulture, the buzzard,
- 13 the red kite, the falcon, and the kite after their kinds;
- 14 every raven after its kind;
- 15 the ostrich, the short-eared owl, the sea gull, and the hawk after their kinds;
- 16 the little owl, the screech owl, the white owl,
- 17 the jackdaw, the carrion vulture, the fisher owl,
- 18 the stork, the heron after its kind, and the hoopoe and the bat.
- 19 "Also every creeping thing that flies is unclean for you; they shall not be eaten.
- 20 "You may eat all clean birds.
- 21 "You shall not eat anything that dies of itself; you may give it to the alien who is within your gates, that he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner; for you are a holy people to the LORD your God. " You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk.
- 22 "You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year.
- 23 And you shall eat before the LORD your God, in the place where He chooses to make His name abide, the tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil, of the firstborn of your herds and your flocks, that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always.
- 24 But if the journey is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, or if the place where the LORD your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, when the LORD your God has blessed you,
- 25 then you shall exchange it for money, take the money in your hand, and go to the place which the LORD your God chooses.
- 26 And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household.
- 27 You shall not forsake the Levite who is within your gates, for he has no part nor inheritance with you.
- 28 "At the end of every third year you shall bring out the tithe of your produce of that year and store it up within your gates.
- 29 And the Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are within your gates, may come and eat and be satisfied, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.
Deuteronomy chapter 14 niv
- 1 You are the children of the LORD your God. Do not cut yourselves or shave the front of your heads for the dead,
- 2 for you are a people holy to the LORD your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the LORD has chosen you to be his treasured possession.
- 3 Do not eat any detestable thing.
- 4 These are the animals you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat,
- 5 the deer, the gazelle, the roe deer, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope and the mountain sheep.
- 6 You may eat any animal that has a divided hoof and that chews the cud.
- 7 However, of those that chew the cud or that have a divided hoof you may not eat the camel, the rabbit or the hyrax. Although they chew the cud, they do not have a divided hoof; they are ceremonially unclean for you.
- 8 The pig is also unclean; although it has a divided hoof, it does not chew the cud. You are not to eat their meat or touch their carcasses.
- 9 Of all the creatures living in the water, you may eat any that has fins and scales.
- 10 But anything that does not have fins and scales you may not eat; for you it is unclean.
- 11 You may eat any clean bird.
- 12 But these you may not eat: the eagle, the vulture, the black vulture,
- 13 the red kite, the black kite, any kind of falcon,
- 14 any kind of raven,
- 15 the horned owl, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk,
- 16 the little owl, the great owl, the white owl,
- 17 the desert owl, the osprey, the cormorant,
- 18 the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe and the bat.
- 19 All flying insects are unclean to you; do not eat them.
- 20 But any winged creature that is clean you may eat.
- 21 Do not eat anything you find already dead. You may give it to the foreigner residing in any of your towns, and they may eat it, or you may sell it to any other foreigner. But you are a people holy to the LORD your God. Do not cook a young goat in its mother's milk.
- 22 Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year.
- 23 Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the LORD your God always.
- 24 But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by the LORD your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where the LORD will choose to put his Name is so far away),
- 25 then exchange your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the LORD your God will choose.
- 26 Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice.
- 27 And do not neglect the Levites living in your towns, for they have no allotment or inheritance of their own.
- 28 At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year's produce and store it in your towns,
- 29 so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.
Deuteronomy chapter 14 esv
- 1 "You are the sons of the LORD your God. You shall not cut yourselves or make any baldness on your foreheads for the dead.
- 2 For you are a people holy to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.
- 3 "You shall not eat any abomination.
- 4 These are the animals you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat,
- 5 the deer, the gazelle, the roebuck, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, and the mountain sheep.
- 6 Every animal that parts the hoof and has the hoof cloven in two and chews the cud, among the animals, you may eat.
- 7 Yet of those that chew the cud or have the hoof cloven you shall not eat these: the camel, the hare, and the rock badger, because they chew the cud but do not part the hoof, are unclean for you.
- 8 And the pig, because it parts the hoof but does not chew the cud, is unclean for you. Their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch.
- 9 "Of all that are in the waters you may eat these: whatever has fins and scales you may eat.
- 10 And whatever does not have fins and scales you shall not eat; it is unclean for you.
- 11 "You may eat all clean birds.
- 12 But these are the ones that you shall not eat: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture,
- 13 the kite, the falcon of any kind;
- 14 every raven of any kind;
- 15 the ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull, the hawk of any kind;
- 16 the little owl and the short-eared owl, the barn owl
- 17 and the tawny owl, the carrion vulture and the cormorant,
- 18 the stork, the heron of any kind; the hoopoe and the bat.
- 19 And all winged insects are unclean for you; they shall not be eaten.
- 20 All clean winged things you may eat.
- 21 "You shall not eat anything that has died naturally. You may give it to the sojourner who is within your towns, that he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner. For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. "You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk.
- 22 "You shall tithe all the yield of your seed that comes from the field year by year.
- 23 And before the LORD your God, in the place that he will choose, to make his name dwell there, you shall eat the tithe of your grain, of your wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and flock, that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always.
- 24 And if the way is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, when the LORD your God blesses you, because the place is too far from you, which the LORD your God chooses, to set his name there,
- 25 then you shall turn it into money and bind up the money in your hand and go to the place that the LORD your God chooses
- 26 and spend the money for whatever you desire ? oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves. And you shall eat there before the LORD your God and rejoice, you and your household.
- 27 And you shall not neglect the Levite who is within your towns, for he has no portion or inheritance with you.
- 28 "At the end of every three years you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in the same year and lay it up within your towns.
- 29 And the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance with you, and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your towns, shall come and eat and be filled, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do.
Deuteronomy chapter 14 nlt
- 1 "Since you are the people of the LORD your God, never cut yourselves or shave the hair above your foreheads in mourning for the dead.
- 2 You have been set apart as holy to the LORD your God, and he has chosen you from all the nations of the earth to be his own special treasure.
- 3 "You must not eat any detestable animals that are ceremonially unclean.
- 4 These are the animals you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat,
- 5 the deer, the gazelle, the roe deer, the wild goat, the addax, the antelope, and the mountain sheep.
- 6 "You may eat any animal that has completely split hooves and chews the cud,
- 7 but if the animal doesn't have both, it may not be eaten. So you may not eat the camel, the hare, or the hyrax. They chew the cud but do not have split hooves, so they are ceremonially unclean for you.
- 8 And you may not eat the pig. It has split hooves but does not chew the cud, so it is ceremonially unclean for you. You may not eat the meat of these animals or even touch their carcasses.
- 9 "Of all the marine animals, you may eat whatever has both fins and scales.
- 10 You may not, however, eat marine animals that do not have both fins and scales. They are ceremonially unclean for you.
- 11 "You may eat any bird that is ceremonially clean.
- 12 These are the birds you may not eat: the griffon vulture, the bearded vulture, the black vulture,
- 13 the kite, the falcon, buzzards of all kinds,
- 14 ravens of all kinds,
- 15 the eagle owl, the short-eared owl, the seagull, hawks of all kinds,
- 16 the little owl, the great owl, the barn owl,
- 17 the desert owl, the Egyptian vulture, the cormorant,
- 18 the stork, herons of all kinds, the hoopoe, and the bat.
- 19 "All winged insects that walk along the ground are ceremonially unclean for you and may not be eaten.
- 20 But you may eat any winged bird or insect that is ceremonially clean.
- 21 "You must not eat anything that has died a natural death. You may give it to a foreigner living in your town, or you may sell it to a stranger. But do not eat it yourselves, for you are set apart as holy to the LORD your God. "You must not cook a young goat in its mother's milk.
- 22 "You must set aside a tithe of your crops ? one-tenth of all the crops you harvest each year.
- 23 Bring this tithe to the designated place of worship ? the place the LORD your God chooses for his name to be honored ? and eat it there in his presence. This applies to your tithes of grain, new wine, olive oil, and the firstborn males of your flocks and herds. Doing this will teach you always to fear the LORD your God.
- 24 "Now when the LORD your God blesses you with a good harvest, the place of worship he chooses for his name to be honored might be too far for you to bring the tithe.
- 25 If so, you may sell the tithe portion of your crops and herds, put the money in a pouch, and go to the place the LORD your God has chosen.
- 26 When you arrive, you may use the money to buy any kind of food you want ? cattle, sheep, goats, wine, or other alcoholic drink. Then feast there in the presence of the LORD your God and celebrate with your household.
- 27 And do not neglect the Levites in your town, for they will receive no allotment of land among you.
- 28 "At the end of every third year, bring the entire tithe of that year's harvest and store it in the nearest town.
- 29 Give it to the Levites, who will receive no allotment of land among you, as well as to the foreigners living among you, the orphans, and the widows in your towns, so they can eat and be satisfied. Then the LORD your God will bless you in all your work.
- Bible Book of Deuteronomy
- 1 The Command to Leave Horeb
- 2 The Wilderness Years
- 3 King Og of Bashan
- 4 Moses Commands Obedience
- 5 The Ten Commandments
- 6 The Greatest Commandment
- 7 A Chosen People
- 8 Remember what God has done
- 9 Not Because of Righteousness
- 10 New Tablets of Stone
- 11 Love and Serve the Lord
- 12 The Lord's Chosen Place of Worship
- 13 Prophet Dreamer of dreams
- 14 Clean and Unclean Food
- 15 The Sabbatical Year
- 16 Passover
- 17 Legal Decisions by Priests and Judges
- 18 Provision for Priests and Levites
- 19 Laws Concerning Cities of Refuge
- 20 Laws Concerning Warfare
- 21 Atonement for Unsolved Murders
- 22 Various Laws
- 23 Those Excluded from the Assembly
- 24 Law of divorce by Moses
- 25 Laws Concerning Levirate Marriage
- 26 Offerings of Firstfruits and Tithes
- 27 The Altar on Mount Ebal
- 28 Blessings for Obedience
- 29 The Covenant of God with Israel
- 30 Repentance and Forgiveness
- 31 Joshua to Succeed Moses
- 32 Song of Moses
- 33 Moses' Final Blessing on Israel
- 34 Moses Dies on Mount Nebo