Deuteronomy 14:19 kjv
And every creeping thing that flieth is unclean unto you: they shall not be eaten.
Deuteronomy 14:19 nkjv
"Also every creeping thing that flies is unclean for you; they shall not be eaten.
Deuteronomy 14:19 niv
All flying insects are unclean to you; do not eat them.
Deuteronomy 14:19 esv
And all winged insects are unclean for you; they shall not be eaten.
Deuteronomy 14:19 nlt
"All winged insects that walk along the ground are ceremonially unclean for you and may not be eaten.
Deuteronomy 14 19 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 14:1-2 | "Ye are the children of the LORD... not make any baldness... thou art a holy people..." | Establishes the context of holiness and separation. |
| Deut 14:3 | "Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing." | General prohibition of forbidden foods. |
| Lev 11:20 | "All flying creeping things that go upon all four feet shall be an abomination unto you." | Direct parallel, declaring them an abomination. |
| Lev 11:21-22 | "Yet these may ye eat... locasts... bald locust... beetle... grasshopper..." | Specific exceptions for certain winged insects, indicating Deut 14:19 covers others. |
| Lev 11:23 | "But all other flying creeping things... they are an abomination unto you." | Reinforces the general prohibition beyond exceptions. |
| Lev 11:41 | "Every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth shall be an abomination; it shall not be eaten." | General rule for ground-creeping things. |
| Lev 11:43-44 | "Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing... for I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore be holy..." | Links dietary laws directly to divine holiness. |
| Lev 20:25 | "Ye shall therefore put difference between clean beasts and unclean... which I have separated from you as unclean." | Principle of distinction and separation. |
| Exo 19:6 | "And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation." | The purpose of Israel's separation and holiness. |
| Isa 66:17 | "They that sanctify themselves... eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed..." | Condemnation for eating defiling creatures. |
| Ezek 4:14 | "Then said I, Ah Lord God! behold, my soul hath not been polluted: for from my youth up even till now have I not eaten of that which dieth of itself, or is torn in pieces..." | Example of an Israelite's adherence to dietary purity. |
| Acts 10:12-15 | "Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean... What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common." | New Covenant perspective: ceremonial distinctions abolished, spiritualized for Gentiles. |
| Mark 7:18-19 | "Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him... Purging all meats?" | Jesus declares all foods clean, focusing on inner defilement. |
| Matt 15:11 | "Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man." | Clarifies true source of defilement is the heart. |
| Rom 14:2-3 | "For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth..." | New Covenant: conscience and liberty in Christ regarding diet. |
| Rom 14:14 | "I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean." | Emphasizes internal conviction, not intrinsic defilement. |
| Rom 14:17 | "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." | Prioritizes spiritual reality over dietary rules. |
| Col 2:16-17 | "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink... Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." | Old Covenant dietary laws were symbolic, fulfilled in Christ. |
| 1 Tim 4:3-5 | "Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving... For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused..." | Warns against false asceticism and acknowledges God's good creation. |
| Tit 1:15 | "Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled." | Purity stems from the heart, affecting perception of things. |
| Heb 9:9-10 | "Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation." | Highlights the temporary and external nature of ceremonial laws. |
| Gen 7:2-3 | "Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female. Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth." | Demonstrates a distinction between clean/unclean animals even before Mosaic Law. |
Deuteronomy 14 verses
Deuteronomy 14 19 Meaning
This verse prohibits the consumption of "every creeping thing that flieth," categorizing them as ceremonially unclean. It forms part of the dietary laws given to Israel, distinguishing them from other nations and establishing boundaries for holiness in their daily lives. These creatures are forbidden as food and are considered defiling if consumed.
Deuteronomy 14 19 Context
Deuteronomy chapter 14 outlines specific regulations concerning a variety of matters, particularly focused on what Israel, as God's chosen and holy people, should or should not do. Following prohibitions against pagan mourning practices (v. 1-2) and the general command not to eat "any abominable thing" (v. 3), the chapter details extensive dietary laws concerning clean and unclean animals, fish, and birds (v. 4-18). Verse 19 specifically addresses winged "creeping things," which complements the bird list and general rules. The overarching purpose of these laws, reiterated throughout Deuteronomy and the Pentateuch, is to impress upon Israel their unique identity and calling as a nation "holy unto the LORD thy God," separated from other nations and their practices. These dietary restrictions served as tangible markers of their covenant relationship with God, reminding them daily of their sacred status and calling to ritual purity.
Deuteronomy 14 19 Word analysis
And every creeping thing (וְכֹל הַשֶּׁרֶץ, wěḵol haššeretz):
- Sheretz refers to swarming or creeping creatures, often small, prolific, and associated with movement close to the ground. This term frequently denotes animals perceived as inherently unclean or base, lacking the clear distinctions (like cloven hoofs and cud-chewing for land animals) that signify "cleanness" in the law. They often represent something amorphous, uncontrollable, or repugnant.
that flieth (הָעוֹף, haʿôp̄):
- Literally, "the flyer" or "the bird," this term refers to anything with wings capable of flight. When combined with sheretz, it distinguishes these forbidden creatures as not simply ground-dwellers but flying insects or insect-like animals. This excludes conventional birds previously listed (Deut 14:11-18) and focuses on the peculiar category of "creeping things" that happen to fly.
is unclean unto you (טָמֵא הוּא לָכֶם, ṭāmēʾ hû lāḵem):
- Ṭāmēʾ denotes ritual impurity or ceremonial defilement. It renders an object or person unfit for sacred interaction or even normal communal life, often requiring purification rituals. For food, it signifies something forbidden for consumption due to its intrinsic categorization within the covenant laws. This declaration underlines the strict separation required for Israel's holiness.
they shall not be eaten (לֹא יֵאָכֵל, lōʾ yēʾāḵēl):
- A direct, emphatic negative command. This reinforces the prohibition without ambiguity, making the act of consumption a violation of divine law and a defilement of the individual.
Words-group: "every creeping thing that flieth"
- This phrase isolates a very specific and generally loathed category of creature for prohibition. While Leviticus 11 provides specific exceptions within this broad category (e.g., certain locusts), Deuteronomy 14:19 delivers a concise blanket prohibition against the rest of them. This highlights a deliberate legislative choice to broadly forbid an entire class, emphasizing its undesirable nature from the divine perspective. The combination of "creeping" (associated with ground-level uncleanness) and "flying" creates a category that might straddle conventional clean/unclean boundaries, reinforcing the need for clear divine designation of its defilement. It may also reflect polemics against surrounding cultures that might have consumed such insects indiscriminately.
Deuteronomy 14 19 Bonus section
The laws regarding sheretz (creeping things), especially those that fly, reflect a worldview where certain creatures embody a lack of "order" or "classification" in God's perfect creation, leading to their categorization as unclean. Unlike animals that distinctly chew the cud and have cloven hooves, or fish with fins and scales, these creatures' unique combination of attributes (creeping on the ground yet flying) placed them in an ambiguous or transgressive category. This ambiguity contributed to their status as "unclean" as Israel was called to embody order and distinction as God's chosen people. While specific locust species were permitted (Lev 11:22), the general prohibition underscores a principle of caution against the undefined or ambiguous, guiding Israel toward purity in every aspect of their lives.
Deuteronomy 14 19 Commentary
Deuteronomy 14:19, in its straightforward prohibition against eating "every creeping thing that flieth," encapsulates the broader principle of purity and separation for the people of Israel. These dietary laws were not primarily for health (though some may have indirect health benefits), but fundamentally theological. They served as constant, daily reminders that Israel was distinct, a "holy people" set apart to the Lord (Deut 14:2), a "kingdom of priests" (Exo 19:6). Creatures labeled "unclean" (ṭāmēʾ) were often those perceived as chaotic, undifferentiated, or linked to practices of pagan worship in the surrounding cultures. "Creeping things" (sheretz) generally moved in a manner seen as base or defiling, clinging to the ground, representing a lower, less orderly form of life within God's created order. Their association with flying, while seemingly an upgrade, in this context refers to pests or vermin, further solidifying their unclean status. The prohibition against their consumption, then, was an act of covenant faithfulness, physically separating Israel from the defilement and pagan associations prevalent among other nations, reinforcing their unique relationship with a holy God. In the New Testament, these ceremonial distinctions find their fulfillment and spiritual reinterpretation in Christ, who declared all foods clean (Mk 7:18-19) and whose work rendered the old ceremonial laws, including dietary ones, obsolete for believers, shifting the focus from external observances to internal spiritual purity and conscience (Acts 10, Rom 14, Col 2).