Deuteronomy 14:4 kjv
These are the beasts which ye shall eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat,
Deuteronomy 14:4 nkjv
These are the animals which you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat,
Deuteronomy 14:4 niv
These are the animals you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat,
Deuteronomy 14:4 esv
These are the animals you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat,
Deuteronomy 14:4 nlt
These are the animals you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat,
Deuteronomy 14 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 11:2-3 | "You may eat any animal that has a divided hoof and that chews the cud." | The parallel and fuller description of clean land animals. |
| Deut 14:6 | "You may eat any animal that has a divided hoof and that is cloven-footed and chews the cud." | Elaboration on the distinguishing features of clean animals. |
| Gen 9:3 | "Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants..." | Broad permission to eat meat granted to Noah after the flood. |
| Gen 7:2 | "Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal..." | Distinction between clean and unclean animals present before the Law. |
| Lev 1:2-3 | "If your offering is a burnt offering from the herd, you are to present a male without defect." | Oxen were primary sacrificial animals, reflecting their clean status. |
| Lev 3:6 | "If their offering is from the flock—either a sheep or a goat—for a peace offering..." | Sheep and goats were common peace offerings. |
| Num 7:1-88 | Extensive list of offerings including cattle, sheep, goats. | Highlights their significance in worship and everyday life. |
| Exo 12:5 | "The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, from the sheep or the goats." | The Passover sacrifice specific use of sheep or goats. |
| 1 Kin 4:22-23 | "Solomon's provisions for one day were... cattle... sheep..." | Demonstrates these animals as staple food sources. |
| Neh 5:17-18 | "Daily, one ox, six choice sheep, and poultry were prepared for me..." | Another example of these animals as part of daily sustenance. |
| Jer 11:19 | "I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter..." | Symbolic use of sheep, foreshadowing Christ. |
| Isa 53:7 | "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter." | Messianic prophecy linking Christ to a sacrificial lamb. |
| John 1:29 | "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" | Jesus identified as the ultimate Lamb of God. |
| Acts 10:11-15 | "He saw heaven opened... with all kinds of four-footed animals... A voice told him, 'Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.'" | Peter's vision, indicating the abolition of dietary laws under the New Covenant. |
| Mark 7:18-19 | "Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? For it doesn’t go into their heart..." | Jesus declares all foods clean, focusing on internal defilement. |
| Rom 14:2-3 | "One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables." | Christian liberty regarding food, stressing conscience over rigid laws. |
| 1 Tim 4:3-5 | "They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving..." | God's creation, including food, is good and to be received with thanksgiving. |
| Col 2:16 | "Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival..." | Freedom from judgment based on dietary and ceremonial laws. |
| 1 Cor 10:25-26 | "Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience... 'The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.'" | Believers are free to eat meat, acknowledging God's ownership of creation. |
| Lev 20:25 | "You must therefore make a distinction between clean and unclean animals..." | The divine imperative for distinction. |
| Deut 12:20-21 | "If the place the LORD your God chooses for His Name to dwell is too far away... you may slaughter animals..." | Permits consumption of clean animals not necessarily for sacrifice. |
Deuteronomy 14 verses
Deuteronomy 14 4 Meaning
Deuteronomy 14:4 introduces the foundational list of animals permissible for consumption under the Mosaic Law. This verse specifically names three common domesticated animals: the ox, the sheep, and the goat. These animals represent the general category of "clean" land animals that were central to the Israelite diet and sacrificial system, setting a clear boundary between what was allowed and what was considered "detestable" or "unclean" as commanded in the preceding verse.
Deuteronomy 14 4 Context
Deuteronomy 14 forms part of Moses' second major address to Israel on the plains of Moab, just before they enter the Promised Land. This chapter focuses on what distinguishes Israel as God's holy people, reinforcing their identity. It opens with the command not to engage in pagan mourning rituals (Deut 14:1-2), immediately followed by dietary laws. These laws (Deut 14:3-21) serve as a practical outworking of Israel's distinct holiness. Verse 4 begins the enumeration of the clean animals after a general prohibition against eating anything "detestable" (Deut 14:3). The chapter continues to list unclean land animals, marine life, and birds, and concludes with instructions on tithing and offerings, all reinforcing the theme of living a distinct and holy life before the Lord in the land He is giving them. Historically, these dietary regulations set Israel apart from surrounding cultures that often ate various animals considered an abomination, contributing to their national identity and preventing assimilation into pagan practices.
Deuteronomy 14 4 Word analysis
- These: (Hebrew: אֵלֶּה, ’ēlleh) - A demonstrative pronoun. It points forward to the specific items that will be listed immediately after, emphasizing that the following words delineate the permitted categories. It highlights the divine prerogative in classification.
- are the animals: (Hebrew: הַבְּהֵמָה, habbehemāh) - The definite article "ha-" makes it specific. Behemāh broadly refers to "beasts," often domesticated four-footed animals, or "cattle." This distinguishes them from wild animals (chayyāh) or creeping things. It signals that the following list is about large, four-footed creatures generally understood as livestock, important for sustenance and economy.
- you may eat: (Hebrew: תֹּאכְלוּ, tōʾḵĕlū) - Second person plural, imperfect verb, indicating permission or future action. It signifies divine authorization to consume these creatures. The active voice shows the Israelites' freedom to choose these. It follows the preceding prohibition of eating anything detestable, contrasting permissible food with forbidden food.
- the ox: (Hebrew: שׁוֹר, šôr) - Specifically a bull, cow, or cattle. An economically significant animal in ancient Israel for agricultural labor, meat, milk, and sacrifice. Its inclusion here acknowledges its staple role.
- the sheep: (Hebrew: שֶׂה, śeh) - A general term for a small domestic animal, a lamb or a kid, or collectively, a flock. Central to the Israelite nomadic and agricultural lifestyle for meat, milk, wool, and particularly as the most common sacrificial animal.
- the goat: (Hebrew: עֵז, ʿēz) - Specifically a male or female goat. Also vital for meat, milk, hair, and often used in sacrifices, sometimes for specific sin offerings (Lev 4, Lev 16 for Day of Atonement).
Word-groups analysis:
- "These are the animals you may eat": This phrase serves as the explicit permission statement. It defines the scope of the following enumeration as divinely sanctioned food. It directly links the dietary allowances to the divine command, setting the parameters of Israel's distinct lifestyle guided by God's regulations.
- "the ox, the sheep, and the goat": This immediate triad specifies the primary and most common domesticated animals foundational to the Israelite diet and economy. Their explicit mention indicates their universal acceptability and foundational role within the dietary laws. They represent the archetype of clean land animals, all possessing the later-described characteristics of cloven hoofs and cud-chewing.
Deuteronomy 14 4 Bonus section
The clean status of the ox, sheep, and goat is implicitly tied to their physiological characteristics which are explicitly stated in Deut 14:6: "You may eat any animal that has a divided hoof and that is cloven-footed and chews the cud." These three animals fit that description perfectly. They were the most important animals for their meat, milk, and also their extensive use in sacrificial worship. The selection of these particular animals for consumption and sacrifice not only supported the physical well-being of the Israelites but also served as constant reminders of God's covenant and their distinctive identity among the nations.
Deuteronomy 14 4 Commentary
Deuteronomy 14:4 lays down the fundamental standard for permitted meat within the Mosaic Covenant. The ox, sheep, and goat were not only culturally central as livestock but also met the criteria of being ruminants with cloven hooves (detailed later in verses 6-8), symbolizing spiritual distinctions in Israel's relationship with God. This divine instruction reinforced Israel's unique status as a holy people set apart by specific practices, contrasting their eating habits with the pagan customs of surrounding nations. While the dietary laws for New Covenant believers have been transformed by Christ's fulfillment (Mark 7:19; Acts 10:15), this verse underscores God's meticulous care in guiding His people towards physical purity and symbolic holiness, cultivating obedience and discernment.