Skip to Content

Deuteronomy

Changes this passage only. Set your default for every passage.

Deuteronomy 14

1Ye are the children of Jehovah your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.

2For thou art a holy people unto Jehovah thy God, and Jehovah hath chosen thee to be a people for his own possession, above all peoples that are upon the face of the earth.

1Ye are the children of the LORD your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.

2For 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.

Commentary · verses 1-2

It was a common practice for idolaters to cut themselves ceremoniously and at funerals as well as shaving a large bald spot between their eyebrows in honor of the dead. These instructions forbade that practice.

Commentary · verses 3-21

Verses 3-21: the command to separate themselves regarding which foods to eat.

3Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing.

3Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing.

Commentary · verse 3

This began a list of things they could or could not eat based off of cleanness. God was Holy, He was clean. Israel's following of the Law in this matter was a reminder to them that God was Holy.

4These are the beasts which ye may eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat, 5the hart, and the gazelle, and the roebuck, and the wild goat, and the pygarg, and the antelope, and the chamois.

6And every beast that parteth the hoof, and hath the hoof cloven in two, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that may ye eat.

7Nevertheless these ye shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that have the hoof cloven: the camel, and the hare, and the coney; because they chew the cud but part not the hoof, they are unclean unto you.

8And the swine, because he parteth the hoof but cheweth not the cud, he is unclean unto you: of their flesh ye shall not eat, and their carcasses ye shall not touch.

4These are the beasts which ye shall eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat,

5The hart, and the roebuck, and the fallow deer, and the wild goat, and the pygarg, and the wild ox, and the chamois.

6And every beast that parteth the hoof, and cleaveth the cleft into two claws, and cheweth the cud among the beasts, that ye shall eat.

7Nevertheless 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.

8And 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 carcase.

Commentary · verse 8

The first part of this list covered the "beasts" or mammals they could or could not eat.

9These ye may eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales may ye eat; 10and whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye shall not eat; it is unclean unto you.

9These ye shall eat of all that are in the waters: all that have fins and scales shall ye eat:

10And whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye may not eat; it is unclean unto you.

Commentary · verse 10

The fish they could or could not eat.

11Of all clean birds ye may eat.

12But these are they of which ye shall not eat: the eagle, and the gier-eagle, and the ospray, 13and the glede, and the falcon, and the kite after its kind, 14and every raven after its kind, 15and the ostrich, and the night-hawk, and the sea-mew, and the hawk after its kind, 16the little owl, and the great owl, and the horned owl, 17and the pelican, and the vulture, and the cormorant, 18and the stork, and the heron after its kind, and the hoopoe, and the bat.

19And all winged creeping things are unclean unto you: they shall not be eaten.

20Of all clean birds ye may eat.

11Of all clean birds ye shall eat.

12But these are they of which ye shall not eat: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray,

13And the glede, and the kite, and the vulture after his kind,

14And every raven after his kind,

15And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind,

16The little owl, and the great owl, and the swan,

17And the pelican, and the gier eagle, and the cormorant,

18And the stork, and the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.

19And every creeping thing that flieth is unclean unto you: they shall not be eaten.

20But of all clean fowls ye may eat.

Commentary · verse 20

The birds they could or could not eat.

21Ye shall not eat of anything that dieth of itself: thou mayest give it unto the sojourner that is within thy gates, that he may eat it; or thou mayest sell it unto a foreigner: for thou art a holy people unto Jehovah thy God. Thou shalt not boil a kid in its mother’s milk.

21Ye shall not eat of any thing 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.

Commentary · verse 21

If anything died of itself it was considered unclean regardless of where it was on this list. However, it could be given or sold to people outside of Israel. An animal that died of itself had not been properly "bled" and therefore considered unclean. It was important that the animals were "bled" before eating them.

"Not boil[ing] a kid in its mother's milk" was forbidden because this was a common pagan fertility ritual that God wanted the Israelites to be separated from.

Commentary · verses 22-29

Verses 22-29: tithes.

22Thou shalt surely tithe all the increase of thy seed, that which cometh forth from the field year by year.

23And thou shalt eat before Jehovah thy God, in the place which he shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there, the tithe of thy grain, of thy new wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herd and of thy flock; that thou mayest learn to fear Jehovah thy God always.

24And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it, because the place is too far from thee, which Jehovah thy God shall choose, to set his name there, when Jehovah thy God shall bless thee; 25then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thy hand, and shalt go unto the place which Jehovah thy God shall choose: 26and thou shalt bestow the money for whatsoever thy soul desireth, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul asketh of thee; and thou shalt eat there before Jehovah thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou and thy household.

27And the Levite that is within thy gates, thou shalt not forsake him; for he hath no portion nor inheritance with thee.

22Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year.

23And 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.

24And 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:

25Then 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:

26And 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,

27And the Levite that is within thy gates; thou shalt not forsake him; for he hath no part nor inheritance with thee.

Commentary · verse 27

Tithes and "long-distance" tithes were explained.

28At the end of every three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase in the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates: 29and the Levite, because he hath no portion nor inheritance with thee, and the sojourner, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that Jehovah thy God may bless thee in all the work of thy hand which thou doest.

28At 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:

29And 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.

Commentary · verse 29

Tithes of the third year.

Up and down arrows move between verses, Enter selects one, Shift with an arrow takes in a run. Tab then reaches Save, Add Note and Copy.