1 Ye are the children H1121 of the LORD H3068 your God: H430 ye shall not cut H1413 yourselves, nor make H7760 any baldness H7144 between your eyes H5869 for the dead. H4191
2 For thou art an holy H6918 people H5971 unto the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 and the LORD H3068 hath chosen H977 thee to be a peculiar H5459 people H5971 unto himself, above all the nations H5971 that are upon H6440 the earth. H127
3 Thou shalt not eat H398 any abominable thing. H8441
4 These are the beasts H929 which ye shall eat: H398 the ox, H7794 the sheep, H7716 H3775 and the goat, H5795
5 The hart, H354 and the roebuck, H6643 and the fallow deer, H3180 and the wild goat, H689 and the pygarg, H1788 and the wild ox, H8377 and the chamois. H2169
6 And every beast H929 that parteth H6536 the hoof, H6541 and cleaveth H8157 the cleft H8156 into two H8147 claws, H6541 and cheweth H5927 the cud H1625 among the beasts, H929 that ye shall eat. H398
7 Nevertheless these ye shall not eat H398 of them that chew H5927 the cud, H1625 or of them that divide H6536 the cloven H8156 hoof; H6541 as the camel, H1581 and the hare, H768 and the coney: H8227 for they chew H5927 the cud, H1625 but divide H6536 not the hoof; H6541 therefore they are unclean H2931 unto you.
8 And the swine, H2386 because it divideth H6536 the hoof, H6541 yet cheweth not the cud, H1625 it is unclean H2931 unto you: ye shall not eat H398 of their flesh, H1320 nor touch H5060 their dead carcase. H5038
9 These ye shall eat H398 of all that are in the waters: H4325 all that have fins H5579 and scales H7193 shall ye eat: H398
10 And whatsoever hath not fins H5579 and scales H7193 ye may not eat; H398 it is unclean H2931 unto you.
11 Of all clean H2889 birds H6833 ye shall eat. H398
12 But these are they of which ye shall not eat: H398 the eagle, H5404 and the ossifrage, H6538 and the ospray, H5822
13 And the glede, H7201 and the kite, H344 and the vulture H1772 after his kind, H4327
14 And every raven H6158 after his kind, H4327
15 And the owl, H1323 H3284 and the night hawk, H8464 and the cuckow, H7828 and the hawk H5322 after his kind, H4327
16 The little owl, H3563 and the great owl, H3244 and the swan, H8580
17 And the pelican, H6893 and the gier eagle, H7360 and the cormorant, H7994
18 And the stork, H2624 and the heron H601 after her kind, H4327 and the lapwing, H1744 and the bat. H5847
19 And every creeping thing H8318 that flieth H5775 is unclean H2931 unto you: they shall not be eaten. H398
20 But of all clean H2889 fowls H5775 ye may eat. H398
21 Ye shall not eat H398 of any thing that dieth of itself: H5038 thou shalt give H5414 it unto the stranger H1616 that is in thy gates, H8179 that he may eat H398 it; or thou mayest sell H4376 it unto an alien: H5237 for thou art an holy H6918 people H5971 unto the LORD H3068 thy God. H430 Thou shalt not seethe H1310 a kid H1423 in his mother's H517 milk. H2461
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Deuteronomy 14
Commentary on Deuteronomy 14 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 14
De 14:1, 2. God's People Must Not Disfigure Themselves in Mourning.
1. ye shall not cut yourselves … for the dead—It was a common practice of idolaters, both on ceremonious occasions of their worship (1Ki 18:28), and at funerals (compare Jer 16:6; 41:5), to make ghastly incisions on their faces and other parts of their persons with their finger nails or sharp instruments. The making a large bare space between the eyebrows was another heathen custom in honor of the dead (see on Le 19:27, 28; Le 21:5). Such indecorous and degrading usages, being extravagant and unnatural expressions of hopeless sorrow (1Th 4:13), were to be carefully avoided by the Israelites, as derogatory to the character, and inconsistent with the position, of those who were the people of God [De 14:2].
De 14:3-21. What May Be Eaten, and What Not.
3. Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing—that is, anything forbidden as unclean (see on Le 11:1).
De 14:4-8. Of Beasts.
5. The hart—(see on De 12:15).
fallow deer—The Hebrew word (Jachmur) so rendered, does not represent the fallow deer, which is unknown in Western Asia, but an antelope (Oryx leucoryx), called by the Arabs, jazmar. It is of a white color, black at the extremities, and a bright red on the thighs. It was used at Solomon's table.
wild goat—The word akko is different from that commonly used for a wild goat (1Sa 24:2; Ps 104:18; Pr 5:19), and it is supposed to be a goat-deer, having the body of a stag, but the head, horns, and beard of a goat. An animal of this sort is found in the East, and called Lerwee [Shaw, Travels].
pygarg—a species of antelope (Oryx addax) with white buttocks, wreathed horns two feet in length, and standing about three feet seven inches high at the shoulders. It is common in the tracks which the Israelites had frequented [Shaw].
wild ox—supposed to be the Nubian Oryx, which differs from the Oryx leucoryx (formerly mentioned) by its black color; and it is, moreover, of larger stature and more slender frame, with longer and more curved horns. It is called Bekkar-El-Wash by the Arabs.
chamois—rendered by the Septuagint Cameleopard; but, by others who rightly judge it must have been an animal more familiar to the Hebrews, it is thought to be the Kebsch (Ovis tragelaphus), rather larger than a common sheep, covered not with wool, but with reddish hair—a Syrian sheep-goat.
De 14:11-20. Of Birds.
11-20. Of all clean birds ye shall eat—(See on Le 11:21).
13. glede—thought to be the same as that rendered vulture ( see on Le 11:14).
15. the cuckow—more probably the sea-gull. [See on Le 11:16].
16. the swan—rather, the goose [Michaelis]. [See on Le 11:18].
17. gier eagle—The Hebrew word Rachemah is manifestly identical with Rachamah, the name which the Arabs give to the common vulture of Western Asia and Egypt (Neophron percnopterus). [See on Le 11:18].
cormorant—rather, the plungeon; a seafowl. [See on Le 11:17].
18. the lapwing—the upupa or hoop: a beautiful bird, but of the most unclean habits. [See on Le 11:19].
21. Ye shall not eat of any thing that dieth of itself—(See on Le 17:15; Le 22:8).
thou shalt give it unto the stranger that is in thy gates—not a proselyte, for he, as well as an Israelite, was subject to this law; but a heathen traveller or sojourner.
Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk—This is the third place in which the prohibition is repeated [Ex 23:19; 34:26]. It was pointed against an annual pagan ceremony (see on Ex 23:19; Ex 34:26).
[De 14:22-29. Law of the Tithe].
22-27. Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed—The dedication of a tenth part of the year's produce in everything was then a religious duty. It was to be brought as an offering to the sanctuary; and, where distance prevented its being taken in kind, it was by this statute convertible into money.
28, 29. At the end of three years … the Levite … shall come, &c.—The Levites having no inheritance like the other tribes, the Israelites were not to forget them, but honestly to tithe their increase [Nu 18:24]. Besides the tenth of all the land produce, they had forty-eight cities, with the surrounding grounds [Nu 35:7], "the best of the land," and a certain proportion of the sacrifices as their allotted perquisites. They had, therefore, if not an affluent, yet a comfortable and independent, fund for their support.