Deuteronomy14

Deuteronomy 14 establishes Israel's identity as God's holy and peculiar people, forbidding pagan mourning rites. It then details extensive dietary laws, distinguishing between clean and unclean animals, birds, and aquatic life based on specific physical characteristics. The chapter concludes with instructions on tithing, mandating an annual tithe to be consumed before the Lord and a triennial tithe for the support of Levites, strangers, the fatherless, and widows. These laws aim to reinforce Israel's distinctiveness and foster their reverence for God.
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Israel, A Holy People

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. ​

Laws of Clean and Unclean Foods

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 carcase. ​
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,
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And the glede, and the kite, and the vulture after his kind,
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And every raven after his kind,
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And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind,
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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 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. ​

The Annual (Second) Tithe

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. ​

The Triennial (Poor) Tithe

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. ​

Study Notes for Deuteronomy 14

Verse 1

The prohibition against self-mutilation and specific baldness (making 'baldness between your eyes') targets established pagan mourning rites common in Canaan, emphasizing Israel’s distinct identity as God’s children who trust in divine sovereignty over death.

Verse 2

This verse establishes the theological basis for all subsequent commands in the chapter: Israel’s status as a 'holy people' and a 'peculiar treasure' chosen by God requires maintaining ritual and moral separation from the surrounding nations.

Verse 3

The term 'abominable thing' (Heb. *to’evah*) refers to anything ritually or morally repulsive to God. The dietary laws that follow are primary methods by which Israel maintains its holiness and distinctiveness.

Verse 6

The criteria for clean land animals are dual: they must both chew the cud (ruminate) and have a completely split hoof. This requirement emphasizes the principle of wholeness and clear distinction in creation.

Verse 8

The swine (pig) is singled out because it meets only one of the two criteria (split hoof but does not chew the cud), thus serving as a clear example of an animal that falls outside the boundaries of God's prescribed categories.

Verse 21

This verse contains two distinct laws: first, a provision for the resident alien (stranger) to eat carrion, emphasizing communal care; second, the famous prohibition against boiling a kid in its mother’s milk, likely outlawing a known Canaanite fertility ritual and establishing a principle of not mixing life and death or violating the natural order.

Verse 22

This section introduces the 'Second Tithe,' distinct from the Levite’s tithe (Num. 18). This tithe was meant to be consumed by the worshipper and his household in a celebratory feast at the central sanctuary (Jerusalem) annually.

Verse 23

The primary goal of eating the tithe before the Lord at the sanctuary was pedagogical: 'that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always,' linking material blessing directly to covenant loyalty and worship.

Verse 26

This verse provides flexibility, allowing the tithe to be monetized for long journeys. Crucially, the money is to be used to purchase food and drink, including 'strong drink,' demonstrating God’s approval of joyful, communal feasting as part of worship.

Verse 27

The Levite, lacking land inheritance, must be included in the annual feast. This ensured that those devoted to religious service were maintained by the community’s bounty, reinforcing the covenantal obligation to support ministry.

Verse 28

Every third year, the tithe was not taken to the central sanctuary but stored locally within the town gates. This 'Poor Tithe' served as a welfare fund for the most vulnerable members of society.

Verse 29

The recipients—the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow—represent the four classes most dependent on community charity. This system emphasizes God’s mandate for social justice and compassion as the key to receiving divine blessing.

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