TRV
Study This Verse
Commentary on Deuteronomy 14 verses 1–21
Moses here tells the people of Israel,
I. How God had dignified them, as a peculiar people, with three distinguishing privileges, which were their honour, and figures of those spiritual blessings in heavenly things with which God has in Christ blessed us. 1. Here is election: The Lord hath chosen thee, v: 2. Not for their own merit, nor for any good works foreseen, but because he would magnify the riches of his power and grace among them. He did not choose them because they were by their own dedication and subjection a peculiar people to him above other nations, but he chose them that they might be so by his grace; and thus were believers chosen, Eph 1:4. 2. Here is adoption (Deu 14:1): "You are the children of the Lord your God, formed by him into a people, owned by him as his people, nay, his family, a people near unto him, nearer than any other." Israel is my son, my first-born; not because he needed children, but because they were orphans, and needed a father. Every Israelite is indeed a child of God, a partaker of his nature and favour, his love and blessing Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us! 3. Here is sanctification (Deu 14:2): "Thou art a holy people, separated and set apart for God, devoted to his service, designed for his praise, governed by a holy law, graced by a holy tabernacle, and the holy ordinances relating to it." God's people are under the strongest obligations to be holy, and, if they are holy, are indebted to the grace of God that makes them so. The Lord has set them apart for himself, and qualified them for his service and the enjoyment of him, and so has made them holy to himself.
II. How they ought to distinguish themselves by a sober singularity from all the nations that were about them. And, God having thus advanced them, let not them debase themselves by admitting the superstitious customs of idolaters, and, by making themselves like them, put themselves upon the level with them. Be you the children of the Lord your God; so the Seventy read it, as a command, that is, "Carry yourselves as becomes the children of God, and do nothing to disgrace the honour and forfeit the privileges of the relation." In two things particularly they must distinguish themselves: -
1.In their mourning: You shall not cut yourselves, Deu 14:1. This forbids (as some think), not only their cutting themselves at their funerals, either to express their grief or with their own blood to appease the infernal deities, but their wounding and mangling themselves in the worship of their gods, as Baal's prophets did (Kg1 18:28), or their marking themselves by incisions in their flesh for such and such deities, which in them, above any, would be an inexcusable crime, who in the sign of circumcision bore about with them in their bodies the marks of the Lord Jehovah. So that, (1.) They are forbidden to deform or hurt their own bodies upon any account. Methinks this is like a parent's change to his little children, that are foolish, careless, and wilful, and are apt to play with knives: Children, you shall not cut yourselves. This is the intention of those commands which oblige us to deny ourselves; the true meaning of them, if we understood them aright, would appear to be, Do yourselves no harm. And this also is the design of those providences which most cross us, to remove from us those things by which we are in danger of doing ourselves harm. Knives are taken from us, lest we should cut ourselves. Those that are dedicated to God as a holy people must do nothing to disfigure themselves; the body is for the Lord, and is to be used accordingly. (2.) They are forbidden to disturb and afflict their own minds with inordinate grief for the loss of near and dear relations: "You shall not express or exasperate you sorrow, even upon the most mournful occasions, by cutting yourselves, and making baldness between your eyes, like men enraged, or resolvedly hardened in sorrow for the dead, as those that have no hope," Th1 4:13. It is an excellent passage which Mr. Ainsworth here quotes from one of the Jewish writers, who understands this as a law against immoderate grief for the death of our relations. If your father (for instance) die, you shall not cut yourselves, that is, you shall not sorrow more than is meet, for you are not fatherless, you have a Father, who is great, living, and permanent, even the holy blessed God, whose children you are, Deu 14:1. But an infidel (says he), when his father dies, hath no father that can help him in time of need; for he hath said to a stock, Thou art my father, and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth (Jer 2:27); therefore he weeps, cuts himself, and makes himself bald. We that have a God to hope in, and a heaven to hope for, must bear up ourselves with that hope under every burden of this kind.
2.They must be singular in their meat. Observe,
(1.)Many sorts of flesh which were wholesome enough, and which other people did commonly eat, they must religiously abstain from as unclean. This law we had before Lev 11:2, where it was largely opened. It seems plainly, by the connection here, to be intended as a mark of peculiarity; for their observance of it would cause them to be taken notice of in all mixed companies as a separate people, and would preserve them from mingling themselves with, and conforming themselves to, their idolatrous neighbours. [1.] Concerning beasts, here is a more particular enumeration of those which they were allowed to eat then was in Leviticus, to show that they had no reason to complain of their being restrained from eating swines' flesh, and hares, and rabbits (which were all that were then forbidden, but are now commonly used), when they were allowed so great a variety, not only of that which we call butcher's meat (Deu 14:4), which alone was offered in sacrifice, but of venison, which they had great plenty of in Canaan, the hart, and the roe-buck, and the fallow deer (Deu 14:5), which, though never brought to God's altar, was allowed them at their own table. See Deu 12:22. When of all these (as Adam of every tree of the garden) they might freely eat, those were inexcusable who, to gratify a perverse appetite, or (as should seem) in honour of their idols, and in participation of their idolatrous sacrifices, ate swines' flesh, and had broth of abominable things (made so by this law) in their vessels, Isa 65:4. [2.] Concerning fish there is only one general rule given, that whatsoever had not fins and scales (as shell-fish and eels, besides leeches and other animals in the water that are not proper food) was unclean and forbidden, Deu 14:9, Deu 14:10. [3.] No general rule is given concerning fowl, but those are particularly mentioned that were to be unclean to them, and there are few or none of them which are here forbidden that are now commonly eaten; and whatsoever is not expressly forbidden is allowed, Deu 14:11-20. Of all clean fowls you may eat. [4.] They are further forbidden, First, To eat the flesh of any creature that died of itself, because the blood was not separated from it, and, besides the ceremonial uncleanness which it lay under (from Lev 11:39), it is not wholesome food, nor ordinarily used among us, except by the poor. Secondly, To seethe a kid in its mother's milk, either to gratify their own luxury, supposing it a dainty bit, or in conformity to some superstitious custom of the heathen. The Chaldee paraphrasts read it, Thou shalt not eat flesh - meats and milk - meats together; and so it would forbid the use of butter as sauce to any flesh.
(2.)Now as to all these precepts concerning their food, [1.] It is plain in the law itself that they belonged only to the Jews, and were not moral, nor of perpetual use, because not of universal obligation; for what they might not eat themselves they might give to a stranger, a proselyte of the gate, that had renounced idolatry, and therefore was permitted to live among them, though not circumcised; or they might sell it to an alien, a mere Gentile, that came into their country for trade, but might not settle it, Deu 14:21. They might feed upon that which an Israelite might not touch, which is a plain instance of their peculiarity, and their being a holy people. [2.] It is plain in the gospel that they are now antiquated and repealed. For every creature of God is good, and nothing now to be refused, or called common and unclean, Ti1 4:4.
Continue studying Deuteronomy 14:21 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
SUMMARY
Deuteronomy 14:21 delivers two distinct prohibitions to ancient Israel, underscoring their unique covenant identity and consecrated status as God's holy people. First, it forbids the consumption of animals that have died naturally, yet compassionately permits giving or selling such meat to resident aliens or foreigners, highlighting both Israel's ritual purity and their ethical responsibility. Second, the verse reiterates the enigmatic command against boiling a young goat in its mother's milk, a prohibition widely interpreted as a rejection of pagan fertility rites or a profound statement on the sanctity of life and natural order. Both injunctions collectively serve to delineate Israel's distinctiveness from surrounding nations, reinforcing their ethical and spiritual separation unto the LORD.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Deuteronomy 14:21 skillfully employs several literary devices to convey its profound message. Juxtaposition is evident in the immediate placement of two seemingly disparate laws within a single verse: the prohibition against eating carrion and the command against boiling a kid in its mother's milk. This pairing, though initially puzzling, serves to underscore the comprehensive nature of Israel's holiness, extending from dietary purity to ethical conduct and the rejection of pagan practices. The phrase "for thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God" functions as a powerful Rationale or Motive Clause, providing the overarching theological justification for all the preceding dietary regulations in the chapter. This emphasizes that Israel's distinctiveness is not arbitrary but flows directly from their covenant identity and the character of God. Furthermore, the specific imagery of "a kid in his mother's milk" utilizes potent Symbolism, where the milk, a universal symbol of life, nourishment, and maternal care, is perverted by being used in an act of death or consumption, thereby highlighting the unnaturalness, cruelty, or ungodliness of the practice. The entire verse, like much of Deuteronomy, is inherently Didactic in nature, serving to instruct, remind, and impress upon Israel the fundamental principles that define their relationship with God and set them apart from the nations.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Deuteronomy 14:21 profoundly illustrates God's desire for His covenant people to live a life of distinct holiness, not merely as an external observance but as an internal expression of their unique relationship with Him. The dietary laws, while specific to the Old Covenant, encapsulate a timeless principle: God's people are called to be different, to reflect His character in all areas of life, including their consumption habits and ethical treatment of others. The compassionate provision for the stranger and alien reveals God's expansive concern, extending beyond the immediate covenant community, and challenging Israel to embody His love and justice to all within their sphere of influence. The enigmatic prohibition against boiling a kid in its mother's milk, whether countering paganism or promoting ethical treatment of animals, speaks to a divine order and a rejection of practices that pervert life or natural relationships, urging a reverence for creation and a clear separation from the cruel or perverse customs of the world.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Deuteronomy 14:21, though rooted in the ancient covenant law given to Israel, offers profound and enduring principles for contemporary believers. While the specific dietary prohibitions are not binding under the New Covenant, the underlying call to holiness remains paramount. We are still called to be a people "set apart" for God, not primarily by external dietary rules, but by an internal transformation that shapes our values, choices, and conduct. This implies consciously choosing to live in a way that reflects Christ's character, distinguishing us from the prevailing values and practices of secular society. The command to care for the stranger and alien challenges us to extend radical hospitality, compassion, and justice to the marginalized, the immigrant, and the vulnerable in our communities, embodying God's expansive heart for all humanity. Furthermore, the enigmatic prohibition against "seething a kid in its mother's milk" encourages us to consider the ethical implications of our actions, to avoid cruelty, and to live in harmony with God's created order, rejecting practices that are unnatural, exploitative, or disrespectful of life and its sacred bonds.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why were Israelites forbidden from eating animals that died naturally, but could give them to strangers?
Answer: The prohibition for Israelites stemmed directly from their status as a "holy people unto the LORD their God." Animals that died naturally were considered unclean because their blood had not been properly drained according to ritual purity laws, and their death was not controlled or consecrated. Consuming such meat would compromise their ritual purity and distinct identity as a people set apart. However, this restriction did not apply to non-Israelites (referred to as "strangers" or "aliens") who were not under the same covenant obligations of ritual purity. Allowing them to eat or purchase such meat demonstrated practical compassion, prevented waste, and provided a means for non-Israelites to acquire food, all while still maintaining Israel's distinct identity. It highlighted that holiness was a specific requirement for the covenant community, not a universal standard imposed on all peoples. This practice ensured that the Israelites maintained their unique separation while still showing generosity and care for those living among them or passing through their land, as explicitly stated in Deuteronomy 14:21.
What is the meaning of "Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk"?
Answer: This command, notably repeated three times in the Pentateuch (Exodus 23:19, Exodus 34:26, and Deuteronomy 14:21), is one of the more enigmatic in the Old Testament. The most widely accepted interpretation is that it served as a direct prohibition against a specific Canaanite fertility ritual. Archaeological findings and ancient texts suggest that some pagan practices involved boiling a young animal in its mother's milk as an offering to deities, believed to ensure agricultural prosperity or livestock fecundity. By forbidding this, God was drawing a sharp line between Israelite worship and pagan idolatry, preventing syncretism and preserving the purity of their devotion. Another significant interpretation suggests it's a general ethical principle against cruelty or the perversion of natural order—using a life-giving substance (milk) to prepare the offspring for death is seen as unnatural, disrespectful of the bond between parent and child, or a violation of the cycle of life. It underscores a profound respect for life and the proper, non-abusive use of creation.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Deuteronomy 14:21, with its profound emphasis on holiness, distinction, and ethical conduct, finds its ultimate fulfillment and radical transformation in Christ. While the specific dietary laws are abrogated under the New Covenant, as clearly affirmed by Peter's vision in Acts 10:15 and Paul's theological teaching in Colossians 2:16-17, the underlying spiritual principles are magnified and perfectly embodied in the person and work of Jesus. Christ Himself is the quintessential embodiment of true holiness, described as "holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens" (Hebrews 7:26). Through His atoning sacrifice, believers are made holy and set apart, not by adherence to external regulations, but by being united with Him and indwelt by the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 1:15-16). The Old Testament call to care for the "stranger" and "alien" is radically expanded in the New Testament, where Christ identifies profoundly with the marginalized and vulnerable, declaring that acts of compassion towards "the least of these" are, in fact, acts done directly to Him (Matthew 25:40). The ethical principle against perverting life or natural order, exemplified by the "kid in mother's milk" prohibition, is fulfilled in Christ's comprehensive teaching on love, justice, and the sanctity of life, which transcends mere ritual to embrace a holistic transformation of the heart and mind, leading to a life that is a "living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God" (Romans 12:1-2). In Christ, the focus shifts from external distinctions to an internal, Spirit-empowered life that truly reflects God's character and love to a broken world.