Chapter 14
Verses 1-21: Dietary Laws for Clean and Unclean Foods
1. “You are the children of the Lord your God; you shall not cut yourselves nor shave the front of your head for the dead,
2. for you are a holy people to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for His own possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.
3. You shall not eat any abominable thing.
4. These are the animals which you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat,
5. the deer, the gazelle, the roe deer, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, and the mountain sheep.
6. And every animal that parts the hoof and has the hoof cloven in two and chews the cud, among the animals, you may eat.
7. Nevertheless, of those that chew the cud or have the hoof cloven, you shall not eat these: the camel, the hare, and the rock badger, for they chew the cud but do not part the hoof; they are unclean for you.
8. And the pig, because it parts the hoof but does not chew the cud, is unclean for you. You shall not eat their meat, and you shall not touch their carcasses.
9. These you may eat of all that are in the waters: all that have fins and scales you may eat.
10. And whatever does not have fins and scales you shall not eat; it is unclean for you.
11. You may eat any clean bird.
12. But these are the ones which you shall not eat: the eagle, the vulture, the osprey,
13. the red kite, the falcon, and the kite of any kind;
14. every raven of any kind;
15. the ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull, the hawk of any kind;
16. the little owl, the great owl, the white owl,
17. the pelican, the carrion vulture, the cormorant,
18. the stork, the heron of any kind, the hoopoe, and the bat.
19. All winged insects are unclean for you; they shall not be eaten.
20. You may eat all clean birds.
21. You shall not eat anything that dies of itself; you may give it to the alien who is within your gates, that he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner; for you are a holy people to the Lord your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.
Interpretation:
Chapter 14 of Deuteronomy opens (verses 1-10) by reinforcing the Israelites’ identity as a chosen people, set apart for God. The prohibition against certain mourning practices suggests a distinct separation from the customs of surrounding nations. The dietary laws that follow provide specific guidelines on clean and unclean animals, delineating a clear boundary between permissible and forbidden foods. These laws serve not just as dietary guidelines but also as symbols of purity and distinction, marking the Israelites as a people dedicated to holiness and different from other nations. This part of Chapter 14, verses 11-21 continues with detailed prescriptions regarding clean and unclean birds, offering specific examples to guide the Israelites in their dietary choices. The emphasis on the types of birds permissible or forbidden to eat further underscores the concept of holiness and separation from non-Israelite practices. The prohibition of consuming animals that died of natural causes, and the instruction not to cook a young goat in its mother’s milk, are additional aspects of dietary law that serve to set the Israelites apart in their practices and as a community dedicated to purity in accordance with God’s commandments.
Verses 22-29: Tithes and Offerings for Support and Rejoicing
22. “You shall surely tithe all the yield of your seed, that comes from the field year by year.
23. And before the Lord your God, in the place where He will choose to make His name dwell, you shall eat the tithe of your grain, of your wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and your flock, so that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always.
24. But if the journey is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, or if the place is too far from you, which the Lord your God chooses to set His name there, when the Lord your God blesses you,
25. then you shall turn it into money, and bind up the money in your hand, and shall go to the place that the Lord your God chooses.
26. And you shall spend that money for whatever your soul desires: for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatever your soul desires. And you shall eat there before the Lord your God and rejoice, you and your household.
27. And the Levite who is within your gates, you shall not forsake him; for he has no portion nor inheritance with you.
28. At the end of every three years, you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in the same year, and lay it up within your gates.
29. And the Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your gates, shall come and eat and be satisfied, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.
Interpretation:
The latter part of Chapter 14, verses 22-29 shifts to the laws of tithing, emphasizing the importance of dedicating a portion of one’s harvest to God. This practice serves both a religious purpose, as an act of worship and remembrance of God’s provisions, and a social purpose, ensuring that the Levites and the marginalized in society are provided for. The instructions about converting tithes into money for long journeys and the emphasis on communal feasting and rejoicing highlight the balance between religious duty and the practical needs of the community. The three-year tithe specifically for the Levite, sojourner, fatherless, and widow underlines the social justice aspect inherent in the law, ensuring care and provision for the less fortunate.
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