Deuteronomy 14:1-7

1 You are children of God, your God, so don't mutilate your bodies or shave your heads in funeral rites for the dead.

2 You only are a people holy to God, your God; God chose you out of all the people on Earth as his cherished personal treasure.

3 Don't eat anything abominable.

4 These are the animals you may eat: ox, sheep, goat,

5 deer, gazelle, roebuck, wild goat, ibex, antelope, mountain sheep -

6 any animal that has a cloven hoof and chews the cud.

7 But you may not eat camels, rabbits, and rock badgers because they chew the cud but they don't have a cloven hoof - that makes them ritually unclean.

Deuteronomy 14:1-7 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 14

In this chapter some cautions are given against the use of some rites and ceremonies in mourning for the dead, with the reason thereof, De 14:1,2 and instructions about what are lawful to be eaten, and what not, whether of beasts, fishes, or fowl, De 14:3-21, and concerning eating one sort of tithes both at the place God should choose, and within their own gates, De 14:22-29.