Deuteronomy 14:6-16

6 And any animal having a split hoof and [so] {a dividing of the hoof into two parts} {and that chews the cud} among the animals--that [animal] you may eat.

7 Only these you may not eat from {those chewing the cud} and from {those having a division of the hoof}: the camel and the hare and the coney, because {they chew the cud}, but they [do] not divide the hoof; they are [therefore] unclean for you.

8 And [also] the pig {because it has a division of the hoof} {but does not chew the cud}; it [is] unclean for you; from their meat you shall not eat, and you shall not touch their {carcasses}.

9 "This [is what] you shall eat from all that [is] in the water: {everything} {that has fins and scales} you may eat.

10 But {anything that does not have} fins and scales, you may not eat, [for] it [is] unclean for you.

11 "All [of] [the] birds [that] [are] clean you may eat.

12 Now these [are] the ones you shall not eat {any of them}: the eagle and the vulture and the short-toed eagle,

13 and the red kite and the black kite or {any kind of falcon},

14 and any [kind] of crow according to its kind,

15 and the {ostrich} and the short-eared owl and the seagull and the hawk according to its kind,

16 the little owl and the great owl and the barn owl,

Deuteronomy 14:6-16 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "divides the hoof"
• [b]. Literally "a dividing cleft [creating] two hoofs"
• [c]. Literally "and that brings up the cud"
• [d]. Hebrew "animal"
• [e]. Literally "bringing up the cud"
• [f]. Literally "those having a division of the hoof divided"
• [g]. Literally "they bringing up of the cud"
• [h]. Literally "because a division of the hoof"
• [i]. Literally "but not a [chewing] cud"
• [j]. Literally "dead body"
• [k]. Literally "all [of] that"
• [l]. Literally "for it [is] fins and scales," showing possession of these features
• [m]. Literally "all [of] that there is not for it," showing lack of possession of these features
• [n]. Literally "from them"
• [o]. This list of birds is difficult to translate since the terms are not definitely known: e.g., some translations render the last bird as a "buzzard" (NASV); other translations give different names for all three: griffon vulture, black vulture, bearded vulture (NEB)
• [p]. Various options are available: large bird, kite, red kite, glede, buzzard
• [q]. Literally "or the falcon according to its kind"; other options for falcon: bird, falcon, kite (others as carrion-bird), vulture, crow or raven, buzzard
• [r]. Or others translate as "raven"
• [s]. Literally "daughter of the ostrich"; others "desert owl"
• [t]. Or "long-eared owl"
• [u]. Or "white owl"