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.
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 carcass.
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,
13 And the glede, and the kite, and the vulture after his kind,
14 And every raven after his kind,
15 And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckoo, and the hawk after his kind,
16 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 anything 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.
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.
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.
1 Ye are the children H1121 of the LORD H3068 your God: H430 ye shall not cut H1413 yourselves, nor make H7760 any baldness H7144 between your eyes H5869 for the dead. H4191
2 For thou art an holy H6918 people H5971 unto the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 and the LORD H3068 hath chosen H977 thee to be a peculiar H5459 people H5971 unto himself, above all the nations H5971 that are upon H6440 the earth. H127
3 Thou shalt not eat H398 any abominable thing. H8441
4 These are the beasts H929 which ye shall eat: H398 the ox, H7794 the sheep, H7716 H3775 and the goat, H5795
5 The hart, H354 and the roebuck, H6643 and the fallow deer, H3180 and the wild goat, H689 and the pygarg, H1788 and the wild ox, H8377 and the chamois. H2169
6 And every beast H929 that parteth H6536 the hoof, H6541 and cleaveth H8157 the cleft H8156 into two H8147 claws, H6541 and cheweth H5927 the cud H1625 among the beasts, H929 that ye shall eat. H398
7 Nevertheless these ye shall not eat H398 of them that chew H5927 the cud, H1625 or of them that divide H6536 the cloven H8156 hoof; H6541 as the camel, H1581 and the hare, H768 and the coney: H8227 for they chew H5927 the cud, H1625 but divide H6536 not the hoof; H6541 therefore they are unclean H2931 unto you.
8 And the swine, H2386 because it divideth H6536 the hoof, H6541 yet cheweth not the cud, H1625 it is unclean H2931 unto you: ye shall not eat H398 of their flesh, H1320 nor touch H5060 their dead carcase. H5038
9 These ye shall eat H398 of all that are in the waters: H4325 all that have fins H5579 and scales H7193 shall ye eat: H398
10 And whatsoever hath not fins H5579 and scales H7193 ye may not eat; H398 it is unclean H2931 unto you.
11 Of all clean H2889 birds H6833 ye shall eat. H398
12 But these are they of which ye shall not eat: H398 the eagle, H5404 and the ossifrage, H6538 and the ospray, H5822
13 And the glede, H7201 and the kite, H344 and the vulture H1772 after his kind, H4327
14 And every raven H6158 after his kind, H4327
15 And the owl, H1323 H3284 and the night hawk, H8464 and the cuckow, H7828 and the hawk H5322 after his kind, H4327
16 The little owl, H3563 and the great owl, H3244 and the swan, H8580
17 And the pelican, H6893 and the gier eagle, H7360 and the cormorant, H7994
18 And the stork, H2624 and the heron H601 after her kind, H4327 and the lapwing, H1744 and the bat. H5847
19 And every creeping thing H8318 that flieth H5775 is unclean H2931 unto you: they shall not be eaten. H398
20 But of all clean H2889 fowls H5775 ye may eat. H398
21 Ye shall not eat H398 of any thing that dieth of itself: H5038 thou shalt give H5414 it unto the stranger H1616 that is in thy gates, H8179 that he may eat H398 it; or thou mayest sell H4376 it unto an alien: H5237 for thou art an holy H6918 people H5971 unto the LORD H3068 thy God. H430 Thou shalt not seethe H1310 a kid H1423 in his mother's H517 milk. H2461
22 Thou shalt truly H6237 tithe H6237 all the increase H8393 of thy seed, H2233 that the field H7704 bringeth forth H3318 year H8141 by year. H8141
23 And thou shalt eat H398 before H6440 the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 in the place H4725 which he shall choose H977 to place H7931 his name H8034 there, the tithe H4643 of thy corn, H1715 of thy wine, H8492 and of thine oil, H3323 and the firstlings H1062 of thy herds H1241 and of thy flocks; H6629 that thou mayest learn H3925 to fear H3372 the LORD H3068 thy God H430 always. H3117
24 And if the way H1870 be too long H7235 for thee, so that H3588 thou art not able H3201 to carry H5375 it; or if the place H4725 be too far H7368 from thee, which the LORD H3068 thy God H430 shall choose H977 to set H7760 his name H8034 there, when the LORD H3068 thy God H430 hath blessed H1288 thee:
25 Then shalt thou turn H5414 it into money, H3701 and bind up H6696 the money H3701 in thine hand, H3027 and shalt go H1980 unto the place H4725 which the LORD H3068 thy God H430 shall choose: H977
26 And thou shalt bestow H5414 that money H3701 for whatsoever thy soul H5315 lusteth after, H183 for oxen, H1241 or for sheep, H6629 or for wine, H3196 or for strong drink, H7941 or for whatsoever thy soul H5315 desireth: H7592 and thou shalt eat H398 there before H6440 the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 and thou shalt rejoice, H8055 thou, and thine household, H1004
27 And the Levite H3881 that is within thy gates; H8179 thou shalt not forsake H5800 him; for he hath no part H2506 nor inheritance H5159 with thee.
28 At the end H7097 of three H7969 years H8141 thou shalt bring forth H3318 all the tithe H4643 of thine increase H8393 the same year, H8141 and shalt lay it up H3240 within thy gates: H8179
29 And the Levite, H3881 (because he hath no part H2506 nor inheritance H5159 with thee,) and the stranger, H1616 and the fatherless, H3490 and the widow, H490 which are within thy gates, H8179 shall come, H935 and shall eat H398 and be satisfied; H7646 that the LORD H3068 thy God H430 may bless H1288 thee in all the work H4639 of thine hand H3027 which thou doest. H6213
1 Ye are the children of Jehovah your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.
2 For thou art a holy people unto Jehovah thy God, and Jehovah hath chosen thee to be a people for his own possession, above all peoples that are upon the face of the earth.
3 Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing.
4 These are the beasts which ye may eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat,
5 the hart, and the gazelle, and the roebuck, and the wild goat, and the pygarg, and the antelope, and the chamois.
6 And every beast that parteth the hoof, and hath the hoof cloven in two, `and' cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that may ye eat.
7 Nevertheless these ye shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that have the hoof cloven: the camel, and the hare, and the coney; because they chew the cud but part not the hoof, they are unclean unto you.
8 And the swine, because he parteth the hoof but cheweth not the cud, he is unclean unto you: of their flesh ye shall not eat, and their carcasses ye shall not touch.
9 These ye may eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales may ye eat;
10 and whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye shall not eat; it is unclean unto you.
11 Of all clean birds ye may eat.
12 But these are they of which ye shall not eat: the eagle, and the gier-eagle, and the ospray,
13 and the glede, and the falcon, and the kite after its kind,
14 and every raven after its kind,
15 and the ostrich, and the night-hawk, and the sea-mew, and the hawk after its kind,
16 the little owl, and the great owl, and the horned owl,
17 and the pelican, and the vulture, and the cormorant,
18 and the stork, and the heron after its kind, and the hoopoe, and the bat.
19 And all winged creeping things are unclean unto you: they shall not be eaten.
20 Of all clean birds ye may eat.
21 Ye shall not eat of anything that dieth of itself: thou mayest give it unto the sojourner that is within thy gates, that he may eat it; or thou mayest sell it unto a foreigner: for thou art a holy people unto Jehovah thy God. Thou shalt not boil a kid in its mother's milk.
22 Thou shalt surely tithe all the increase of thy seed, that which cometh forth from the field year by year.
23 And thou shalt eat before Jehovah thy God, in the place which he shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there, the tithe of thy grain, of thy new wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herd and of thy flock; that thou mayest learn to fear Jehovah thy God always.
24 And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it, because the place is too far from thee, which Jehovah thy God shall choose, to set his name there, when Jehovah thy God shall bless thee;
25 then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thy hand, and shalt go unto the place which Jehovah thy God shall choose:
26 and thou shalt bestow the money for whatsoever thy soul desireth, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul asketh of thee; and thou shalt eat there before Jehovah thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou and thy household.
27 And the Levite that is within thy gates, thou shalt not forsake him; for he hath no portion nor inheritance with thee.
28 At the end of every three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase in the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates:
29 and the Levite, because he hath no portion nor inheritance with thee, and the sojourner, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that Jehovah thy God may bless thee in all the work of thy hand which thou doest.
1 `Sons ye `are' to Jehovah your God; ye do not cut yourselves, nor make baldness between your eyes for the dead;
2 for a holy people `art' thou to Jehovah thy God, and on thee hath Jehovah fixed to be to Him for a people, a peculiar treasure, out of all the peoples who `are' on the face of the ground.
3 `Thou dost not eat any abominable thing;
4 `this `is' the beast which ye do eat: ox, lamb of the sheep, or kid of the goats,
5 hart, and roe, and fallow deer, and wild goat, and pygarg, and wild ox, and chamois;
6 and every beast dividing the hoof, and cleaving the cleft into two hoofs, bringing up the cud, among the beasts -- it ye do eat.
7 `Only, this ye do not eat, of those bringing up the cud, and of those dividing the cloven hoof: the camel, and the hare, and the rabbit, for they are bringing up the cud but the hoof have not divided; unclean they `are' to you;
8 and the sow, for it is dividing the hoof, and not `bringing' up the cud, unclean it `is' to you; of their flesh ye do not eat, and against their carcase ye do not come.
9 `This ye do eat of all that `are' in the waters; all that hath fins and scales ye do eat;
10 and anything which hath not fins and scales ye do not eat; unclean it `is' to you.
11 `Any clean bird ye do eat;
12 and these `are' they of which ye do not eat: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray,
13 and the glede, and the kite, and the vulture after its kind,
14 and every raven after its kind;
15 and the owl, and the night-hawk, and the cuckoo, and the hawk after its kind;
16 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 its kind, and the lapwing, and the bat;
19 and every teeming thing which is flying, unclean it `is' to you; they are not eaten;
20 any clean fowl ye do eat.
21 `Ye do not eat of any carcase; to the sojourner who `is' within thy gates thou dost give it, and he hath eaten it; or sell `it' to a stranger; for a holy people thou `art' to Jehovah thy God; thou dost not boil a kid in its mother's milk.
22 `Thou dost certainly tithe all the increase of thy seed which the field is bringing forth year by year;
23 and thou hast eaten before Jehovah thy God, in the place where He doth choose to cause His name to tabernacle, the tithe of thy corn, of thy new wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herd, and of thy flock, so that thou dost learn to fear Jehovah thy God all the days.
24 `And when the way is too much for thee, that thou art not able to carry it -- when the place is too far off from thee which Jehovah thy God doth choose to put His name there, when Jehovah thy God doth bless thee; --
25 then thou hast given `it' in money, and hast bound up the money in thy hand, and gone unto the place on which Jehovah thy God doth fix;
26 and thou hast given the money for any thing which thy soul desireth, for oxen, and for sheep, and for wine, and for strong drink, and for any thing which thy soul asketh, and thou hast eaten there before Jehovah thy God, and thou hast rejoiced, thou and thy house.
27 As to the Levite who `is' within thy gates, thou dost not forsake him, for he hath no portion and inheritance with thee.
28 `At the end of three years thou dost bring out all the tithe of thine increase in that year, and hast placed `it' within thy gates;
29 and come in hath the Levite (for he hath no part and inheritance with thee), and the sojourner, and the fatherless, and the widow, who `are' within thy gates, and they have eaten, and been satisfied, so that Jehovah thy God doth bless thee in all the work of thy hand which thou dost.
1 Ye are sons of Jehovah your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for a dead person.
2 For thou art a holy people unto Jehovah thy God, and thee hath Jehovah chosen for a people of possession unto himself, out of all the peoples that are upon the face of the earth.
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 gazelle, and the stag, and the wild goat, and the dishon and the oryx, and the wild sheep.
6 And every beast that hath cloven hoofs, and the feet quite split open into double hoofs, [and] which cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that ye shall eat.
7 Only these ye shall not eat of those that chew the cud, or of those with hoofs cloven and split open: the camel, and the hare, and the rock-badger; for they chew the cud, but have not cloven hoofs -- they shall be unclean unto you;
8 and the swine, for it hath cloven hoofs, yet cheweth not the cud -- it shall be unclean unto you. Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch.
9 These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales shall ye eat;
10 but whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye shall not eat: it shall be unclean unto you.
11 All clean birds shall ye eat.
12 But these are they of which ye shall not eat: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the sea-eagle,
13 and the falcon, and the kite, and the black kite after its kind;
14 and every raven after its kind;
15 and the female ostrich, and the male ostrich, and the sea-gull, and the hawk after its kind;
16 the owl, and the ibis and the swan,
17 and the pelican, and the carrion vulture, and the gannet,
18 and the stork, and the heron after its kind, and the hoopoe, and the bat.
19 And every winged crawling thing shall be unclean unto you; they shall not be eaten.
20 All clean fowls shall ye eat.
21 Ye shall eat of no carcase; thou shalt give it unto the stranger that is within thy gates, that he may eat it, or sell it unto a foreigner; for thou art a holy people to Jehovah thy God. Thou shalt not boil a kid in its mother's milk.
22 Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, the produce of the field, year by year.
23 And thou shalt eat before Jehovah thy God, in the place which he will choose to cause his name to dwell there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy new wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear Jehovah thy God continually.
24 And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it, because the place is too far from thee, which Jehovah thy God will choose to set his name there, when Jehovah thy God blesseth thee;
25 then shalt thou give it for money, and bind the money together in thy hand, and go to the place which Jehovah thy God will choose,
26 and thou shalt give the money for whatever thy soul desireth, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatever thy soul asketh of thee; and thou shalt eat there before Jehovah thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thy house.
27 And thou shalt not forsake the Levite that is within thy gates; for he hath no portion nor inheritance with thee.
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 -- for he hath no portion nor inheritance with thee -- and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that Jehovah thy God may bless thee in all the work of thy hand which thou doest.
1 You are the children of Yahweh your God: you shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.
2 For you are a holy people to Yahweh your God, and Yahweh has chosen you to be a people for his own possession, above all 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, and the goat,
5 the hart, and the gazelle, and the roebuck, and the wild goat, and the ibex, and the antelope, and the chamois.
6 Every animal that parts the hoof, and has the hoof cloven in two, [and] chews the cud, among the animals, that may you eat.
7 Nevertheless these you shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of those who have the hoof cloven: the camel, and the hare, and the rabbit; because they chew the cud but don't part the hoof, they are unclean to you.
8 The pig, because it has a split hoof but doesn't chew the cud, is unclean to you: of their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch.
9 These you may eat of all that are in the waters: whatever has fins and scales may you eat;
10 and whatever doesn't have fins and scales you shall not eat; it is unclean to you.
11 Of all clean birds you may eat.
12 But these are they of which you shall not eat: the eagle, and the gier-eagle, and the ospray,
13 and the red kite, and the falcon, and the kite after its kind,
14 and every raven after its kind,
15 and the ostrich, and the night-hawk, and the sea-mew, and the hawk after its kind,
16 the little owl, and the great owl, and the horned owl,
17 and the pelican, and the vulture, and the cormorant,
18 and the stork, and the heron after its kind, and the hoopoe, and the bat.
19 All winged creeping things are unclean to you: they shall not be eaten.
20 Of all clean birds you may eat.
21 You shall not eat of anything that dies of itself: you may give it to the foreigner living among you 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 Yahweh your God. You shall not boil a kid in its mother's milk.
22 You shall surely tithe all the increase of your seed, that which comes forth from the field year by year.
23 You shall eat before Yahweh your God, in the place which he shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there, the tithe of your grain, of your new wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock; that you may learn to fear Yahweh your God always.
24 If the way be too long for you, so that you are not able to carry it, because the place is too far from you, which Yahweh your God shall choose, to set his name there, when Yahweh your God shall bless you;
25 then shall you turn it into money, and bind up the money in your hand, and shall go to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose:
26 and you shall bestow the money for whatever your soul desires, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatever your soul asks of you; and you shall eat there before Yahweh your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household.
27 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 forth all the tithe of your increase in the same year, and shall lay it up within your gates:
29 and the Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, and the foreigner living among you, and the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that Yahweh your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.
1 You are the children of the Lord your God: you are not to make cuts on your bodies or take off the hair on your brows in honour of the dead;
2 For you are a holy people to the Lord your God, and the Lord has taken you to be his special people out of all the nations on the face of the earth.
3 No disgusting thing may be your food.
4 These are the beasts which you may have for food: the ox, the sheep, and the goat;
5 The hart, the gazelle, and the roe, the mountain goat and the pygarg and the antelope and the mountain sheep.
6 Any beast which has a division in the horn of its foot and whose food comes back into its mouth to be crushed again, may be used for food.
7 But even among these, there are some which may not be used for food: such as the camel, the hare, and the coney, which are unclean to you, because, though their food comes back, the horn of their feet is not parted in two.
8 And the pig is unclean to you, because though it has a division in the horn of its foot, its food does not come back; their flesh may not be used for food or their dead bodies touched by you.
9 And of the things living in the waters, you may take all those who have wings for swimming with and skins formed of thin plates.
10 But any which have no skin-plates or wings for swimming, you may not take; they are unclean for you.
11 All clean birds may be used for food.
12 But these birds you may not take: the eagle and the gier-eagle and the ospray;
13 The falcon and the kite, and birds of that sort;
14 Every raven, and all birds of that sort;
15 And the ostrich and the night-hawk and the sea-hawk and birds of that sort;
16 The little owl and the great owl and the water-hen;
17 And the pelican and the vulture and the cormorant;
18 The stork and the heron and birds of that sort, and the hoopoe and the bat.
19 Every winged thing which goes flat on the earth is unclean to you and may not be used as food.
20 But all clean birds you may take.
21 You may not have as food anything which has come to a natural death; the man from another country who is living with you may take it for food, or you may get a price for it from one of another nation; for you are a holy people to the Lord your God. The young goat is not to be cooked in its mother's milk.
22 Put on one side a tenth of all the increase of your seed, produced year by year.
23 And make a feast before the Lord your God, in the place which is to be marked out, where his name will be for ever, of the tenth part of your grain and your wine and your oil, and the first births of your herds and your flocks; so that you may have the fear of the Lord your God in your hearts at all times.
24 And if the way is so long that you are not able to take these things to the place marked out by the Lord your God for his name, when he has given you his blessing, because it is far away from you;
25 Then let these things be exchanged for money, and, taking the money in your hand, go to the place marked out by the Lord your God for himself;
26 And with the money get whatever you have a desire for, oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever your soul's desire may be: and make a feast there before the Lord your God, and be glad, you and all your house;
27 And give a thought to the Levite who is living among you, for he has no part or heritage in the land.
28 At the end of every three years take a tenth part of all your increase for that year, and put it in store inside your walls:
29 And the Levite, because he has no part or heritage in the land, and the man from a strange country, and the child who has no father, and the widow, who are living among you, will come and take food and have enough; and so the blessing of the Lord your God will be on you in everything you do.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » John Gill's Exposition of the Bible » Commentary on Deuteronomy 14
Commentary on Deuteronomy 14 John Gill's Exposition of the Bible
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, Deuteronomy 14:1 and instructions about what are lawful to be eaten, and what not, whether of beasts, fishes, or fowl, Deuteronomy 14:3, and concerning eating one sort of tithes both at the place God should choose, and within their own gates, Deuteronomy 14:22.
Ye are the children of the Lord your God,.... Some of them were so by the special grace of adoption, and all of them by national adoption; which was the peculiar privilege of the people of Israel, and laid them under great obligation to honour and obey the Lord their God, who stood in the relation of a father to them, and they of children to him, Malachi 1:6. The Targum of Jonathan paraphrases it "beloved children"; so the apostle calls the saints; the "dear children of God", who therefore ought to be followers of him, Ephesians 5:1 and for a like reason this relation is observed here, namely, to quicken a regard to the exhortations of the Lord, his cautions, commands, laws, and ordinances, particularly to what follows:
ye shall not cut yourselves; for the dead, as appears from the next clause, as the Heathens did, who not only tore their garments, but their flesh in several parts of their bodies, in their mouths, cheeks, breasts, &c.F18Vid. Virgil. Aeneid. 12. ver. 870, 871. and Servium in Aeneid. 1. ver. 78. and in l. 12. ; and used other extravagant signs of mourning, which the apostle cautions against, 1 Thessalonians 4:13 and were condemned by the Heathens themselvesF19Vid. Cicero de Leg. l. 2. c. 23. and Tusculan. Quaest. l. 3. c. 27. . Though some think this refers to incisions the Heathens made in their flesh to the honour of their gods, cutting the names of them therein to whom they devoted themselves; or lashing their bodies at the worship of them, as the worshippers of Baal did when they called upon him, 1 Kings 18:28 and so the Jerusalem Targum,"make not marks, marks,'that is, here and there, in many places, or bruises black and blue by striping and beating themselves, for strange worship, or at it, in honour of their gods; but the former sense seems best to agree with what follows; see Leviticus 19:28,
nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead; by shaving the forepart of their head or their eyebrows, or both, which used to be done in lamentations for the dead; see Jeremiah 16:6 if this could be thought to have any respect to rites and ceremonies used in the worship of dead and lifeless idols, the customs of the Egyptians might be referred to, who are said to shave their heads and their eyebrows in their sacred rites to IsisF20Ambros. Epist. l. 4. c. 30. p. 259. .
For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God,.... Set apart by him from all other people, and devoted to his worship and service, and many of them were sanctified and made holy in a special and spiritual sense; and therefore should not conform to the customs of Gentiles, whether in their extravagant mourning for the dead, or in their religious services; see Deuteronomy 7:6,
and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people, above all the nations that are upon the earth; to be his peculiar treasure, to be his peculiar servants and worshippers, to enjoy peculiar blessings and privileges, and behave in a peculiar manner different from all other people; and have no connection with them, especially in things sacred; and, in order to keep them a distinct peculiar people from all others, a peculiar diet was appointed them, that so being prohibited to eat such things as others did, they might be kept out of their company and conversation, and so from being drawn into their idolatrous practices; the rules concerning which follow; see Deuteronomy 7:6.
Thou shall not eat any abominable thing. That is so either in its own nature, or because forbidden by the Lord; what are such are declared in the following verses.
These are the beasts which they shall eat,.... That is, which they might lawfully eat of, which were allowed for their food; for they were not obliged to eat of them if they did not choose it:
the ox, the sheep, and the goat; which were creatures used in sacrifice, and the only ones, yet nevertheless they might be used for food if chosen.
The hart, the roebuck, and the fallow deer,.... All of the deer kind, and very agreeable food; harts were very common in the land of Canaan and parts adjacent; Aelianus saysF21Hist. Animal. l. 5. c. 56. harts are bred in the great mountains in Syria, Amanus, Lebanon, and Carmel: the roebuck, or "dorcas", from whence a good woman had her name, Acts 9:36 is spoken of by MartialF23"Delicium parvo", &c. Epigram. l. 13. 93. as very delicious food, and so are fallow deer; the word "jachmur", here used, having the signification of redness in it, may be used for that sort which are called red deer: it is observed that in the Arabic language it is used for an animal with two horns, living in the woods, not unlike an hart, but swifter than that; and it is asked, is it not the "aloe" or "elch"F24Castel. Lex. Polyglott. Col. 1. 294. ?
and the wild goat, and the pygarg, and the wild ox, and the chamois; the wild goat is reckoned by PlinyF25Nat. Hist. l. 8. c. 53. among the half wild creatures in Africa; according to the philosopherF26Aristot. Hist. Animal. l. 8. c. 28. there are none but in Syria, on which Canaan bordered, and were very remarkable ones, having ears a span and nine inches long, and some reached to the ground. The Hebrew name for this creature is "akko"; and there is a fourfooted wild beast, by the Tartarians called "akkyk", and by the Turks "akoim", and which with the Scythians and Sarmatians are to be met with in flocks; it is between a hart and a ram, its body whitish, and the flesh exceeding sweetF1Scheuchzer. Physic. Sacr. vol. 3. p. 415. ; it seems to be the same with the "tragelaphus", of which there were in Arabia, as Diodorus SiculusF2Bibliothec. l. 2. p. 134. Vid. Plin. l. 8. c. 33. says; the next is the "pygarg", which we so render from the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions, or white buttocks, so called from the hinder part of it being white; a species of the eagle with a white tail is called a "pygarg", but here a four footed animal is meant; and which is mentioned as such, along with hinds, does, and goats, by HerodotusF3Melpomene, sive, l. 4. c. 192. , AelianF4Hist. Animal l. 7. c. 19. , and PlinyF5Nat. Hist. l. 8. c. 53. : it has its name "dishon", in Hebrew, from its ash colour, and the "tragelaphus", or goat deer, has part of its back ash coloured, and has ash coloured spots or streaks on its sidesF6Calmet's Dictionary on the word "Pygarg". : some take it to be the "strepsiceros", a kind of buck or goat with writhed horns, which the Africans, as Pliny saysF7Nat. Hist. l. 11. c. 39. , call "addaca", which is thought by some to be a corruption of "al-dashen", so Junius; the Targum of Jonathan takes it for the "unicorn" or "rhinoceros"; and the Talmudists sayF8T. Bab. Cholin, fol. 59. 2. that the unicorn, though it has but one horn, is free, i.e. lawful to be eaten: the "wild ox" was common in Arabia; StraboF9Geograph. l. 16. p. 530. speaks of multitudes of wild oxen in some parts of Arabia, on the flesh of which and other animals the Arabians live; in the Septuagint version it is called the "oryx", which is a creature that has but one horn, and divides the hoofF11Aristot. Hist. Animal, l. 2. c. 1. , and so might be eaten; See Gill on Isaiah 51:20, the last, the "chamois", has a French name, and is a creature of the goat kind, from whose skin the chamois leather is made; in the figure of its body it seems to approach very much to the stag kindF12Supplement to Chambers's Dictionary on the word "Rupricapra". ; perhaps it is the same with the "cemas" of AelianF13Hist. Animal. l. 14. c. 14. , mentioned by him along with roebucks. Some take it to be the "tarandus", of which Pliny saysF14Nat. Hist. l. 8. c. 34. 34. it is of the size of an ox, has a head bigger than a hart, and not unlike it; its horns are branched, hoofs cloven, and is hairy like a bear. In the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan this is the "pygarg"; these several sorts of beasts were allowed to be eaten; the three first there is no difficulty about them, but the other seven it is hard to determine what they are, at least some of them. Dr. ShawF15Travels, p. 418. thinks that the deer, the antelope, the wild bear, the goat deer, the white buttocks, the buffalo, and jeraffa, may lay in the best claim to the "ailee", "tzebi", "yachmur", "akkub", "dishon", "thau", and "zomer", here.
And every beast that parted the hoof,.... In this and the two following verses two general rules are given, by which it might be known what beasts were fit for food and what not; one is if they parted the hoof, and the other if they chewed the cud, such might be eaten; but such that only chewed the cud, but did not divide the hoof, as the camel, hare, and coney, might not be eaten; and so if they divided the hoof, and did not chew the cud, as the swine, they were alike unlawful; See Gill on Leviticus 11:3; see Gill on Leviticus 11:4; see Gill on Leviticus 11:5; see Gill on Leviticus 11:6; see Gill on Leviticus 11:7; see Gill on Leviticus 11:8.
These ye shall eat of, all that are in the waters,.... The fishes there, even such as have fins and scales, but they that have not were not to be eaten: See Gill on Leviticus 11:9, Leviticus 11:10, Leviticus 11:11, Leviticus 11:12.
Of all clean birds ye shall eat. Which the Targum of Jonathan describes, everyone that has a craw, and whose crop is naked, and has a superfluous talon, and is not rapacious; but such as are unclean are expressed by name in the following verses, so that all except them might be reckoned clean and fit for food. MaimonidesF16Hilchot. Maacolot Asurot, c. 1. sect. 14. observes, that only the number of the unclean are reckoned, so that all the rest are free.
But these are they of which they shall not eat,.... Jarchi observes, that the unclean birds are particularly mentioned, to teach that the clean sort are more than the unclean, and therefore the particulars of the fewest are given: these are all the same names as in Leviticus 11:13, excepting one, "the glede", Deuteronomy 14:13 which is a kind of kite or puttock; the Jerusalem Targum renders it the vulture, and the Targum of Jonathan the white "dayetha" or vulture; and Aristotle saysF17Hist. Animal. l. 8. c. 3. there are two sorts of vultures, the one small and whiter, the other larger and of many forms or colours; in Hebrew its name here is "raah", and is thought to be the same with "daah" in Leviticus 11:14 there translated the "vulture", which has its name there from flying, and here from seeing, for which it is remarkable; see Job 28:7 and the letters ד and ר are pretty much alike, and are sometimes changed, but there is another here, in Deuteronomy 14:13 mentioned, the "dayah", which is not mentioned in Leviticus 11:1, though some think it the same with the "ayah", rendered both here and there the "kite"; perhaps it means another sort of vulture, the black vulture, as the Targum of Jonathan.
And every creeping thing that flieth is unclean,.... Which the Targum of Jonathan thus paraphrases;"all flies and wasps (or hornets), and worms of lentiles and of beans, which are separated from food, and fly as birds, they are unclean;'See Gill on Leviticus 11:20; see Gill on Leviticus 11:21.
But of all clean fowls ye may eat. Even of all fowls, but those before excepted; Aben Ezra instances in the locust, as being a clean fowl, that might be eaten; and so the Targum of Jonathan is"every clean locust ye may eat;'see Leviticus 11:22.
Ye shall not eat of anything that dieth of itself,.... This law is repeated from Leviticus 17:15; see Gill on Leviticus 17:15,
thou shalt give it unto the stranger that is in thy gates, that he may eat it; not to the proselyte of righteousness, for he might not eat of it any more than an Israelite, and if he did, he was obliged to wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and was unclean until the evening, as in Leviticus 17:15 but to a proselyte of the gate, who took upon him, as Jarchi observes, not to serve idols, one that has renounced idolatry, but has not embraced the Jewish religion; such an one might eat of things that died of themselves, or were not killed in a proper manner. The Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan call him an uncircumcised stranger or proselyte, who had not submitted to circumcision, as the proselyte of righteousness did:
or thou mayest sell it unto an alien; an idolater, one that was neither a proselyte of righteousness nor of the gate, an entire alien from the commonwealth of Israel; one that was occasionally in the land of Canaan, or was travelling in it or through it, to such an one it might be sold:
for thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God; separated from all others, and devoted to his service, and therefore must live on clean, food and good meat, and not eat what others might:
thou shalt not seethe a kid in its mother's milk; this is the third time this law is mentioned; refer to the notes; see Gill on Exodus 23:19; see Gill on Exodus 34:26; the reason of which repetition, the Jewish writers sayF19Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Kiddushin, c. 2. sect. 9. , is, that it is once said to forbid the eating it, a second time to forbid any use of it or profit by it, and a third time to forbid the boiling of it.
Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed,.... This was a different tithe from that which was made and given to the Levites, and out of which a tithe was taken and given to the priests, and which they only ate of; but this, as appears by the following verse, was what the owners themselves ate of, and so the tithing was left to be made by them themselves, and which they were to be sure to make, and to make it truly and faithfully:
that the field bringeth forth year by year; being ploughed and sowed yearly, the produce of it was to be tithed yearly; the Jewish writersF20Ib. in Misn. Maaserot, c. 1. sect. 1. observe on this, that it must be what the earth produces, and is fit for food: and it must be thy seed, which is especially thine, and is not common, but has an owner, and this excludes mushrooms, &c. which thou sowest not, and therefore cannot be called thy seed.
And thou shalt eat before the Lord thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there,.... See Deuteronomy 12:5 there the tithe of all the fruits of the earth was to be eaten; this is the second tithe, as the Targum of Jonathan, and so Jarchi, and which is more particularly described as follows:
the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil: see Deuteronomy 12:7,
and the firstlings of thine herds, and of thy flocks; of which see the note on the above place:
that thou mayest learn to fear the Lord thy God always; which such a constant practice would inure unto; see Deuteronomy 10:12.
And if the way be too long for thee,.... The way from the place where any Israelite might live:
to carry it; the tithe and the firstlings, it would be too expensive or too troublesome in any way that could be devised:
or if the place shall be too far from thee, which the Lord thy God shall choose to set his name there; which by the event appeared to be the city of Jerusalem, and this from some parts of the land of Canaan was very distant:
when the Lord thy God hath blessed thee; with a large increase of the fruits of the earth, and of flocks and herds.
Thou shalt then turn it into money,.... The tithe, which would be lighter and easier carriage:
and bind up the money in thine hand; put it into a bag or purse, and tie it up and carry it in the hand; which some think was ordered, that it might not be mixed with other money; but it seems only to have respect to journeying, and making it fit for that. The Jewish writersF21Bartenora in Misn. Beracot, c. 7. sect. 1. Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Maaser Sheni, c. 11. sect. 2. & in Misn. Sabbat, c. 18. sect. 1. , some of them, give a different sense of the word we render "bind up", and interpret it of marking the silver, or impressing a form, figure, or image on it with the hand; they mean that it must be coined money; so MaimonidesF23In Misn. Maaser Sheni, c. 11. sect. 2. , they may not profane the sacred tithe with money not coined, nor with money not current, nor with money which is not in a man's power; for it is said:
in thine hand; which the man is possessed of and is his own property:
and shalt go unto the place which the Lord that God shall choose; carrying the money along with him, for which he sold the tithe.
And thou shall bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after,.... He might buy what provision he would with it, what he best liked, and was most agreeable to his appetite:
for oxen, or for sheep; he might purchase beef or mutton, or any other sort of meat that could be got, and was lawful to be eaten, as before directed:
or for wine, or for strong drink; to drink with his food, whether wine or any other liquor; the Targum of Jonathan is, wine new or old, which he chose; but the latter, strong drink, Aben Ezra says, was a liquor made of honey and of dates, of wheat and of barley:
or for whatsoever thy soul desireth; whether eatable or drinkable:
and thou shalt eat there before the Lord thy God; he having put his name in that place; and dwelling there, as the Lord did in the temple of Jerusalem:
and thou shalt rejoice, thou and thy household; eat their food with cheerfulness and gladness, making a feast of it and keeping it as such, he and his whole family, his wife and children, or as many as were with him; and all males were obliged to appear at the three grand yearly festivals, and it was at one of these this was to be done.
And the Levite that is within thy gates, thou shalt not forsake him,.... As not from giving him the first tithe, as Jarchi remarks, so he was not to forget him in this; he was not to leave him behind, but take him with him to partake of this entertainment:
for he hath no part nor inheritance with thee in the land: see Deuteronomy 12:12.
At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year,.... This, according to Aben Ezra, was a third tithe, and did not excuse the second tithe; so says:"I gave the third tithe to the repair of the temple,' (Tobit 1:7)as in one copy, but, according to another, to the stranger, fatherless, and widow, which better agrees with what follows; but the Jewish writers generally understand this as the same with the second tithe, which on the two first years from the sabbatical year was carried to Jerusalem, or money in lieu of it, with which provisions were bought and eaten there, but on the third year were eaten in their own cities with the poor, and in the stead of the other; so says MaimonidesF24Hilchot Mattanot. Anayim, c. 6. sect. 4. , on the third and sixth years from the sabbatical year, after they have separated the first tithe they separate from what remains another tithe, and give it to the poor, and it is called the poor's tithe, and not on those two years is the second tithe, but the poor's tithe, as it is said, "at the end of three years", &c. and still more expressly elsewhereF25In Maaser Sheni, c. 1. sect. 1. ; after they have separated the first tithe every year, they separate the second tithe, Deuteronomy 14:22 and on the third and sixth years they separate the poor's tithe instead of the second; and this was done, not at the latter end of the third year, but, as Aben Ezra interprets it, at the beginning; for the word used signifies an extremity, and the beginning of the year is one extremity of it as well as the latter end of it:
and lay it up within thy gates; not to be hoarded up, or to be sold at a proper time, but to be disposed and made use of as follows.
And the Levite, because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,.... Shall come and take the first tithe, according to Jarchi; but though this he was to do, yet is not what is intended here, but he was to partake of the second tithe, or what was in the room of it, the poor's tithe, with whom he is here joined:
and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come; and take the second tithe, as the above writer rightly interprets it, and which he says is the poor's of this year; see Deuteronomy 12:12,
and shall eat and be satisfied; make a plentiful meal, eat freely as at a feast; and, as the same writer observes, they were not obliged to eat it at Jerusalem, according to the way they were bound to eat the second tithe of the two years, that is, the two preceding this:
that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest; as might be expected, when his commands, and particularly those respecting the tithes and firstlings, were obeyed.