Deuteronomy 14

Moses reminds Israel that they are God’s own children and a people set apart, and this shapes how they mourn, what they eat, and how they give. The chapter covers mourning customs, clean and unclean animals, and the tithe. The tithe is a feast before God and a provision for the Levite, the foreigner, the orphan and the widow.

Deuteronomy 14:1-2

Because Israel are God’s children, they must not mourn like the pagan nations around them, who gashed their bodies and shaved their foreheads for the dead. Grief is allowed, but not pagan rituals. Their identity rests on God’s choice: He picked them as His own treasure.

BSA: holy (“set apart”): Holiness here means belonging to God and being distinct, not merely being morally good. prized possession (“a valuable treasure, a special inheritance”): Israel is not just chosen but cherished, like treasure a king keeps for himself.

Hebrew: סְגֻלָּה (segullah, H5459) — “treasured personal possession.” The word pictures valuables a king kept for himself apart from his ordinary wealth. God speaks of Israel in this way.

See also: Exodus 19:5-6; 1 Peter 2:9.

Deuteronomy 14:3

This verse introduces the food laws. God calls certain things detestable, and His people are not to eat them. The rules that follow are a daily reminder that God’s people live differently from the world around them.

BSA: detestable (“abomination, something disgusting, repulsive”): The word shows that God treats these matters as serious and that His people are to share His view of them.

Deuteronomy 14:4-5

Moses begins with the permitted animals. These include domestic animals such as the ox, sheep and goat, and a range of wild game such as deer and gazelle. God’s provision of food was wide and generous, not stingy.

See also: 1 Kings 4:22-23.

Deuteronomy 14:6

The simple test for land animals is two signs together: the hoof is split and the animal chews the cud. An animal must have both to be clean. This gave Israel an easy rule they could apply to any creature.

BSA: chews (“brings up, regurgitates”): The animal brings food back up from the stomach to chew it again, which is what cud-chewing means.

Deuteronomy 14:7

Some animals pass one test but fail the other. The camel, the rabbit (or hare) and the rock badger chew the cud, but their feet are not divided in the required way. So they are unclean. The rule is applied strictly, with no exceptions made for convenience.

BSA: unclean (“ritually impure, defiled”): Unclean here is a matter of being fit or unfit for God’s people to take in, a ceremonial status and not a moral one.

Deuteronomy 14:8

The pig has a divided hoof but does not chew the cud, so it is unclean. Israelites were also not to touch its carcass. In the New Testament, Christians understand that food no longer separates God’s people, yet the lesson of belonging to God remains.

See also: Mark 7:18-19; Acts 10:15.

Deuteronomy 14:9-10

For water creatures the test is simple: fins and scales. Fish that have both are clean. Shellfish, eels and similar creatures lack them and are forbidden. Once again God gives His people a clear, easy rule to follow.

BSA: scales (“plates, protective coverings”): The scales are like armor plates on the fish, a sign of what a clean fish looks like.

Deuteronomy 14:11-18

Clean birds may be eaten, but Moses lists the forbidden ones. Most are birds of prey or scavengers that feed on flesh and carrion, such as the eagle, vultures, kites and ravens. Some names are hard to identify with certainty, so translations differ.

BSA: bat (“a small flying mammal, considered unclean”): The bat is listed with the birds because it flies, even though it is not a bird.

See also: Leviticus 11:13-19.

Deuteronomy 14:19-20

Winged swarming insects are unclean and may not be eaten. Then the verses return to the clean birds, which are allowed. The section ends on a positive note: there is still plenty God’s people may enjoy.

See also: Leviticus 11:20-23.

Deuteronomy 14:21

An animal that died of itself was not to be eaten by Israelites, but it could be given or sold to a foreigner. The reason given is Israel’s holy standing before God. The law about a young goat and its mother’s milk guards tenderness and may reject a pagan practice.

BSA: carcass (“dead body, animal that has died of itself”): This is an animal found dead, not one slaughtered properly, so its blood was not drained. foreigner (“sojourner, non-Israelite”): The foreigner living among Israel was not bound by Israel’s special food rules.

See also: Exodus 23:19.

Deuteronomy 14:22

God’s people were to set aside a tenth of each year’s harvest. The tithe was a regular, built-in habit of acknowledging that the land and its produce came from God, not merely from their own work.

BSA: set aside (“give a tenth of, tithe”): The wording repeats the idea of a tenth to stress that giving is deliberate and regular.

See also: Leviticus 27:30.

Deuteronomy 14:23

Part of the tithe was to be eaten as a family meal at the place God would choose for His Name, later Jerusalem. The purpose is spiritual: eating in God’s presence teaches His people to honor Him with reverent awe all their lives.

BSA: fear (“revere, stand in awe”): This fear is not terror but respectful awe before a God who is both great and good. Name (“identity, character”): God’s Name stands for who He is, so He is truly present where His Name dwells.

Hebrew: לְיִרְאָה (leyir’ah, H3372) — “to fear, to revere.” The Hebrew root holds both awe and respect. It describes a lifelong attitude of reverence, not a moment of fright.

Deuteronomy 14:24-25

God makes allowance for those who live far from the central place. They may sell the produce, carry the money instead, and buy what they need when they arrive. The command is kept without hardship, which shows God’s practical kindness.

BSA: exchange it for money (“turn it into silver”): Silver was the common means of payment, so the goods could be turned into something easy to carry.

Deuteronomy 14:26

The money may be spent on anything the worshiper truly desires for the feast: meat, wine or other drink. This is a joyful celebration before the LORD with the whole household. God wants His people to rejoice in His presence and in His gifts.

BSA: rejoice (“be glad, joyful”): Worship in Israel was meant to include real gladness, not only solemn duty.

See also: Psalm 100:2.

Deuteronomy 14:27

The Levites received no land, for the LORD Himself was their inheritance. They served God’s people in worship and teaching, so the people must not forget them. Caring for those who serve God is part of honoring God.

BSA: neglect (“forsake, abandon”): To neglect the Levite would be to abandon someone who depends on the community for support.

See also: Numbers 18:20-24.

Deuteronomy 14:28

Every third year the tithe was kept at home instead of being taken to the central place. It was stored in the local town. In this way the tenth became a local storehouse for those in need.

BSA: gates (“city entrances, doors”): The gate was where townspeople met and did business, so the store was in the middle of community life.

Deuteronomy 14:29

The third-year tithe fed those with no land or family support: the Levite, the foreigner, the orphan and the widow. God promises that those who share in this way will be blessed in all their work. Generosity to the needy is a mark of His people.

BSA: satisfied (“filled, content”): The needy were to eat until they were truly full, not merely given a scrap.

See also: Deuteronomy 26:12; Proverbs 19:17.