Deuteronomy 14: Dietary Laws and Clean Animals

Deuteronomy 14 outlines specific dietary laws for the Israelites, distinguishing between clean and unclean animals suitable or unsuitable for consumption. The passage begins with a general prohibition against eating anything "abominable" (Deuteronomy 14:3) and then details which animals fall into these categories, largely repeating the regulations found in Leviticus 11 ^[10].

The criteria for clean animals, particularly quadrupeds, include having cloven hoofs and chewing the cud ^{[4, 7]}. Animals that meet both criteria are considered clean and permissible for food. Deuteronomy 14:4-5 lists several such animals: the ox, sheep, goat, deer, gazelle, roebuck, wild goat, ibex, antelope, and mountain sheep. Sheep, for instance, are explicitly mentioned as clean and used as food ^[3]. Conversely, animals that do not possess both characteristics are deemed unclean. Deuteronomy 14:7-8 specifically names the camel, hare, rock badger, and pig as examples of unclean animals because they either chew the cud but do not have cloven hoofs (camel, hare, rock badger) or have cloven hoofs but do not chew the cud (pig).

Regarding birds, Deuteronomy 14:11 states, "Any clean bird ye do eat" (YLT) ^[1]. The subsequent verses (Deuteronomy 14:12-18) then list various birds that are considered unclean and are not to be eaten, including eagles, vultures, buzzards, kites, falcons, ravens, ostriches, owls, seagulls, hawks, little owls, cormorants, great owls, white owls, pelicans, carrion vultures, storks, herons, hoopoes, and bats. This list of birds is consistent with the regulations in Leviticus 11 ^[8].

For aquatic animals, the rule is that only those with both fins and scales may be eaten (Deuteronomy 14:9-10). Anything in the waters lacking either fins or scales is considered unclean ^[6].

Beyond specific animals, the dietary laws also prohibited the consumption of certain animal substances. These included blood, the fat covering the intestines (caul), the fat on the intestines (mesentery), and the fat of the kidneys ^[2]. The eating of blood was strictly forbidden, a prohibition that existed even before the Mosaic law (Genesis 9:4) and was reiterated for the Israelites (Leviticus 17:11, 14) ^[5]. If an animal died of itself or was killed by another beast, it was also considered unclean and not to be eaten by the Israelites (Deuteronomy 14:21) ^{[6, 10]}. However, such an animal could be given to a foreigner residing in their towns or sold to a non-Israelite (Deuteronomy 14:21). The passage also reiterates the prohibition against boiling a young goat in its mother's milk (Deuteronomy 14:21), a command also found in Exodus 23:19 ^[10].

The distinction between clean and unclean animals likely predates the Flood (Genesis 7:2) ^{[2, 4]}. While these dietary restrictions had health benefits, their primary significance was theological: an animal was clean or unclean because God declared it so ^[7]. These laws served to distinguish Israel from other nations and reinforce their identity as a holy people set apart for God (Deuteronomy 14:2). The concept of "clean" in the Mosaic law extended beyond diet to various forms of ritual purity enumerated in Leviticus 11-15 and Numbers 19 ^[2]. The dietary laws, along with other aspects of the Law, were intended to guide the Israelites toward godliness ^[9]. Later Christian thought, particularly in the New Testament, re-evaluated these dietary laws, emphasizing that the entire Law is fulfilled through love for one's neighbor (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 7:12; Romans 13:8-10; Galatians 5:14) ^{[12, 13]}. The vision of Peter in Acts 10, where he is commanded to eat animals previously considered unclean, illustrates a shift in understanding regarding these distinctions ^[11].

Sources

Deuteronomy “Deuteronomy 14:11 (YLT) — `Any clean bird ye do eat;”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Clean — The various forms of uncleanness according to the Mosaic law are enumerated in Lev. 11-15; Num. 19. The division of animals into clean and unclean was probably founded on the practice of sacrifice. It existed before the Flood (Gen. 7:2). The regulations regarding such animals are recorded in Lev. 11 and Deut. 14:1-21. The Hebrews were prohibited from using as food certain animal substances, such as (1) blood; (2) the fat covering the intestines, termed the caul; (3) the fat on the intestines, called the mesentery; (4) the fat of the kidneys; and (5) the fat t”
Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Sheep — Clean and used as food -- De 14:4. Described as Innocent. -- 2Sa 24:17. Sagacious. -- Joh 10:4,5. Agile. -- Ps 114:4,6. Being covered with a fleece. -- Job 31:20. Remarkably prolific. -- Ps 107:41; 144:13; Song 4:2; Eze 36:37. Bleating of, alluded to -- Jdj 5:16; 1Sa 15:14. Under man's care from the earliest age -- Ge 4:4. Constituted a great part of patriarchal wealth -- Ge 13:5; 24:25; 26:14. Males of called rams -- 1Sa 15:22; Jer 51:40. Females of, called ewes -- Ps 78:71. Young of, called lambs -- Ex 12:3; Isa 11:6. Places celebrated for Kedar. -- Eze 27:”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Animal — An organized living creature endowed with sensation. The Levitical law divided animals into clean and unclean, although the distinction seems to have existed before the Flood (Gen. 7:2). The clean could be offered in sacrifice and eaten. All animals that had not cloven hoofs and did not chew the cud were unclean. The list of clean and unclean quadrupeds is set forth in the Levitical law (Deut. 14:3-20; Lev. 11).”
Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Blood — The life of animals -- Ge 9:4; Le 17:11,14. Fluid -- De 12:16. Red -- 2Ki 3:22; Joe 2:31. Of all men the same -- Ac 17:26. Eating of, forbidden to Man after the flood. -- Ge 9:4. The Israelites under the law. -- Le 3:17; 17:10,12. The early Christians. -- Ac 15:20,29. The Jews often guilty of eating -- 1Sa 14:32,33; Eze 33:25. Of animals slain for good to be poured on the earth and covered -- Le 17:13; De 12:16,24. Birds of prey delight in -- Job 39:30. Beasts of prey delight in -- Nu 23:24; Ps 68:23. Shedding of human Forbidden. -- Ge 9:5. Hateful to God. --”
Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Unclean Meats — These were things strangled, or dead of themselves or through beasts or birds of prey; whatever beast did not both part the hoof and chew the cud; and certain other smaller animals rated as "creeping things;" certain classes of birds mentioned in Levi 11 and Deuteronomy 14 twenty or twenty-one in all; whatever in the waters had not both fins and scales whatever winged insect had not besides four legs the two hindlegs for leaping; Besides things offered in sacrifice to idols; and ail blood or whatever contained it (save perhaps the blood of fish, as wou”
Deuteronomy (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Deuteronomy 14:6: 14:6 split hooves and chews the cud: These criteria distinguished edible animals listed in 14:4-5 from those listed in 14:7-8. Although the people experienced health benefits from observing these restrictions, a thing was actually clean or unclean only because God declared it to be such.”
Deuteronomy (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Deuteronomy 14:11: OF BIRDS. (Deu 14:11-20) Of all clean birds ye shall eat--(See on Lev 11:21).”
2 Timothy (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 2 Timothy 3:17: 3:17 Paul makes it clear that salvation (3:15) results in godliness (see Gal 1:4; 5:16-26; Eph 2:8-10).”
Deuteronomy (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on Deuteronomy 14:3: With reference to food, the Israelites were to eat nothing whatever that was abominable. In explanation of this prohibition, the laws of Lev 11 relating to clean and unclean animals are repeated in all essential points in vv. 4-20 (for the exposition, see at Lev 11); also in Deu 14:21 the prohibition against eating any animal that had fallen down dead (as in Exo 32:30 and Lev 17:15), and against boiling a kid in its mother's milk (as in Exo 23:19).”
Acts (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Acts 10:14: 10:14 See Lev 11 for a description of animals that Jewish laws have declared impure and unclean.”
Galatians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Galatians 5:14: 5:14 the whole law can be summed up (or the whole law is fulfilled): Christ’s followers fulfill the law by exercising love toward every neighbor (Lev 19:18; see Matt 7:12; Luke 6:27-36; 10:25-37; John 13:34-35; 15:9-17; Rom 13:8-10).”
Galatians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Galatians 6:2: 6:2 Carrying each other’s burdens (6:1) fulfills the law of Christ to love one another (5:13-14; see also Lev 19:18; Matt 22:36-40; John 13:34; 15:12; 1 Jn 3:23).”

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