About Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy contains Moses' final addresses to Israel, restating the Law and calling the new generation to covenant faithfulness.

Author: MosesWritten: c. 1406 BCReading time: ~4 minVerses: 29
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King James Version

Deuteronomy 14

29 verses with commentary

Clean and Unclean Foods

Ye are the children of the LORD your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>Ye are the children of the LORD your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.</strong> Israel's identity as <em>children of the LORD</em> establishes the foundation for distinctive holiness. Covenant relationship demands covenant behavior - God's children must reflect their Father's character.<br><br>The prohibitions against cutting flesh and ...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

XIV. (1) **Ye are the children of Jehovah.**—This fact is made the foundation of all the laws of ceremonial and moral holiness in the Pentateuch, more especially in the Book of Leviticus, where these laws are chiefly to be found. **Ye shall not cut yourselves.**—The precept is repeated with little variation from Leviticus 19:28. **Any baldness between your eyes**—*i.e., *apparently, “on your foreh...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**11-26. Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day--**In the covenant into which God entered with Israel, He promised to bestow upon them a variety of blessings so long as they continued obedient to Him as their heavenly King. He pledged His veracity that His infinite perfections would be exerted for this purpose, as well as for ...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 14 Chapter Outline The Israelites to distinguish themselves from other nations.(1-21) Respecting the application of tithes.(22-29) **Verses 1-21** Moses tells the people of Israel how God had given them three distinguishing privileges, which were their honour, and figures of those spiritual blessings in heavenly things, with which God has in Christ blessed us. Here is ele...
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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.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>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.</strong> Israel's holiness derives from God's choice, not their inherent worthiness. Election to covenant relationship creates obligation to reflect God's character through distinctive living.<br><br>The word <em>holy</em> mea...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(2) **For thou art an holy people.**—This verse is repeated from Deuteronomy 7:6, word for word, except the *“*and,” which is added here. In the former passage, the principle is made the ground for destroying all monuments of idolatry in the land of Israel. Here it is made the basis of outward personal dignity and purity. This recalls the arrangement of the Book of Leviticus somewhat forcibly. The...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**11-26. Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day--**In the covenant into which God entered with Israel, He promised to bestow upon them a variety of blessings so long as they continued obedient to Him as their heavenly King. He pledged His veracity that His infinite perfections would be exerted for this purpose, as well as for ...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 14 Chapter Outline The Israelites to distinguish themselves from other nations.(1-21) Respecting the application of tithes.(22-29) **Verses 1-21** Moses tells the people of Israel how God had given them three distinguishing privileges, which were their honour, and figures of those spiritual blessings in heavenly things, with which God has in Christ blessed us. Here is ele...
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Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing.</strong> This general principle precedes the specific dietary laws, establishing that some foods are unsuitable for God's holy people. The word <em>abominable</em> (to'evah) indicates ritual repugnance - these foods are incompatible with covenant holiness.<br><br>The dietary laws served multiple purposes: maintaining Israel's ceremonial purity, dist...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(3) **Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing.**—That is, anything which Jehovah has pronounced abominable. The distinctions between His creatures were alike established and removed by the Creator. Yet, no doubt, they had also a sanitary purpose in relation to the chosen people.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**11-26. Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day--**In the covenant into which God entered with Israel, He promised to bestow upon them a variety of blessings so long as they continued obedient to Him as their heavenly King. He pledged His veracity that His infinite perfections would be exerted for this purpose, as well as for ...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 14 Chapter Outline The Israelites to distinguish themselves from other nations.(1-21) Respecting the application of tithes.(22-29) **Verses 1-21** Moses tells the people of Israel how God had given them three distinguishing privileges, which were their honour, and figures of those spiritual blessings in heavenly things, with which God has in Christ blessed us. Here is ele...
Read full commentary →

These are the beasts which ye shall eat: the ox, the sheep , and the goat,

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>These are the beasts which ye shall eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat.</strong> God specifies which animals are ceremonially clean for consumption. These domesticated animals represent the staples of Israelite diet and economy - common livestock that served both for food and sacrifice.<br><br>That God details which creatures may be eaten demonstrates divine concern for every aspect of l...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(4) **These are the beasts which ye shall eat.**—The following paragraph to the end of Deuteronomy 14:8 answers to Leviticus 11:2-8, with this difference. The beasts that *are to be eaten *are specified in Deuteronomy. The *exceptions *are given in Leviticus. **The ox, the sheep, and the goat.**—These being sacrificial animals, naturally stand first. “The sheep and the goat” are literally, “a youn...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**11-26. Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day--**In the covenant into which God entered with Israel, He promised to bestow upon them a variety of blessings so long as they continued obedient to Him as their heavenly King. He pledged His veracity that His infinite perfections would be exerted for this purpose, as well as for ...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 14 Chapter Outline The Israelites to distinguish themselves from other nations.(1-21) Respecting the application of tithes.(22-29) **Verses 1-21** Moses tells the people of Israel how God had given them three distinguishing privileges, which were their honour, and figures of those spiritual blessings in heavenly things, with which God has in Christ blessed us. Here is ele...
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The hart, and the roebuck, and the fallow deer, and the wild goat, and the pygarg, and the wild ox, and the chamois.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>The hart, and the roebuck, and the fallow deer, and the wild goat, and the pygarg, and the wild ox, and the chamois.</strong> This list expands beyond domesticated animals to include wild game. God's provision extends beyond what Israel raises to include what they hunt in the wilderness and mountains.<br><br>The inclusion of wild animals demonstrates that clean status is not merely about d...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(5) **The wild goat.**—In German the “Steinbock” is given as the equivalent for this creature. The pygarg (*dîshon*) is sometimes taken to be the buffalo. If all these creatures were then to be found in Palestine, there must have been far more uncleared land than there has been for many centuries past.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**11-26. Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day--**In the covenant into which God entered with Israel, He promised to bestow upon them a variety of blessings so long as they continued obedient to Him as their heavenly King. He pledged His veracity that His infinite perfections would be exerted for this purpose, as well as for ...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 14 Chapter Outline The Israelites to distinguish themselves from other nations.(1-21) Respecting the application of tithes.(22-29) **Verses 1-21** Moses tells the people of Israel how God had given them three distinguishing privileges, which were their honour, and figures of those spiritual blessings in heavenly things, with which God has in Christ blessed us. Here is ele...
Read full commentary →

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.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>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.</strong> God provides the classification principle - clean animals must have both split hooves and chew the cud. Both criteria must be met; possessing only one is insufficient.<br><br>The dual requirement teaches that external and internal characteristics b...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(6-8) These directions are the same given in Leviticus 11:3-8.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**11-26. Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day--**In the covenant into which God entered with Israel, He promised to bestow upon them a variety of blessings so long as they continued obedient to Him as their heavenly King. He pledged His veracity that His infinite perfections would be exerted for this purpose, as well as for ...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 14 Chapter Outline The Israelites to distinguish themselves from other nations.(1-21) Respecting the application of tithes.(22-29) **Verses 1-21** Moses tells the people of Israel how God had given them three distinguishing privileges, which were their honour, and figures of those spiritual blessings in heavenly things, with which God has in Christ blessed us. Here is ele...
Read full commentary →

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.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>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.</strong> God specifies animals that meet one criterion but not both. Despite chewing the cud, these animals lack split hooves and therefore remain ceremonially u...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**11-26. Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day--**In the covenant into which God entered with Israel, He promised to bestow upon them a variety of blessings so long as they continued obedient to Him as their heavenly King. He pledged His veracity that His infinite perfections would be exerted for this purpose, as well as for ...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 14 Chapter Outline The Israelites to distinguish themselves from other nations.(1-21) Respecting the application of tithes.(22-29) **Verses 1-21** Moses tells the people of Israel how God had given them three distinguishing privileges, which were their honour, and figures of those spiritual blessings in heavenly things, with which God has in Christ blessed us. Here is ele...
Read full commentary →

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 carcase.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>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 carcase.</strong> The pig represents the inverse case - split hooves but no cud-chewing. Like the previous examples, one compliant feature cannot overcome the missing requirement. Both criteria must be present.<br><br>Pigs were common food anim...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**11-26. Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day--**In the covenant into which God entered with Israel, He promised to bestow upon them a variety of blessings so long as they continued obedient to Him as their heavenly King. He pledged His veracity that His infinite perfections would be exerted for this purpose, as well as for ...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 14 Chapter Outline The Israelites to distinguish themselves from other nations.(1-21) Respecting the application of tithes.(22-29) **Verses 1-21** Moses tells the people of Israel how God had given them three distinguishing privileges, which were their honour, and figures of those spiritual blessings in heavenly things, with which God has in Christ blessed us. Here is ele...
Read full commentary →

These ye shall eat of all that are in the waters: all that have fins and scales shall ye eat:

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>These ye shall eat of all that are in the waters: all that have fins and scales shall ye eat.</strong> The aquatic creatures follow different criteria than land animals. Clean fish must have both fins and scales - again, both features required, not one or the other.<br><br>Fins enable directed movement through water; scales provide protective covering. Spiritually, these might represent ab...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(9-10) See Leviticus 11:9-12.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**11-26. Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day--**In the covenant into which God entered with Israel, He promised to bestow upon them a variety of blessings so long as they continued obedient to Him as their heavenly King. He pledged His veracity that His infinite perfections would be exerted for this purpose, as well as for ...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 14 Chapter Outline The Israelites to distinguish themselves from other nations.(1-21) Respecting the application of tithes.(22-29) **Verses 1-21** Moses tells the people of Israel how God had given them three distinguishing privileges, which were their honour, and figures of those spiritual blessings in heavenly things, with which God has in Christ blessed us. Here is ele...
Read full commentary →

And whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye may not eat; it is unclean unto you.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye may not eat; it is unclean unto you.</strong> The negative statement reinforces the positive - anything lacking both required features is forbidden. This eliminated shellfish, crustaceans, mollusks, eels, catfish, and other marine creatures that neighboring peoples commonly ate.<br><br>Shellfish and similar creatures were abundant and easily gathe...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**11-26. Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day--**In the covenant into which God entered with Israel, He promised to bestow upon them a variety of blessings so long as they continued obedient to Him as their heavenly King. He pledged His veracity that His infinite perfections would be exerted for this purpose, as well as for ...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 14 Chapter Outline The Israelites to distinguish themselves from other nations.(1-21) Respecting the application of tithes.(22-29) **Verses 1-21** Moses tells the people of Israel how God had given them three distinguishing privileges, which were their honour, and figures of those spiritual blessings in heavenly things, with which God has in Christ blessed us. Here is ele...
Read full commentary →

Of all clean birds ye shall eat.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>Of all clean birds ye shall eat</strong>—This permissive statement (תָּאכֵלוּ, <em>tokhelū</em>, 'you may eat') follows the restrictive list in verses 3-10, establishing God's sovereign right to define <em>tahor</em> (clean) and <em>tamei</em> (unclean). The dietary laws (כָּשְׁרוּת, <em>kashrut</em>) distinguished Israel as <strong>a kingdom of priests and a holy nation</strong> (Exodus 1...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**11-26. Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day--**In the covenant into which God entered with Israel, He promised to bestow upon them a variety of blessings so long as they continued obedient to Him as their heavenly King. He pledged His veracity that His infinite perfections would be exerted for this purpose, as well as for ...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 14 Chapter Outline The Israelites to distinguish themselves from other nations.(1-21) Respecting the application of tithes.(22-29) **Verses 1-21** Moses tells the people of Israel how God had given them three distinguishing privileges, which were their honour, and figures of those spiritual blessings in heavenly things, with which God has in Christ blessed us. Here is ele...
Read full commentary →

But these are they of which ye shall not eat: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray,

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>But these are they of which ye shall not eat</strong>—The negative catalogue begins with birds of prey: <strong>the eagle</strong> (נֶשֶׁר, <em>nesher</em>, possibly vulture), <strong>ossifrage</strong> (פֶּרֶס, <em>peres</em>, bearded vulture), and <strong>ospray</strong> (עָזְנִיָּה, <em>ozniyah</em>, black vulture). These carrion-eaters symbolized death and decay, unfit for a people cal...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(12) **These are they of which ye shall not eat.**—With one exception, the unclean birds are the same described in Leviticus 11:13-19.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**11-26. Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day--**In the covenant into which God entered with Israel, He promised to bestow upon them a variety of blessings so long as they continued obedient to Him as their heavenly King. He pledged His veracity that His infinite perfections would be exerted for this purpose, as well as for ...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 14 Chapter Outline The Israelites to distinguish themselves from other nations.(1-21) Respecting the application of tithes.(22-29) **Verses 1-21** Moses tells the people of Israel how God had given them three distinguishing privileges, which were their honour, and figures of those spiritual blessings in heavenly things, with which God has in Christ blessed us. Here is ele...
Read full commentary →

And the glede, and the kite, and the vulture after his kind,

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>The glede, and the kite, and the vulture after his kind</strong>—Three more birds of prey: <em>ra'ah</em> (רָאָה, 'glede,' possibly red kite), <em>ayyah</em> (אַיָּה, 'kite'), and <em>dayyah</em> (דַּיָּה, 'vulture'). The phrase <strong>after his kind</strong> (לְמִינָהּ, <em>leminah</em>) extends the prohibition to all species within these families, demonstrating God's comprehensive atten...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(13) **The glede, and the kite, and the vulture.**—In Leviticus 11:14, “the vulture and the kite*” *alone are named. The Hebrew words are in Leviticus *dââh *and *ayyah. *In this place they are *rââh, ayyah, *and *dayyah. *The close resemblance between the names is noticeable. For a description of the creatures, see list in Variorum Bible.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**11-26. Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day--**In the covenant into which God entered with Israel, He promised to bestow upon them a variety of blessings so long as they continued obedient to Him as their heavenly King. He pledged His veracity that His infinite perfections would be exerted for this purpose, as well as for ...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 14 Chapter Outline The Israelites to distinguish themselves from other nations.(1-21) Respecting the application of tithes.(22-29) **Verses 1-21** Moses tells the people of Israel how God had given them three distinguishing privileges, which were their honour, and figures of those spiritual blessings in heavenly things, with which God has in Christ blessed us. Here is ele...
Read full commentary →

And every raven after his kind,

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And every raven after his kind</strong>—The raven (עֹרֵב, <em>orev</em>) appears throughout Scripture with dual significance. God used ravens to feed Elijah (1 Kings 17:4-6), yet here they're unclean—showing ritual status doesn't equal moral judgment. Ravens eat carrion, hence their classification, but God's providence transcends ceremonial law.<br><br>This tension foreshadows the gospel: ...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**11-26. Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day--**In the covenant into which God entered with Israel, He promised to bestow upon them a variety of blessings so long as they continued obedient to Him as their heavenly King. He pledged His veracity that His infinite perfections would be exerted for this purpose, as well as for ...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 14 Chapter Outline The Israelites to distinguish themselves from other nations.(1-21) Respecting the application of tithes.(22-29) **Verses 1-21** Moses tells the people of Israel how God had given them three distinguishing privileges, which were their honour, and figures of those spiritual blessings in heavenly things, with which God has in Christ blessed us. Here is ele...
Read full commentary →

And the owl , and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind,

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>The owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind</strong>—Nocturnal and predatory birds continue the list: <em>bat hayya'anah</em> (בַּת הַיַּעֲנָה, ostrich or owl), <em>tahmas</em> (תַּחְמָס, night hawk), <em>shahaf</em> (שָׁחַף, seagull or cuckoo), <em>nets</em> (נֵץ, hawk). Night hunters symbolized spiritual darkness and danger—realms of demons in ancient Near Ea...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 14 Chapter Outline The Israelites to distinguish themselves from other nations.(1-21) Respecting the application of tithes.(22-29) **Verses 1-21** Moses tells the people of Israel how God had given them three distinguishing privileges, which were their honour, and figures of those spiritual blessings in heavenly things, with which God has in Christ blessed us. Here is ele...
Read full commentary →

The little owl, and the great owl, and the swan,

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>The little owl, and the great owl, and the swan</strong>—Three water and nocturnal birds: <em>kos</em> (כּוֹס, little owl), <em>yanshuf</em> (יַנְשׁוּף, great owl or ibis), <em>tinshemeth</em> (תִּנְשֶׁמֶת, swan or barn owl). Owls inhabited ruins (Isaiah 34:11, Zephaniah 2:14), symbolizing desolation and God's judgment. They thrived where humans perished.<br><br>The gospel reverses this: C...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

CHAPTER 8 De 8:1-20. An Exhortation to Obedience. **1. All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live--**In all the wise arrangements of our Creator duty has been made inseparably connected with happiness; and the earnest enforcement of the divine law which Moses was making to the Israelites was in order to secure their being a happy (because a moral a...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 14 Chapter Outline The Israelites to distinguish themselves from other nations.(1-21) Respecting the application of tithes.(22-29) **Verses 1-21** Moses tells the people of Israel how God had given them three distinguishing privileges, which were their honour, and figures of those spiritual blessings in heavenly things, with which God has in Christ blessed us. Here is ele...
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And the pelican, and the gier eagle, and the cormorant,

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>The pelican, and the gier eagle, and the cormorant</strong>—Water birds complete this section: <em>qa'ath</em> (קָאָת, pelican or desert owl), <em>raham</em> (רָחָם, carrion vulture), <em>shalak</em> (שָׁלָךְ, cormorant). Pelicans were thought to feed their young with their own blood (medieval Christian symbolism of Christ), yet here they're unclean—showing even beautiful images can be rit...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**2-3. thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness--**The recapitulation of all their checkered experience during that long period was designed to awaken lively impressions of the goodness of God. First, Moses showed them the object of their protracted wanderings and varied hardships. These were trials of their obedience as well as chastiseme...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 14 Chapter Outline The Israelites to distinguish themselves from other nations.(1-21) Respecting the application of tithes.(22-29) **Verses 1-21** Moses tells the people of Israel how God had given them three distinguishing privileges, which were their honour, and figures of those spiritual blessings in heavenly things, with which God has in Christ blessed us. Here is ele...
Read full commentary →

And the stork, and the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>The stork, and the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat</strong>—The list concludes with <em>hasidah</em> (חֲסִידָה, stork—literally 'the faithful one'), <em>anafah</em> (אֲנָפָה, heron), <em>dukifath</em> (דּוּכִיפַת, hoopoe), and <em>atallef</em> (עֲטַלֵּף, bat). Ironically, the stork's name means 'faithful' for its devotion to offspring, yet it's unclean—again showing ritu...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**2-3. thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness--**The recapitulation of all their checkered experience during that long period was designed to awaken lively impressions of the goodness of God. First, Moses showed them the object of their protracted wanderings and varied hardships. These were trials of their obedience as well as chastiseme...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 14 Chapter Outline The Israelites to distinguish themselves from other nations.(1-21) Respecting the application of tithes.(22-29) **Verses 1-21** Moses tells the people of Israel how God had given them three distinguishing privileges, which were their honour, and figures of those spiritual blessings in heavenly things, with which God has in Christ blessed us. Here is ele...
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And every creeping thing that flieth is unclean unto you: they shall not be eaten.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And every creeping thing that flieth is unclean unto you: they shall not be eaten</strong>—Flying insects (שֶׁרֶץ הָעוֹף, <em>sherets ha'of</em>, 'swarming winged creatures') are categorically unclean except locusts, crickets, and grasshoppers (Leviticus 11:21-22). The 'creeping' designation recalls the serpent's curse: <strong>Upon thy belly shalt thou go</strong> (Genesis 3:14)—associati...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**4. Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years--**What a striking miracle was this! No doubt the Israelites might have brought from Egypt more clothes than they wore at their outset; they might also have obtained supplies of various articles of food and raiment in barter with the neighboring tribes for the fleeces and skins of their sheep and goats; and in ...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 14 Chapter Outline The Israelites to distinguish themselves from other nations.(1-21) Respecting the application of tithes.(22-29) **Verses 1-21** Moses tells the people of Israel how God had given them three distinguishing privileges, which were their honour, and figures of those spiritual blessings in heavenly things, with which God has in Christ blessed us. Here is ele...
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But of all clean fowls ye may eat.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>But of all clean fowls ye may eat</strong>—The permissive conclusion contrasts with the restrictive list, emphasizing God's generosity. The Hebrew structure (כָּל־עוֹף טָהוֹר תֹּאכֵלוּ, <em>kol-of tahor tokhelū</em>) stresses 'all clean birds'—God restricts only what harms; His default is blessing and provision.<br><br>This principle pervades Scripture: <strong>Every creature of God is goo...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 14 Chapter Outline The Israelites to distinguish themselves from other nations.(1-21) Respecting the application of tithes.(22-29) **Verses 1-21** Moses tells the people of Israel how God had given them three distinguishing privileges, which were their honour, and figures of those spiritual blessings in heavenly things, with which God has in Christ blessed us. Here is ele...
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Ye shall not eat of any thing 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.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>Ye shall not eat of any thing that dieth of itself</strong> (נְבֵלָה, <em>nevelah</em>, carcass)—Animals dying naturally often die from disease, making their meat hygienically dangerous. But the primary concern is theological: Israel must not profit from death. They serve the <strong>living God</strong> (Joshua 3:10), consuming only what's actively slaughtered (life deliberately given), ne...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(21) **That he may eat it.**—Literally, *and he will eat it. *The common practice, and not the intention of the writer, may be indicated. It should be remembered that these rules and restrictions were intended to raise the Israelites above the common level; not to degrade the other nations in comparison of them. Strangers were not compelled to eat what Israel refused; they were left free to please...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 14 Chapter Outline The Israelites to distinguish themselves from other nations.(1-21) Respecting the application of tithes.(22-29) **Verses 1-21** Moses tells the people of Israel how God had given them three distinguishing privileges, which were their honour, and figures of those spiritual blessings in heavenly things, with which God has in Christ blessed us. Here is ele...
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Tithes

Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed</strong> (עַשֵּׂר תְּעַשֵּׂר, <em>aser te'aser</em>, intensive construction: 'you shall certainly tithe')—The tithe (מַעֲשֵׂר, <em>ma'aser</em>, literally 'tenth') acknowledges God's ownership of all. <strong>The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof</strong> (Psalm 24:1). Tithing isn't paying God what's His; it's acknowledging <em...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(22) **Thou shalt truly tithe.**—The Talmud and Jewish interpreters in general are agreed in the view that the tithe mentioned in this passage, both here and in Deuteronomy 14:28, and also the tithe described in Deuteronomy 26:12-15, are all one thing—“the second tithe;” and entirely distinct from the ordinary tithe assigned to the Levites for their subsistence in Numbers 18:21, and by them tithed...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**7. For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land--**All accounts, ancient and modern, concur in bearing testimony to the natural beauty and fertility of Palestine, and its great capabilities if properly cultivated. **a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills--**These characteristic features are mentioned first, as they would be most striking;...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 22-29** A second portion from the produce of their land was required. The whole appointment evidently was against the covetousness, distrust, and selfishness of the human heart. It promoted friendliness, liberality, and cheerfulness, and raised a fund for the relief of the poor. They were taught that their worldly portion was most comfortably enjoyed, when shared with their brethren w...
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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.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>Thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose</strong>—The Festival Tithe was <em>eaten</em>, not merely given away. Israel brought <strong>the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds</strong> to the central sanctuary for a covenant meal. Worship includes feasting, not only fasting.<br><br>This foreshadows the Messianic...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(23) **And thou shalt eat before the Lord thy God**—i.e., thou shalt eat the second tithe. This was to be done two years; but in the third and sixth years there was a different arrangement (see Deuteronomy 14:28). In the seventh year, which was Sabbatical, there would probably be no tithe, for there was to be no harvest. The profit of the earth was for all, and every one was free to eat at pleasur...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**8. A land of wheat, and barley--**These cereal fruits were specially promised to the Israelites in the event of their faithful allegiance to the covenant of God (Psa 81:16; 147:14). The wheat and barley were so abundant as to yield sixty and often an hundredfold (Ge 26:12; Mt 13:8). **vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates--**The limestone rocks and abrupt valleys were entirely covered, as tra...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 22-29** A second portion from the produce of their land was required. The whole appointment evidently was against the covetousness, distrust, and selfishness of the human heart. It promoted friendliness, liberality, and cheerfulness, and raised a fund for the relief of the poor. They were taught that their worldly portion was most comfortably enjoyed, when shared with their brethren w...
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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:

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it</strong>—God's law accommodates human limitations. Families living far from Jerusalem couldn't transport perishable tithes hundreds of miles. This provision demonstrates <strong>He knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust</strong> (Psalm 103:14).<br><br>Legalism makes no such allowance—it demands performan...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**9. a land whose stones are iron--**The abundance of this metal in Palestine, especially among the mountains of Lebanon, those of Kesraoun, and elsewhere, is attested not only by Josephus, but by Volney, Buckingham, and other travellers. **brass--**not the alloy brass, but the ore of copper. Although the mines may now be exhausted or neglected, they yielded plenty of those metals anciently (1Ch...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 22-29** A second portion from the produce of their land was required. The whole appointment evidently was against the covetousness, distrust, and selfishness of the human heart. It promoted friendliness, liberality, and cheerfulness, and raised a fund for the relief of the poor. They were taught that their worldly portion was most comfortably enjoyed, when shared with their brethren w...
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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:

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>Then shalt thou turn it into money</strong> (כֶּסֶף, <em>kesef</em>, silver)—Converting produce to currency allowed distant Israelites to participate fully in centralized worship. This isn't compromise but wisdom: God cares about the heart's devotion, not the external form's rigidity. <strong>Bind up the money in thine hand</strong> pictures secure transport—God's people steward His gifts ...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 22-29** A second portion from the produce of their land was required. The whole appointment evidently was against the covetousness, distrust, and selfishness of the human heart. It promoted friendliness, liberality, and cheerfulness, and raised a fund for the relief of the poor. They were taught that their worldly portion was most comfortably enjoyed, when shared with their brethren w...
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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, desireth: Heb. asketh of thee

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>Thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after</strong> (תְּאַוֶּה נַפְשְׁךָ, <em>te'aveh nafshekha</em>, 'your soul desires')—Astonishingly, God permits buying <strong>oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth</strong>. This isn't license for gluttony but demonstration that worship includes joy, celebration, and material ...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(26) **Thou shalt bestow that money.**—The Jews were very particular in not permitting the second tithe to be expended upon anything not permitted here. The rules as to its disposal form a separate treatise in the Talmud, called *Ma’aser Shênî, *“second tithe.” **Or for strong drink.**—From this it is clear that the use of strong drink is not sinful in itself. The same word appears in its Greek fo...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**11-20. Beware that thou forget not the Lord--**After mentioning those instances of the divine goodness, Moses founded on them an argument for their future obedience.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 22-29** A second portion from the produce of their land was required. The whole appointment evidently was against the covetousness, distrust, and selfishness of the human heart. It promoted friendliness, liberality, and cheerfulness, and raised a fund for the relief of the poor. They were taught that their worldly portion was most comfortably enjoyed, when shared with their brethren w...
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And the Levite that is within thy gates; thou shalt not forsake him; for he hath no part nor inheritance with thee.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And the Levite that is within thy gates; thou shalt not forsake him</strong>—The festival joy must include the tribe with <strong>no part nor inheritance</strong> in land. The Levites' 'portion' was the LORD Himself (Numbers 18:20), requiring others' support. Worship integrity includes economic justice.<br><br>Paul applies this principle: <strong>They which preach the gospel should live of...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**11-20. Beware that thou forget not the Lord--**After mentioning those instances of the divine goodness, Moses founded on them an argument for their future obedience.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 22-29** A second portion from the produce of their land was required. The whole appointment evidently was against the covetousness, distrust, and selfishness of the human heart. It promoted friendliness, liberality, and cheerfulness, and raised a fund for the relief of the poor. They were taught that their worldly portion was most comfortably enjoyed, when shared with their brethren w...
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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:

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase</strong>—This third tithe (distinct from the Levitical and Festival tithes) was distributed locally every third year for <strong>the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow</strong>. God's economic law prevented permanent underclass formation through systematic wealth redistribution.<br><br>James d...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(28) **At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth ail the tithe.**—This is called by the Jews *Ma’aser ‘Âni, “*the poor’s tithe.” They regard it as identical with the second tithe, which was ordinarily eaten by the owners at Jerusalem; but in every third and sixth year was bestowed upon the poor.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**11-20. Beware that thou forget not the Lord--**After mentioning those instances of the divine goodness, Moses founded on them an argument for their future obedience.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 22-29** A second portion from the produce of their land was required. The whole appointment evidently was against the covetousness, distrust, and selfishness of the human heart. It promoted friendliness, liberality, and cheerfulness, and raised a fund for the relief of the poor. They were taught that their worldly portion was most comfortably enjoyed, when shared with their brethren w...
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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.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And the Levite, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow...shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied</strong>—The same four groups appear repeatedly in Deuteronomy (16:11, 14; 24:19-21; 26:12-13), demonstrating God's relentless concern for the vulnerable. They shall <strong>be satisfied</strong> (שָׂבַע, <em>sava</em>, 'filled, satiated')—not minimal survival but true sufficien...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(29) **And the Levite.**—Rashi says, “the Levite shall come and take the *first tithe *(described in Numbers 18), and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow the *second tithe.” *But there is no proof whatever that anything except the second tithe is alluded to in the whole of this passage. *The Levite always shared with the poor *(see Deuteronomy 16:11; Deuteronomy 16:14). Rashi’s opinion i...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**11-20. Beware that thou forget not the Lord--**After mentioning those instances of the divine goodness, Moses founded on them an argument for their future obedience.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 22-29** A second portion from the produce of their land was required. The whole appointment evidently was against the covetousness, distrust, and selfishness of the human heart. It promoted friendliness, liberality, and cheerfulness, and raised a fund for the relief of the poor. They were taught that their worldly portion was most comfortably enjoyed, when shared with their brethren w...
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