Deuteronomy 14:21
“You shall not eat anything that has died naturally. You may give it to the sojourner who is within your towns, that he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner. For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. “You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
God is reminding them that their distinctiveness as a "holy people" means their food laws aren't just about health, but about a radical separation from surrounding pagan practices. Allowing strangers or foreigners to eat what's forbidden to them highlights that this isn't just a dietary rule, but a boundary marker for God's chosen nation.
This passage continues God's instructions to Israel about maintaining their distinct, holy identity, especially concerning food laws. Immediately following regulations about permissible and forbidden animals, this verse addresses what to do with animals that died without being properly sacrificed or slaughtered, distinguishing between what Israelites can eat and what can be given to foreigners. It concludes with a separate, emphatic command not to boil a young goat in its mother's milk, a practice associated with pagan fertility rituals.
Why would God tell His people to give or sell
A Boundary for Belonging
This passage lays out a clear command: no eating of animals that died on their own. This wasn't just about food safety; it was a profound statement about identity. God's people, Israel, were called to be holy, meaning set apart. This holiness wasn't just for worship services but was woven into the fabric of everyday life, including what they ate.
The Stranger and the Alien
Notice the distinction made here: the animal that died naturally could be given to the 'sojourner' (the 'ger' or foreigner living within their community) or sold to an 'alien' (a foreigner passing through). This highlights a specific covenant relationship. While the Israelite was forbidden, the foreigner wasn't bound by this particular holiness requirement. However, later laws would show that 'sojourners' who fully embraced Israel's faith were expected to follow these dietary laws too.
This shows God's intention to create a visible, distinct people, separate from the surrounding nations not just in worship but in lifestyle. It was a way to constantly remind them: 'You belong to Me, and that means living differently.'
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Deuteronomy 14:21 is available in the Sola app.
Boiling a young goat in its mother's milk sounds strange. What deep spiritual truth is hidden here?
Reverence for Life and Creation
The second command – 'You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk' – is striking. While the exact ritualistic practice it forbids is debated by scholars, the underlying principle is about a deep reverence for God's created order.
Avoiding Monstrous Practices
Some commentators suggest this practice was associated with pagan fertility rituals, where boiling a young animal in its mother's milk might have been seen as a magical act to promote fertility. God was strictly prohibiting any participation in such idolatrous customs.
Another perspective highlights the inherent 'wrongness' of the image: a mother's milk is for nourishing her young, not for cooking it. To boil the kid in its mother's milk would be a perversion of natural, life-giving processes. It speaks to a broader command to treat all of God's creation with respect, not to exploit or mock its intended purpose. This was another way Israel was to demonstrate its distinctiveness and holiness, refusing practices that defiled the sanctity of life and creation.
This law, repeated multiple times, underscores the seriousness with which God viewed not just worship, but the heart attitude behind daily practices.
Understand the original words
ger · Hebrew Noun
An individual living outside their native land, often denoting someone residing temporarily or permanently among a host nation, who is afforded certain protections under the Law.
nokri · Hebrew Adjective/Noun
A person of a different nation or people group; in the Old Testament, it often refers to those outside the covenant community of Israel.
qadosh · Hebrew Adjective
Set apart or consecrated for God’s specific use; describes the status of the people of Israel as belonging uniquely to Yahweh.
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal, revealed name of the God of Israel, indicating His covenant-keeping nature and His self-existent, eternal being.
This passage also prohibits eating anything that has died naturally, emphasizing ritual impurity and the need for washing after contact.
Exodus 23:19This verse contains the second prohibition against boiling a young goat in its mother's milk, linking it to the harvest and offering of firstfruits.
Leviticus 11:39-40These verses describe other dietary restrictions regarding animals that die naturally or are torn by beasts, further defining what makes food unclean for God's people.
1 Peter 2:9This New Testament passage echoes the 'holy people' concept from Deuteronomy, calling believers a 'royal priesthood' and a 'holy nation' separated for God's purposes.
calvinDeuteronomy 14:21: "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."
- 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 th…
clarkeDeuteronomy 14:21: "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."
Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk - Mr. Calmet thinks that this precept refers to the paschal lamb only, which was not to be offered to God till it was weaned from its mother; but see the note…
God is reminding them that their distinctiveness as a "holy people" means their food laws aren't just about health, but about a radical separation from surrounding pagan practices. Allowing strangers or foreigners to eat what's forbidden to them highlights that this isn't just a dietary rule, but a boundary marker for God's chosen nation.
This passage continues God's instructions to Israel about maintaining their distinct, holy identity, especially concerning food laws. Immediately following regulations about permissible and forbidden animals, this verse addresses what to do with animals that died without being properly sacrificed or slaughtered, distinguishing between what Israelites can eat and what can be given to foreigners. It concludes with a separate, emphatic command not to boil a young goat in its mother's milk, a practice associated with pagan fertility rituals.
This passage continues God's instructions to Israel about maintaining their distinct, holy identity, especially concerning food laws. Immediately following regulations about permissible and forbidden animals, this verse addresses what to do with animals that died without being properly sacrificed or slaughtered, distinguishing between what Israelites can eat and what can be given to foreigners. It concludes with a separate, emphatic command not to boil a young goat in its mother's milk, a practice associated with pagan fertility rituals.
"“You shall not eat anything that has died naturally. You may give it to the sojourner who is within your towns, that he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner. For you are a people holy to the LORD your God.
“You shall not boil a…" — God is reminding them that their distinctiveness as a "holy people" means their food laws aren't just about health, but about a radical separation from surrounding pagan practices. Allowing strangers…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
