Deuteronomy 14:7
Yet of those that chew the cud or have the hoof cloven you shall not eat these: the camel, the hare, and the rock badger, because they chew the cud but do not part the hoof, are unclean for you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse highlights that even animals sharing some characteristics of "clean" animals (like chewing cud) could still be forbidden if they didn't meet all the criteria. It’s a reminder that true holiness often involves more than just superficial resemblance; it demands wholeness and adherence to God's full standard.
This passage continues a detailed list of clean and unclean animals for the Israelites, building on earlier instructions. Following the general principle of distinguishing clean from unclean creatures, Moses now specifies certain mammals that are forbidden, even though they share some characteristics with clean animals like chewing cud or having a divided hoof. These dietary laws were part of God's command to set Israel apart as a holy nation, distinguishing them from surrounding peoples and their practices.
Ever noticed how some animals just seem to have it all together? God's laws about clean and unclean animals weren't random. They pointed to a deeper wisdom about how the world was meant to work.
In Deuteronomy 14, God gives Israel a list of animals they can and cannot eat. The rules often center on specific physical characteristics:
Chewing the Cud and Cloven Hooves
The animals permitted for eating generally had both traits: they chewed the cud (like a cow) AND had a clearly split hoof (like a sheep or goat). This was a sign of a well-ordered digestion and a stable gait – a picture of a creature that processes and moves deliberately.
The 'Almost' Animals
Animals like the camel, hare, and rock badger are mentioned as not to be eaten because they only met one of the criteria:
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God used these distinctions to teach His people about order, wholeness, and the unique design He put in His creation. It wasn't just about dietary rules; it was about recognizing His patterns.
Why all the fuss about food? For ancient Israel, these dietary laws were more than just health tips. They were a constant, visible reminder of who they were and whose they were.
The laws separating clean from unclean foods served a crucial purpose for Israel:
Distinction from Neighbors
Many of the surrounding nations practiced rituals and worship that involved certain animals. By forbidding the consumption of specific creatures like the camel (which was used in some pagan rites), God was setting Israel apart. He was teaching them not to blend in with the idolatrous practices of the world around them.
A Picture of God's People
Being 'clean' or 'unclean' was a symbolic way of representing holiness. God's people were called to be holy, just as He is holy. These laws provided a practical, daily way to live out that calling through obedience and separation from practices that displeased God.
More Than Just Food
As Matthew Henry points out, these laws were 'figures of those spiritual blessings in heavenly things, with which God has in Christ blessed us.' The outward separation from certain foods pointed to an inward, spiritual transformation required of all who belong to God.
Understand the original words
tame' · Hebrew Adjective
Refers to that which is ceremonially impure, unfit for use in sacrifice, or prohibited for consumption; it denotes a state of ritual estrangement from the holiness required to approach God or to maintain covenantal purity.
This passage in Leviticus details the same dietary laws, explicitly naming the camel, hare, and rock badger as unclean for similar reasons regarding their chewing and hoof.
Romans 14:1-4Paul addresses disputes over eating certain foods in the early church, highlighting that these Old Testament dietary laws are no longer binding for believers, emphasizing that our acceptance with God is not based on such practices.
1 Corinthians 10:31This verse offers a guiding principle for all actions, including what we eat, urging believers to do everything for the glory of God, suggesting a higher purpose and standard than the old dietary distinctions.
Matthew 15:11Jesus declares that it is not what enters the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth, directly challenging the understanding of ritual impurity, including dietary laws, by shifting the focus to the heart's condition.
calvinDeuteronomy 14:3-20: "Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing."
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.
Veruntamen hoe non comedetis ex ruminantibus et ex findentibus ungulam divisam, camelum, et leporem, et cuniculum: quia ruminant, et ungulam non dividunt, immunda sunt vobis.
And the swine, bec…
pooleDeuteronomy 14:7: "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."
No text from Poole on this verse.
This verse highlights that even animals sharing some characteristics of "clean" animals (like chewing cud) could still be forbidden if they didn't meet all the criteria. It’s a reminder that true holiness often involves more than just superficial resemblance; it demands wholeness and adherence to God's full standard.
This passage continues a detailed list of clean and unclean animals for the Israelites, building on earlier instructions. Following the general principle of distinguishing clean from unclean creatures, Moses now specifies certain mammals that are forbidden, even though they share some characteristics with clean animals like chewing cud or having a divided hoof. These dietary laws were part of God's command to set Israel apart as a holy nation, distinguishing them from surrounding peoples and their practices.
This passage continues a detailed list of clean and unclean animals for the Israelites, building on earlier instructions. Following the general principle of distinguishing clean from unclean creatures, Moses now specifies certain mammals that are forbidden, even though they share some characteristics with clean animals like chewing cud or having a divided hoof. These dietary laws were part of God's command to set Israel apart as a holy nation, distinguishing them from surrounding peoples and their practices.
"Yet of those that chew the cud or have the hoof cloven you shall not eat these: the camel, the hare, and the rock badger, because they chew the cud but do not part the hoof, are unclean for you." — This verse highlights that even animals sharing some characteristics of "clean" animals (like chewing cud) could still be forbidden if they didn't meet all the criteria. It’s a reminder that true…
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