Deuteronomy
Chapter 14
Pure and Impure Animals
The Lord holds you as his people, so you will not cut yourselves or cut the hair on your forehead for the dead.
You are a people, holy and consecrated to the Lord, your God. The Lord has chosen you from among all the peoples on the earth to be his very own people.
Do not eat anything unclean.
You may eat these animals: ox, sheep, goat,
deer, gazelle, roebuck, wild goat, ibex, antelope, and mountain sheep.
You may eat any animal that chews the cud and has a split hoof.
But you may not eat the following of those that chew the cud or have a split hoof: camel, hare, and rock badger. These do chew the cud but do not have a divided hoof—they are unclean for you. Neither shall you eat the meat
of the pig because although it has a split hoof, it does not chew the cud. Regard it as unclean: do not eat their meat or touch their carcass.
Of all the animals that live in the water, you may eat the following: all that have fins and scales,
but not those that do not have fins and scales. Consider them as unclean.
You may eat all clean birds.
But do not eat the following: eagle, vulture, osprey,
buzzard, kite, the different kinds of falcons,
all kinds of ravens,—
ostrich, nighthawk, seagull, and all the different kinds of a hawk,
eagles, owl and ibis, swan,
pelicans, purple gallinule, cormorant,
stork, the different kinds of heron, hoopoe, and bat.
Consider as unclean all winged insects. Do not eat them.
But you may eat all clean birds.
Do not eat any animal that you find dead. You may give it to the foreigner who lives in your city or sell it to the stranger, for you are a people consecrated to the Lord, your God.
Do not boil a kid in its mother’s milk.
Tithes and Remission
Every year, separate the tenth part from the yield of what you have sown in your fields.
In the presence of the Lord, in the place he has chosen as the dwelling place for his Name, you shall eat the tithe of your wheat, your oil and your wine, and the firstlings of your herd and flock that you may learn to honor the Lord, your God, all the days of your life.
The journey may be too long for you to bring those tithes to the place the Lord has chosen as a dwelling place for his Name. In that case, when the Lord your God blesses you, exchange them all for money.
Take the money in your hand and go to the place chosen by the Lord.
You shall buy whatever you like—oxen, sheep, wine, strong drink—anything you like. And there you shall eat in the Lord’s presence and rejoice—you and your household.
And do not forget the Levite who dwells in your cities, since he has nothing of his own and no inheritance as you have.
Every three years, separate the tithes of all the year’s harvest but store them in the city.
Then the Levite among you who has no inheritance of his own, and the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow who live in your cities may come and eat and be satisfied. So the Lord will bless all the works of your hands, all that you undertake.
Commentaries
Pure and Impure Animals.
Before establishing the law about pure and impure animals, there is a rule that forbids tattoos and cuts on the body to honor the dead (1s). This practice may originate from ancient Canaanite mourning rituals, which were funeral rites connected to the religious worship of Baal, the God of fertility (cf. 1 Kgs 18:28). Israel must not imitate the pagans in this, as they are children of God and a chosen people among many, set apart for the Lord.
Verses 3-21 explain which land, air, and water animals are permissible to eat. The rules for what is considered clean or unclean are somewhat unclear and imprecise, as some people might rely on certain taboos or irrationally reject specific animals. Nevertheless, there is a common goal: to present it as a divine command, making it an obligation for every faithful Israelite to follow.
In the New Covenant, there is no need to worry about this because in Jesus, we have gained complete freedom in how we live and express our relationships with God, our fellow humans, and creation. Today, it is more important to establish norms and laws that protect and preserve life and the environment. Although creation is for our service and enjoyment, it is a universal good that requires humane, respectful, just, and balanced treatment from us.
Tithes and Remission.
Two types of tithes are distinguished: the first is annual and must be presented before the sanctuary (22-27). It is not simply about depositing the offerings; it involves eating them “in the presence of the Lord” (23), in the company of family members (26), while remembering the Levite, who, because of his condition, did not inherit land from which he could gather produce (27). The second type of tithe is triennial and is presented not at the sanctuary but at the city gates. Its purpose is entirely social, serving as an offering for the Levite, the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow to eat (29). Our commitment to the poorest in society can no longer rely solely on retribution but must be rooted in a conscience that increasingly seeks to build a fairer and more just society. Today, it’s less about setting aside resources to give to those in need and more about fighting for equal opportunities so everyone can have what is fair and necessary for a dignified life.