3 " You shall not eat any detestable thing . 4 " These are the animals which you may eat : the ox , the sheep e , the goat , 5 the deer , the gazelle , the roebuck , the wild goat , the ibex , the antelope and the mountain sheep . 6 "Any animal that divides the hoof and has the hoof split in two and chews the cud , among the animals , that you may eat . 7 "Nevertheless , you are not to eat of these among those which chew the cud , or among those that divide the hoof in two : the camel and the rabbit and the shaphan , for though they chew the cud , they do not divide the hoof ; they are unclean for you. 8 "The pig , because it divides the hoof but does not chew the cud , it is unclean for you. You shall not eat any of their flesh nor touch their carcasses . 9 "These you may eat of all that are in water : anything that has fins and scales you may eat , 10 but anything that does not have fins and scales you shall not eat ; it is unclean for you. 11 "You may eat any clean bird . 12 "But these are the ones which you shall not eat : the eagle and the vulture and the buzzard , 13 and the red kite , the falcon , and the kite in their kinds , 14 and every raven in its kind , 15 and the ostrich , the owl , the sea gull , and the hawk in their kinds , 16 the little owl , the great owl , the white owl , 17 the pelican , the carrion vulture , the cormorant , 18 the stork , and the heron in their kinds , and the hoopoe and the bat . 19 "And all the teeming life with wings are unclean to you; they shall not be eaten . 20 "You may eat any clean bird .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Deuteronomy 14:3-20
Commentary on Deuteronomy 14:1-21
(Read Deuteronomy 14:1-21)
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 election; "The Lord hath chosen thee." He did not choose them because they were by their own acts a peculiar people to him above other nations, but he chose them that they might be so by his grace; and thus were believers chosen, Ephesians 1:4. Here is adoption; "Ye are the children of the Lord your God;" not because God needed children, but because they were orphans, and needed a father. Every spiritual Israelite is indeed a child of God, a partaker of his nature and favour. Here is sanctification; "Thou art a holy people." God's people are required to be holy, and if they are holy, they are indebted to the grace God which makes them so. Those whom God chooses to be his children, he will form to be a holy people, and zealous of good works. They must be careful to avoid every thing which might disgrace their profession, in the sight of those who watch for their halting. Our heavenly Father forbids nothing but for our welfare. Do thyself no harm; do not ruin thy health, thy reputation, thy domestic comforts, thy peace of mind. Especially do not murder thy soul. Do not be the vile slave of thy appetites and passions. Do not render all around thee miserable, and thyself wretched; but aim at that which is most excellent and useful. The laws which regarded many sorts of flesh as unclean, were to keep them from mingling with their idolatrous neighbours. It is plain in the gospel, that these laws are now done away. But let us ask our own hearts, Are we of the children of the Lord our God? Are we separate from the ungodly world, in being set apart to God's glory, the purchase of Christ's blood? Are we subjects of the work of the Holy Ghost? Lord, teach us from these precepts how pure and holy all thy people ought to live!