Study notes

Deuteronomy 14

Introducing DeuteronomyWho wrote it, when, why, and what to look for as you read

12:1–14:26 Section

The Israelites were to worship only God. They weren’t allowed to worship the false gods of the Canaanites.

The Israelites had to destroy everything that had to do with those false gods. They also had to destroy anyone who encouraged them to worship the false gods. This included prophets, people in their own families and people in any town in Israel.

The Israelites were free to kill and eat clean animals that weren’t sacrifices. They were free to do this wherever they lived.

All their sacrifices had to be brought to one place. This included the tenth of their crops and the first male animals born to their livestock. Sacrifices were to be brought to the place where God chose to put his name. This means that it was the place where he made his presence known.

That place was the holy tent. Later God chose the temple as the special place for his name. That happened after the Israelites had lived in Canaan for many years.

14:1

  • cut yourselves: This pagan custom often linked to mourning ceremonies, possibly to try to get the dead to return to life (see 1 Kings 18:28; Zechariah 13:4–6).

  • shave your foreheads: This practice also related to mourning for the dead (see Leviticus 19:27–28; 21:5–6). But the exact meaning of this ceremony is unclear.

14:2

The basic Hebrew meaning of holy is the separation of a person or thing for a specific purpose. It can also mean "pure" or "morally and spiritually good."

14:6

split hoof … chews the cud: These animals listed in in 14:4–5 could be eaten, unlike those in 14:7–8. People gained health benefits from following these rules. But something was ceremonially clean or unclean only because God said so.

14:7

The rock badger (or hyrax) is a small mammal about the size of a rabbit. It has short toes with flat nails that look like small hooves, and it has soft pads on its feet that help it climb rocks.

14:8

The instruction to avoid touching their dead bodies was mainly to maintain ceremonial purity.

14:11–18

These animals are grouped as flying animals that eat rotting flesh.

14:21

  • God considered animals that died naturally to be ceremonially unclean. This was true even if they were ceremonially clean when alive. This was because they did not slaughter them according to ceremonial rules. They did not properly drain their blood and dispose of it (see 12:23–25).

  • You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk: This pagan practice was improper because it showed insensitivity to the natural bond between mothers and their offspring (see 28:56–57).

14:22–27

set aside a tenth: A tithe (or tenth) is the practice of giving one-tenth of income or produce. People gave a tenth long before the law of Moses (Genesis 14:20; 28:22). Other ancient cultures also practiced this.

In the Bible, the tithe is treated as a tax or tribute. It is collected by the Lord from his people, who are like his subjects. The Lord, as sovereign, claims this portion as holy (see study notes on Deuteronomy 1:31 and 12:6).

14:23

the place He will choose as a dwelling for His Name: This is the central sanctuary. This place is the Lord’s special dwelling on the earth among his people. It is where God is present with them (see 12:5, 18).

14:27

The Levites did not receive land of their own. They were also not allowed to do regular work for money.

Because of this, they depended on the other Israelite tribes for support (see 12:12).

14:27–16:17 Section

Deuteronomy taught many ways that the Israelites were to care for needy people. Those who had successfully farmed their own land were to give freely to those in need. This action showed what they thought and felt. It showed that they were grateful to God for providing all that they had. It showed that they trusted him to continue to provide for them. It showed that they were full of mercy towards others.

Moses described this as having a heart that was tender. That pleased God. Every three years the Israelites were to set aside a tenth of their crops. This was used to provide for Levites and needy people in their communities.

Every seven years all Israelites had to forgive what other Israelites owed them. They also had to set their servants free. During the feasts, they had to share their food with needy people. This would help everyone to be full of joy as they worshipped God.

14:28

All adult Israelite men had to give a tithe (a tenth) every year. This was part of their festival celebrations (15:20; 16:16–17). Every third year, the tithe supported the Levites and other dependent groups in Israelite society (14:29). See study note on Leviticus 27:30.

Verse notes: Adapted by Mission Mutual (Aquifer Open Study Notes) from Tyndale Open Study Notes © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers. CC BY-SA 4.0. Section notes: Biblica Study Notes © 2023 Biblica, Inc. CC BY-SA 4.0, via BibleAquifer. About the sources