2 for a holy people 'art' thou to Jehovah thy God, and on thee hath Jehovah fixed to be to Him for a people, a peculiar treasure, out of all the peoples who 'are' on the face of the ground.
3 'Thou dost not eat any abominable thing; 4 'this 'is' the beast which ye do eat: ox, lamb of the sheep, or kid of the goats, 5 hart, and roe, and fallow deer, and wild goat, and pygarg, and wild ox, and chamois; 6 and every beast dividing the hoof, and cleaving the cleft into two hoofs, bringing up the cud, among the beasts—it ye do eat. 7 'Only, this ye do not eat, of those bringing up the cud, and of those dividing the cloven hoof: the camel, and the hare, and the rabbit, for they are bringing up the cud but the hoof have not divided; unclean they 'are' to you; 8 and the sow, for it is dividing the hoof, and not 'bringing' up the cud, unclean it 'is' to you; of their flesh ye do not eat, and against their carcase ye do not come. 9 'This ye do eat of all that 'are' in the waters; all that hath fins and scales ye do eat; 10 and anything which hath not fins and scales ye do not eat; unclean it 'is' to you. 11 'Any clean bird ye do eat; 12 and these 'are' they of which ye do not eat: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray, 13 and the glede, and the kite, and the vulture after its kind, 14 and every raven after its kind; 15 and the owl, and the night-hawk, and the cuckoo, and the hawk after its kind; 16 the 'little' owl, and the 'great' owl, and the swan, 17 and the pelican, and the gier-eagle, and the cormorant, 18 and the stork, and the heron after its kind, and the lapwing, and the bat; 19 and every teeming thing which is flying, unclean it 'is' to you; they are not eaten; 20 any clean fowl ye do eat. 21 'Ye do not eat of any carcase; to the sojourner who 'is' within thy gates thou dost give it, and he hath eaten it; or sell 'it' to a stranger; for a holy people thou 'art' to Jehovah thy God; thou dost not boil a kid in its mother's milk.
22 'Thou dost certainly tithe all the increase of thy seed which the field is bringing forth year by year; 23 and thou hast eaten before Jehovah thy God, in the place where He doth choose to cause His name to tabernacle, the tithe of thy corn, of thy new wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herd, and of thy flock, so that thou dost learn to fear Jehovah thy God all the days. 24 'And when the way is too much for thee, that thou art not able to carry it—when the place is too far off from thee which Jehovah thy God doth choose to put His name there, when Jehovah thy God doth bless thee;— 25 then thou hast given 'it' in money, and hast bound up the money in thy hand, and gone unto the place on which Jehovah thy God doth fix; 26 and thou hast given the money for any thing which thy soul desireth, for oxen, and for sheep, and for wine, and for strong drink, and for any thing which thy soul asketh, and thou hast eaten there before Jehovah thy God, and thou hast rejoiced, thou and thy house. 27 As to the Levite who 'is' within thy gates, thou dost not forsake him, for he hath no portion and inheritance with thee. 28 'At the end of three years thou dost bring out all the tithe of thine increase in that year, and hast placed 'it' within thy gates; 29 and come in hath the Levite (for he hath no part and inheritance with thee), and the sojourner, and the fatherless, and the widow, who 'are' within thy gates, and they have eaten, and been satisfied, so that Jehovah thy God doth bless thee in all the work of thy hand which thou dost.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Deuteronomy 14:2-45
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!
Commentary on Deuteronomy 14:22-29
(Read Deuteronomy 14:22-29)
A second portion from the produce of their land was required. The whole appointment evidently was against the covetousness, distrust, and selfishness of the human heart. It promoted friendliness, liberality, and cheerfulness, and raised a fund for the relief of the poor. They were taught that their worldly portion was most comfortably enjoyed, when shared with their brethren who were in want. If we thus serve God, and do good with what we have, it is promised that the Lord our God will bless us in all the works of our land. The blessing of God is all to our outward prosperity; and without that blessing, the work of our hands will bring nothing to pass. The blessing descends upon the working hand. Expect not that God should bless thee in thy idleness and love of ease. And it descends upon the giving hand. He who thus scatters, certainly increases; and to be free and generous in the support of religion, and any good work, is the surest and safest way of thriving.