Deuteronomy 14:3-8 Meaning: What Makes Food 'Abominable'?
3You shall not eat any abominable thing.
4These are the animals which you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat,
5the deer, the gazelle, the roebuck, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, and the chamois.
6Every animal that parts the hoof, and has the hoof split in two and chews the cud, among the animals, you may eat.
7Nevertheless these you shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of those who have the hoof split: the camel, the hare, and the rabbit. Because they chew the cud but don’t part the hoof, they are unclean to you.
8The pig, because it has a split hoof but doesn’t chew the cud, is unclean to you. You shall not eat their meat. You shall not touch their carcasses.
3Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing.
4These are the beasts which ye shall eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat,
5The hart, and the roebuck, and the fallow deer, and the wild goat, and the pygarg, and the wild ox, and the chamois.
6And every beast that parteth the hoof, and cleaveth the cleft into two claws, and cheweth the cud among the beasts, that ye shall eat.
7Nevertheless 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.
8And the swine, because it divideth the hoof, yet cheweth not the cud, it is unclean unto you: ye shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead carcase.
3Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing.
4These are the beasts which ye may eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat,
5the hart, and the gazelle, and the roebuck, and the wild goat, and the pygarg, and the antelope, and the chamois.
6And every beast that parteth the hoof, and hath the hoof cloven in two, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that may ye eat.
7Nevertheless these ye shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that have the hoof cloven: the camel, and the hare, and the coney; because they chew the cud but part not the hoof, they are unclean unto you.
8And the swine, because he parteth the hoof but cheweth not the cud, he is unclean unto you: of their flesh ye shall not eat, and their carcasses ye shall not touch.
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,
5hart, and roe, and fallow deer, and wild goat, and pygarg, and wild ox, and chamois;
6and 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;
8and 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.
3Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing.
4These are the beasts which ye shall eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat;
5the hart, and the gazelle, and the stag, and the wild goat, and the dishon and the oryx, and the wild sheep.
6And every beast that hath cloven hoofs, and the feet quite split open into double hoofs, [and] which cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that ye shall eat.
7Only these ye shall not eat of those that chew the cud, or of those with hoofs cloven and split open: the camel, and the hare, and the rock-badger; for they chew the cud, but have not cloven hoofs — they shall be unclean unto you;
8and the swine, for it hath cloven hoofs, yet cheweth not the cud — it shall be unclean unto you. Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch.
Meaning in one sentence
Deuteronomy 14:3-8 defines which animals Israel could eat, based on a split hoof and chewing cud, as a marker of their holy identity as God's chosen people.
Context
Moses is speaking to Israel on the plains of Moab, just before they enter the land God promised. He has already called them a holy people, children of the Lord their God, chosen to be His treasured possession above all nations. Now he gives practical instructions that flow from that identity. The food laws in chapter 14 are not new, they echo the list in Leviticus 11. But here, the reason is spelled out even more clearly: Israel's distinctness as God's own people touches every part of life, down to what they put on the table. This passage is part of a longer section on living as a community set apart from the surrounding nations.
Key Words
One word sets the tone for the whole passage: to'evah, translated “abominable thing.” It means something that is ritually or morally repulsive, especially in relation to worship and covenant. For Israel, certain foods were not inherently evil, but they were marked as off-limits because of God's command. Eating them would be a breach of holiness, a blurring of the line between them and the nations.
Two criteria define a clean animal: it must have a divided hoof (the verb paras, to split or break in two) and must chew the cud (gerah, to bring up food from the stomach). These are not health guidelines but signs of a particular way of living. The word for “unclean” throughout is tame, which carries the sense of being impure in a religious sense, not just dirty. To touch a carcass of an unclean animal was to come into contact with something God had set apart from His people.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians have understood these food laws in different ways. Many see them as part of the ceremonial law that pointed to Israel's unique calling and was fulfilled in Christ. The apostle Peter's vision in Acts 10, where he is told not to call anything common that God has made clean, is often understood as the end of these dietary restrictions. Others throughout church history have kept some form of separation from certain foods as a discipline of holiness or a way of honoring the body as God's temple. What all traditions agree on is the heart of the passage: God's people are called to live differently, and every choice, including what we eat, can reflect that identity.
A common misunderstanding
Living This Out
This week, you might ask yourself: where does my life show I belong to God in a way that is visible? The food laws were a small sign of a much bigger reality: Israel belonged to the Lord. For readers today, that same call to distinctiveness still stands. It might not be about what you eat, but it could be about what you watch, how you speak, or where you spend your time. The goal is not to be odd for the sake of being odd, but to let your choices reflect that you are His. Consider one area this week where you can live that difference quietly and faithfully.
Main takeaway: God called Israel to be a distinct people, and their daily choices, even what they ate, were part of that holy identity.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God told His people to eat only certain animals, like sheep and cows. This helped them remember they were special to God. You can remember you belong to God too!
For ages 9, 12
God gave the Israelites rules about which animals they could and couldn't eat. The rules may seem strange to us, but they taught something important: God's people were different from other nations, and their daily choices showed it. Some Christians today don't follow those food rules because Jesus made all foods clean, but the idea of living as God's special people still matters for every follower of Jesus.
Questions People Ask
Why did God call certain foods 'abominable' in Deuteronomy 14?
The Hebrew word to'evah means something that is ritually repulsive or off-limits because of God's command. It wasn't that the food was inherently bad, but that eating it would break Israel's covenant holiness. The food laws helped the people remember they were set apart for God.
Do Christians still need to follow these dietary laws?
Most Christian traditions teach that the ceremonial food laws of the Old Testament were fulfilled in Christ and are no longer binding. The apostles made this clear in Acts 10 and Acts 15. However, some believers choose to follow certain food restrictions as a personal discipline or a way to honor God, and that is respected as a matter of conscience.
What does it mean for an animal to chew the cud and have a divided hoof?
Chewing the cud means bringing up partly digested food from the stomach to chew again. A divided hoof means the hoof is split into two distinct parts. In the Old Testament, both characteristics had to be present for a land animal to be considered clean and fit for eating. This set apart the animals that were allowed for God's people.
Why does Deuteronomy repeat the food laws from Leviticus?
Deuteronomy is a series of speeches Moses gave to Israel as they prepared to enter the Promised Land. The repetition of the food laws reinforces that these instructions are not just ancient rules but part of the covenant relationship. It emphasizes that holiness applies to everyday life, even in the new land they are about to inherit.
What does 'unclean' mean in this context?
The Hebrew word tame refers to ritual impurity, not physical dirtiness. An unclean animal was not to be eaten or touched because it stood outside the categories God had declared fit for His holy people. This concept taught Israel to distinguish between what belongs to God and what does not, a lesson that still resonates spiritually.
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