God’s Word Translation
Deuteronomy 14:21
21Never eat any creature that dies naturally. You may give it to the foreigners who live in your cities, and they may eat it. You may also sell it to foreigners who are visiting. But you are people who are holy to the Lord your God. Never cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.
Deuteronomy 14:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Ye shall not eat of any thing that dieth of itself: thou shalt give it unto the stranger that is in thy gates, that he may eat it; or thou mayest sell it unto an alien: for thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother’s milk.
- New International Version (NIV)Do not eat anything you find already dead. You may give it to the foreigner residing in any of your towns, and they may eat it, or you may sell it to any other foreigner. But you are a people holy to the Lord your God. Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"You shall not eat anything that has died naturally. You may give it to the sojourner who is within your towns, that he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner. For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. "You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“You shall not eat anything that dies of itself; you may give it to the alien who is within your gates, that he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner; for you are a holy people to the Lord your God. “You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.
Context of Deuteronomy 14:21
19Every swarming, winged insect is also unclean for you. They must never be eaten. 20However, you may eat any ⌞other kind of⌟ flying creature that is clean. Never eat any creature that dies naturally. You may give it to the foreigners who live in your cities, and they may eat it. You may also sell it to foreigners who are visiting. But you are people who are holy to the Lord your God. Never cook a young goat in its mother’s milk. 22Every year be sure to save a tenth of the crops harvested from whatever you plant in your fields. 23Eat the tenth of your grain, new wine, and olive oil, and eat the firstborn of your cattle, sheep, and goats in the presence of the Lord your God in the place he will choose to put his name. Then you will learn to fear the Lord your God as long as you live.
Read all of Deuteronomy 14Deuteronomy 14:21 word by word
לֹ֣א תֹאכְל֣וּ כָל־נְ֠בֵלָה לַגֵּ֨ר אֲשֶׁר־בִּשְׁעָרֶ֜יךָ תִּתְּנֶ֣נָּה וַאֲכָלָ֗הּ א֤וֹ מָכֹר֙ לְנָכְרִ֔י כִּ֣י עַ֤ם קָדוֹשׁ֙ אַתָּ֔ה לַיהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ לֹֽא־תְבַשֵּׁ֥ל גְּדִ֖י בַּחֲלֵ֥ב אִמּֽוֹ׃ פRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Ye shall not eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- any thing that dieth of itselfנְבֵלָהnebêlâh · carcassH5038
- thou shalt giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- it unto the strangerגֵּרgêr gêyr · sojournerH1616
- in thy gatesשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gate: townH8179
- it; or thou mayest sellמָכַרmâkar · to sellH4376
- it unto an alienנׇכְרִיnokrîy · foreignH5237
- an holyקָדוֹשׁqâdôsh qâdôsh · holyH6918
- peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- unto the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- thy Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- Thou shalt not seetheבָּשַׁלbâshal · to boilH1310
- a kidגְּדִיgedîy · kidH1423
- in his mother’sאֵם'êm · motherH517
- milkחָלָבchâlâb · milkH2461
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 14:21
- Leviticus 17:15“Native Israelites or foreigners who eat the body of an animal that dies naturally or is killed by another animal must wash their clothes and their bodies. They will be unclean until evening. Then they will be clean.
- Leviticus 22:8He must never eat the meat of an animal that dies naturally or is killed by wild animals. It will make him unclean. I am the Lord.
- Ezekiel 4:14I answered, “Almighty Lord, I have never dishonored myself. From the time I was young until now, I have never eaten an animal that died by itself or was killed by other wild animals. No unclean meat has ever entered my mouth.”
- Acts 15:20Instead, we should write a letter telling them to keep away from things polluted by false gods, from sexual sins, from eating the meat of strangled animals, and from eating bloody meat.
- Exodus 12:43The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “These are the rules for the Passover: “No foreigner may eat the Passover meal.
- Leviticus 19:33“Never mistreat a foreigner living in your land.
- Deuteronomy 14:2You are people who are holy to the Lord your God. Out of all the people who live on earth, the Lord has chosen you to be his own special possession.
- Daniel 8:24He will become very strong, but not by his own strength. He will cause astounding destruction and will be successful in everything he does. He will destroy those who are powerful along with some holy people.
- Daniel 12:7I heard the man dressed in linen clothes who was above the river. He raised his right hand and left hand to heaven and swore an oath by the one who lives forever. He said, “It will be for a time, times, and half of a time. When the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, then all these things will be finished.”
- 1 Peter 1:16Scripture says, “Be holy, because I am holy.”
- Exodus 23:19“You must bring the best of the first produce harvested from your soil to the house of the Lord your God. “Never cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.
- Exodus 34:26“You must bring the first and best of the produce harvested from your soil to the house of the Lord your God. “Never cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.”
- Romans 12:2Don’t become like the people of this world. Instead, change the way you think. Then you will always be able to determine what God really wants—what is good, pleasing, and perfect.
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 14:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk - Mr. Calmet thinks that this precept refers to the paschal lamb only, which was not to be offered to God till it was weaned from its mother; but see the note on Exodus 23:19.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3-21Verses 3-21 Compare Deuteronomy 14:5 The “pygarg” is a species of gazelle, and the “wild ox” and “chamois” are swift types of antelope. Deuteronomy 14:21 The prohibition is repeated from Leviticus 22:8. The directions as to the disposal of the carcass are unique to Deuteronomy, and their motive is clear. To have forbidden the people either themselves to eat that which had died, or to allow any others to do so, would have involved loss of property, and…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21God 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…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. Ye shall not eat of any thing that dieth of itself--(See on Le 17:15; Le 22:8). thou shalt give it unto the stranger that is in thy gates--not a proselyte, for he, as well as an Israelite, was subject to this law; but a heathen traveller or sojourner. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk--This is the third place in which the prohibition is repeated [Ex 23:19; 34:26]. It was pointed against an annual pagan ceremony (see on Ex 23:19; Ex…Read the comment
Topics related to Deuteronomy 14:21
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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