Lord’s Library editors explore the dietary laws in Deuteronomy as an exercise in health consciousness but also to contrast how Christ’s blood atonement was a fulfillment of the law.
The dietary laws in Deuteronomy reaffirm the instructions given in the Book of Leviticus, serving as the covenant to a new generation of Israelites before entering the Promised Land. Found in Deuteronomy chapter 14, these laws echo much of what was already detailed in Leviticus 11, yet with a pastoral tone that reveals Israel’s identity as God’s chosen people. See Deuteronomy 14:2: “For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.”
Deuteronomy 14:3–21 outlines the classification of clean and unclean animals, closely paralleling Leviticus 11. Among land animals, the pattern remains: those that both chew the cud and divide the hoof are clean, such as the ox, sheep, and goat. See Deuteronomy 14:4–6: “These are the beasts which ye shall eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat, The hart, and the roebuck, and the fallow deer, and the wild goat, and the pygarg, and the wild ox, and the chamois. And every beast that parteth the hoof, and cleaveth the cleft into two claws, and cheweth the cud among the beasts, that ye shall eat.”
Dietary Laws in Deuteronomy
Animals that do not meet both criteria—such as the camel, hare, and swine—are deemed unclean and are not to be eaten. See Deuteronomy 14:7–8: “Nevertheless 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. And 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.”
This is consistent with Leviticus 11:3–7, which also singles out these specific animals. In both books, the swine is specifically mentioned for having the divided hoof but not chewing the cud, making it unclean. See the parallel in Leviticus 11:8: “Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.”
Regarding aquatic life, Deuteronomy 14:9–10 reads: “These ye shall eat of all that are in the waters: all that have fins and scales shall ye eat: And whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye may not eat; it is unclean unto you.” This mirrors Leviticus 11:9–12, where the standard for clean sea creatures is the presence of both fins and scales. Shellfish, crustaceans, and other bottom dwellers are excluded under these criteria.
The laws concerning birds are also restated in Deuteronomy 14:11–20, listing unclean birds such as the eagle, ossifrage, osprey, vulture, kite, owl, and raven—consistent with Leviticus 11:13–19: “Of all clean birds ye shall eat. But these are they of which ye shall not eat: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray, And the glede, and the kite, and the vulture after his kind, And every raven after his kind, And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind, The little owl, and the great owl, and the swan, And the pelican, and the gier eagle, and the cormorant, And the stork, and the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat. And every creeping thing that flieth is unclean unto you: they shall not be eaten. But of all clean fowls ye may eat.”
Both passages showcase birds that are scavengers or birds of prey as unclean. Additionally, the consumption of any flying insect is prohibited, although in Leviticus 11:21–22, certain locusts and beetles were permitted; Deuteronomy does not reauthorize these exceptions but focuses instead on the general prohibition. See Leviticus 11:21–22: “Yet these may ye eat of every flying creeping thing that goeth upon all four, which have legs above their feet, to leap withal upon the earth; Even these of them ye may eat; the locust after his kind, and the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the grasshopper after his kind.”
Deuteronomy also explains humane and clean food practices. Deuteronomy 14:21 forbids eating anything that dies of itself. See verse: “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.”
This is reiterated from Leviticus 17:15, where those who eat that which dies of itself are declared unclean: “And every soul that eateth that which died of itself, or that which was torn with beasts, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger, he shall both wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even: then shall he be clean.”
Throughout the book of Deuteronomy, the dietary laws are presented as a means of preserving the distinctiveness of God’s people. As Deuteronomy 14:3 says it all: “Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing.” This echoes the what is given in Leviticus 11:43–45, where the Lord warns Israel not to defile themselves with unclean animals: “Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby. For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”
While specific to Israel under the Old Covenant, the dietary laws in Deuteronomy point to the deeper reality of separation unto God—a principle that transcends ceremonial observance. With the coming of Jesus Christ, the purpose of these laws was fulfilled. See Colossians 2:16–17: “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.:
These laws were never an end in themselves but served to teach the need for holiness and point forward to the Messiah, who would bring about a New Covenant not based on ordinances of meats and drinks, but on the inward renewal of the heart through faith. See Hebrews 9:10 and Romans 10:4:
- Hebrews 9:10: “Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.”
- Romans 10:4: “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”
In Acts 15, when the early church considered whether Gentile believers should follow the Law of Moses, including dietary restrictions, the conclusion was that such ordinances were not binding under the grace of Christ. Instead, believers were exhorted to “abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled” in Acts 15:29: “That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.”
This aligned with Peter’s vision in Acts 10 as well, where God declared all foods clean and symbolized the opening of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all nations. See Acts 10:15: “And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.”
While their ceremonial relevance has been fulfilled in Christ, the spiritual purpose of the dietary laws in Deuteronomy remains instructive. They highlight God’s call to holiness, the seriousness of obedience, and the distinction between the sacred and the profane. Through these laws, God was preparing a people who would ultimately point the way to the true Bread of Life, Jesus Christ, in whom is no uncleanness at all and through whom all who believe are made clean. We leave you with supporting Scriptures from John 6:35 and Hebrews 10:14:
- John 6:35: “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”
- Hebrews 10:14: “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.”
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