DAWN
Daily Arts Web Nucleus
Discover the Arts! Each day a different image from the Literary, Performing, or Visual Arts representing a portion of Scripture plus an explanation with links and a discussion forum 2014 March 27
Rudolf von Arthaber with his Children (1837)
Friedrich von Amerling (1803-1887)
Academic Style
Osterreichische Galerie, Vienna, Austria
Image Source: Web Gallery of Art
Explanation: The illustration above reflects the opening statement of chapter 14: "You are the children of the LORD your God." All the rules within the chapter are therefore given to imbue the Israelites with a certain sense of family identity. They reflect in an outward way the purity and the loving care that characterizes both God and his children. They are a family marker.
The main subject of Deuteronomy 14 is food -- clean and unclean. Alternate names are given for some of the animals mentioned below. The alternate names are taken from the English Standard Version unless otherwise indicated. For further study, links are give to Strong's numbers.
The first regulation in the chapter is against pagan rituals -- specifically, they must not cut themselves or make any baldness between their eyes [i.e., shave their forehead and eyebrows] for the dead. This was because they were a holy people to the LORD their God (1-2). Also, they must not eat any abominable thing. Here the food regulations begin. These constitute the central focus of the chapter. The forbidden and permitted animals are grouped into creatures of the land, water, and air (3). Land Creatures. Fourteen types of animals are mentioned in this section (4-8). Water Creatures. In this section the creatures are divided into two easily recognized categories -- those that have both fins and scales and those that do not (9-10). Air Creatures. Twenty-two of these creatures are mentioned, including birds, mammals (bats), and insects (11-20). Then, two general regulations are then given. First, anything that dies of itself must not be eaten by an Israelite; but it may be sold to a stranger among them or to a foreigner. Second, they must not boil a kid in its mother's milk since this was an act of worship among the pagans (21). They must tithe their crops. They must eat the appropriate sacrificial offerings in the place where God places his name. But if the sanctuary is too far away they shall turn the offering into money, bring it to a sanctuary chosen by the LORD, buy food and drink there, and eat it with their family before the LORD. And they must remember to share with the Levites (22-27). At the end of three years they shall bring their tithes and share these with the Levites, the strangers, the fatherless, and the widows. And they shall eat and be satisfied with the blessing of the LORD (28-29).
Deuteronomy 14
1 Ye are the children of the LORD your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.
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.
3 Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing.
4 These are the beasts which ye shall eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat,
5 The hart [deer], and the roebuck [gazelle], and the fallow deer [roebuck], and the wild goat, and the pygarg [ibex], and the wild ox [antelope], and the chamois [mountain sheep].
6 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.
7 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.
8 And the swine [pig], 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.
9 These ye shall eat of all that are in the waters: all that have fins and scales shall ye eat:
10 And whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye may not eat; it is unclean unto you.
11 Of all clean birds ye shall eat.
12 But these are they of which ye shall not eat: the eagle, and the ossifrage [bearded vulture], and the ospray [black vulture],
13 And the glede [hawk or vulture - TSK], and the kite, and the vulture [falcon] after his kind,
14 And every raven after his kind,
15 And the owl [ostrich], and the night hawk, and the cuckow [sea gull], and the hawk after his kind,
16 The little owl, and the great owl [short-eared owl], and the swan [barn owl],
17 And the pelican [tawny owl], and the gier eagle [carrion vulture], and the cormorant,
18 And the stork, and the heron after her kind, and the lapwing [hoopoe], and the bat.
19 And every creeping thing that flieth [winged insect] is unclean unto you: they shall not be eaten.
20 But of all clean fowls ye may eat.
21 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.
22 Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year.
23 And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always.
24 And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the LORD thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the LORD thy God hath blessed thee:
25 Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose:
26 And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household,
27 And the Levite that is within thy gates; thou shalt not forsake him; for he hath no part nor inheritance with thee.
28 At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates:
29 And the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest.
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copyright 2014, Scott Souza
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