And every raven after his kind,

DEUTERONOMY 14:14KJV
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Deuteronomy 14:14 (KJV)

What does Deuteronomy 14:14 mean?

Deuteronomy 14:14 lists “every raven after his kind” as among the birds the Israelites were not to eat. This verse is part of a section where Moses, speaking to the people of Israel, details which animals are considered clean or unclean for food according to the law God gave them.

Moses is addressing the Israelites as they prepare to enter the promised land, giving specific instructions about dietary practices. “Every raven after his kind” means all types or species of ravens and similar birds were included in this prohibition. This list helps the people distinguish themselves from other nations by following God’s guidelines for holy living.

The Hebrew behind Deuteronomy 14:14

  • “raven” (עֹרֵב, ʿōrēv): This word refers to the raven, a large black bird known for scavenging. The raven was seen as unclean, likely because it feeds on carrion, which was considered impure.
  • “kind” (מִין, mîn): This word means “species” or “type.” Here, it broadens the rule to cover not just the common raven but all related birds, so the prohibition includes every bird in the raven family, not just one specific kind.

Why Deuteronomy 14:14 matters

  • This verse clarifies that the dietary laws were detailed, covering not just individual animals but entire groups or families of animals, showing the thoroughness of the instructions.
  • By specifying “after his kind,” the law prevented loopholes where someone might eat a related bird not explicitly named, reinforcing the seriousness of following God’s commands.
  • This verse fits into a larger section that sets Israel apart from other nations by their food practices, highlighting their identity as a people dedicated to God’s ways.

Where else these words appear

“raven” Hebrew H6158 · used in 10 verses

  • Genesis 8:7 And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.
  • 1 Kings 17:6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.
  • Proverbs 30:17 The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.

“kind” Hebrew H4327 · used in 18 verses

  • Genesis 1:11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
  • Genesis 6:20 Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.
  • Leviticus 11:22 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.