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.

DEUTERONOMY 14:6KJV
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Deuteronomy 14:6 (KJV)

What does Deuteronomy 14:6 mean?

Deuteronomy 14:6 explains that the Israelites were allowed to eat animals that both have split hooves and chew the cud. This verse sets out a specific rule for which land animals were considered clean and suitable for food under Israel’s law.

In this passage, Moses is speaking to the people of Israel as they prepare to enter the promised land. The verse is part of a larger section where Moses lists dietary laws, helping the people distinguish between animals they could eat and those they could not. The focus is on clear, observable features—split hooves and chewing the cud—to guide everyday choices about food.

The Hebrew behind Deuteronomy 14:6

  • בְּהֵמָה (bəhēmāh, "beast"): This word refers broadly to domesticated animals or livestock, not just wild animals. The law is about animals commonly encountered in daily life.
  • פָּרַס (pāras, "parteth"): This verb means to split or divide, describing the physical characteristic of the hoof. It emphasizes a visible, easy-to-identify trait.
  • פַּרְסָה (parsāh, "hoof/claws"): The same Hebrew word is used for both "hoof" and "claws" in this verse, showing that the law is concerned with the shape and structure of the animal’s foot.
  • עָלָה (ʿālāh, "cheweth"): This verb literally means "to go up," but here it refers to the process of bringing up and re-chewing food—what we call "chewing the cud." This is a trait of certain animals like cows and sheep.

Why Deuteronomy 14:6 matters

  • Deuteronomy 14:6 clarifies that not every animal with just one of these traits (split hoof or chewing the cud) was allowed; both were required, which helps explain why some animals were excluded in later verses.
  • The verse shows how Israel’s dietary laws were based on clear, physical signs, making it practical for ordinary people to follow without needing expert knowledge.
  • This rule connects to the broader theme in Deuteronomy of Israel being set apart as a distinct people, even in everyday habits like eating.

Where else these words appear

“cleaveth” Hebrew H8157 · used in 4 verses

  • Leviticus 11:3 Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat.
  • Leviticus 11:7 And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.
  • Leviticus 11:26 The carcases of every beast which divideth the hoof, and is not clovenfooted, nor cheweth the cud, are unclean unto you: every one that toucheth them shall be unclean.

“cleft” Hebrew H8156 · used in 8 verses

  • Leviticus 1:17 And he shall cleave it with the wings thereof, but shall not divide it asunder: and the priest shall burn it upon the altar, upon the wood that is upon the fire: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.
  • Leviticus 11:7 And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.
  • Deuteronomy 14:7 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.

“cud” Hebrew H1625 · used in 9 verses

  • Leviticus 11:3 Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat.
  • Leviticus 11:5 And the coney, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.
  • Leviticus 11:26 The carcases of every beast which divideth the hoof, and is not clovenfooted, nor cheweth the cud, are unclean unto you: every one that toucheth them shall be unclean.

“parteth” Hebrew H6536 · used in 12 verses

  • Leviticus 11:3 Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat.
  • Leviticus 11:6 And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.
  • Deuteronomy 14:8 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.