Matthew Poole
Deuteronomy 14

Introduction

Heathenish rites of mourning prohibited, Deuteronomy 14:1, 2; and the eating of any abominable thing, Deuteronomy 14:3. All unclean beasts, Deuteronomy 14:4-8, fish, Deuteronomy 14:9, 10, and birds, prohibited, Deuteronomy 14:11-20. True tithing commanded, Deuteronomy 14:22; and where it was to be eaten, Deuteronomy 14:23-27. A command about the third year's tithing, Deuteronomy 14:28; and who should eat it, Deuteronomy 14:29.

Verse 1

Of the Lord your God; whom therefore you must not disparage by unworthy or unbecoming practices, such as here follow, and whom you must not disobey. Ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes, which were the practices of idolaters, both in the worship of their idols, as 1 Kings 18:28; or in their funerals, as here, and Jeremiah 16:6; or upon occasion of public calamities, as Jeremiah 41:5; 47:5. See the notes on Leviticus 19:27, and the notes on Leviticus 19:28. and the notes on Leviticus 21:5. For the dead; through excessive sorrow for your dead friends, as if you had no hope of their happiness after death, 1 Thessalonians 4:13.

Verse 2, 3

i.e. Unclean and forbidden by me, which therefore should be abominable to you.

Verse 4

Of which see Leviticus 11. The small differences between some of their names here and there are not proper for this work. The learned reader may find them cleared in my Latin Synopsis. For others, they may well enough want the knowledge of them, both because these are the smaller matters of the law, and because this distinction of clean and unclean beasts is now out of date.

Verse 5-21

Unto the stranger; not to the proselyte, for such were obliged by this law, Leviticus 17:15, but to such as were strangers in religion as well as in nation.

Verse 22

This is to be understood of the second tithes, which seem to be the same with the tithes of the third year, mentioned here below, Deuteronomy 14:28; Deuteronomy 26:12, on which see above, on Deuteronomy 12:17. And to confirm this opinion, (though I would not lay too great a stress upon criticisms,) yet I cannot but observe that this tithing is spoken of only as the people's act here, and Deuteronomy 26:12, and the Levites are not at all mentioned in either place as receivers or takers of them, but only as partakers of them together with the owners, and therefore they are so severely charged here upon their consciences, thou shalt truly tithe all thine increase, because the execution of this was left wholly to themselves, whereas the first tithes were received by the Levites, who therefore are said to take or receive those tithes, Numbers 18:26; Nehemiah 10:38; Hebrews 7:5.

Verse 23

See the notes on Deuteronomy 12:6, and the notes on Deuteronomy 12:17.

Verse 24, 25

Bind up the money in thine hand, i.e. in a bag to be taken into thy hand and carried with thee.

Verse 26, 27

Thou shalt not forsake him; thou shalt give him a share in such tithes, or in the product of them.

Verse 28

At the end of three years, i.e. in the third year, as it is expressed, Deuteronomy 26:12. So, in the end of three years, or of seven years, is the same with in the third or seventh year, as appears by comparing Deuteronomy 31:10; Joshua 9:16, 17; 2 Kings 18:9, 10; 17:6. All the tithe of thine increase. I join with those expositors who make this the same tithe with the former, Deuteronomy 14:22, as being called by the same title without any distinction between them, save only as to the place of eating them. See the notes on Deuteronomy 14:22, and the notes on Deuteronomy 12:17. The same year: this is added to show that he speaks of the third year, and not of the fourth year, as some might conjecture from the phrase, at the end of three years.

Verse 29