Deuteronomy 14 · a question people ask

Leviticus tells whoever eats what dies of itself to wash. Deuteronomy forbids eating it, and gives it to the foreigner. Do they disagree?

In the text

Here is what each says. Leviticus 11: "He who eats of its carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening" (Leviticus 11:40). Leviticus 17: "Every person that eats what dies of itself, or that which is torn by animals, whether he is native-born or a foreigner, shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening. Then he shall be clean" (Leviticus 17:15). For the priests: "He shall not eat that which dies of itself or is torn by animals, defiling himself by it" (Leviticus 22:8). Exodus, of meat torn by animals: "You shall be holy men to me, therefore you shall not eat any meat that is torn by animals in the field. You shall cast it to the dogs" (Exodus 22:31). Deuteronomy: "You shall not eat of anything that dies of itself. You may give it to the foreigner living among you who is within your gates, that he may eat it; or you may sell it to a foreigner; for you are a holy people to the LORD your God" (14:21). In Hebrew, the "foreigner" of Leviticus 17:15 is the same word as the first "foreigner" of 14:21 (tap foreigner). Leviticus 11 and 17 tell what to do after eating it, and Leviticus 22 tells the priests not to eat it; Deuteronomy tells all Israel not to eat it. Exodus and Deuteronomy both give holiness as the reason (Exodus 22:31; 14:21). The texts don't say how the passages fit together.

The verses

“He who eats of its carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening. He also who carries its carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening.”
Leviticus 11:40 · World English Bible
““‘Every person that eats what dies of itself, or that which is torn by animals, whether he is native-born or a foreigner, shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening. Then he shall be clean.”
Leviticus 17:15 · World English Bible
“He shall not eat that which dies of itself or is torn by animals, defiling himself by it. I am the LORD.”
Leviticus 22:8 · World English Bible
““You shall be holy men to me, therefore you shall not eat any meat that is torn by animals in the field. You shall cast it to the dogs.”
Exodus 22:31 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of Deuteronomy 14

Deuteronomy 14: Children of the LORD your God

In Deuteronomy the tithe was a meal: the family ate it before the LORD, "that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always" (14:23), bought with money if the way was far, and the Levite wasn't forsaken (14:26-27). Every third year it stayed in the towns for the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow (14:28-29).

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions