Read Deuteronomy 14 here (text coming …) or at Bible Gateway.
The Hebrew Paragraphs:
14:1-2 {s} Do not mourn for the dead in the manner of the nations
14:3-8 {s} Do not eat unclean animals
14:9-10 {s} Do not eat unclean sea creatures
14:11-21 {p} Do not eat unclean flying things/ Do not boil a kid in its mother’s milk
14:22-27 {s} Annual tithe is YHVH’s
14:28-29 {s} Tithe of the third year is YHVH’s
The Deu 14:11-21 {p} concludes this Strong Theme:
13:1-5 {s} Death for the prophet who tries to turn Israel from YHVH
13:6-11 {s} Death for the loved one who tries to turn Israel from YHVH
13:12-18 {s} Death for the city in Israel who turns from YHVH
14:1-2 {s} Do not mourn for the dead in the manner of the nations
14:3-8 {s} Do not eat unclean animals
14:9-10 {s} Do not eat unclean sea creatures
14:11-21 {p} Do not eat unclean flying things/ Do not boil a kid in its mother’s milk
13:1-14:21 {sx6+p} Strong Theme: Israel shall not turn from YHVH to go after idols …
… because the forbidden practices have to do with idol worship among the Canaanites where they were going.
I have proposed that the explanation for the First Commandment, Worship YHVH only, ended at Deu 11:25, and the explanation for the Second Commandment, Do not make idols, began in Deu 11:26. How do I know, since it doesn’t come with labels? The next paragraph following Deu 11:25 is:
Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you shall pay heed to the commandments of YHVH your God, which I command you this day; and the curse, if you shall not pay heed to the commandments of YHVH your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which you have not known. Deu 11:26-28
And until Deu 14:29, all the paragraphs and strong themes continually go back to a repetition in some manner of not turning aside to go after other gods.
Deu 11:26-14:29 makes the following Chiastic Structure:
If you will notice, the very next verse in Deuteronomy, Deu 15:1, begins speaking of a seventh year release of debt, and continuing on in the next chapters, the topic turns to the feast days of YHVH, which are High Holy Sabbaths. The explanation seems to have gone straight from the 2nd Commandment to the 4th, Honor the Sabbath day, skipping the 3rd, Do not profane YHVH’s name. Howver, I do not believe the 3rd was skipped; rather, the 2nd and 3rd Commandments are tied together, not only in the explanation of it, but also in the execution of it. This is why.
If there are questions, these are good resources:
Deuteronomy 11:26-14:29, 2nd Commandment Summary: You shall not make idols – Christine Miller
Deuteronomy 11:26-14:29, 3rd Commandment Summary: Do not profane YHVH’s name – Christine Miller
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