Deuteronomy 14:9

Verse

Of all the creatures that live in the water, you may eat anything with fins and scales,

American Standard Version (1901)

These ye may eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales may ye eat;

And of the things living in the waters, you may take all those who have wings for swimming with and skins formed of thin plates.

Douay-Rheims 1899

These shall you eat of all that abide in the waters: All that have fins and scales, you shall eat.

Free Bible Version

When it comes to creatures that live in the water, you are allowed to eat anything that has fins and scales.

Geneva Bible 1599

These ye shall eate, of all that are in the waters: all that haue finnes and scales shall ye eate.

King James (Authorized) Version

¶ These ye shall eat of all that are in the waters: all that have fins and scales shall ye eat:

One Unity Resource Bible

These you may eat of all that are in the waters: whatever has fins and scales may you eat.

Translation for Translators

You are permitted to eat any fish that has scales and fins.

Unlocked Literal Bible

Of these things that are in water you may eat: whatever has fins and scales;

Noah Webster Bible

These ye shall eat, of all that are in the waters: all that have fins and scales shall ye eat:

World English Bible

These you may eat of all that are in the waters: you may eat whatever has fins and scales.

Young's Literal Translation

'This ye do eat of all that [are] in the waters; all that hath fins and scales ye do eat;

Context

Clean and Unclean Animals

⁸as well as the pig; though it has a divided hoof, it does not chew the cud. It is unclean for you. You must not eat its meat or touch its carcass.⁹Of all the creatures that live in the water, you may eat anything with fins and scales,¹⁰but you may not eat anything that does not have fins and scales; it is unclean for you.

Summary

This verse is part of the dietary laws given to the Israelites by God, specifying which creatures they are allowed to eat. It prohibits the consumption of anything that lives in the water and does not have fins and scales. This command was meant to set the Israelites apart from other nations and to promote their physical health and well-being. By obeying these dietary restrictions, the Israelites demonstrated their obedience to God and their trust in His wisdom and care for them.

Commentary

John Gill

John Gill Bible Commentary

But these are they of which they shall not eat,.... Jarchi observes, that the unclean birds are particularly mentioned, to teach that the clean sort are more than the unclean, and therefore the particulars of the fewest are given: these are all the same names as in Lev 11:13, excepting one, "the glede", Deu 14:13 which is a kind of kite or puttock; the Jerusalem Targum renders it the vulture, and the Targum of Jonathan the white "dayetha" or vulture; and Aristotle says (q) there are two sorts of vultures, the one small and whiter, the other larger and of many forms or colours; in Hebrew its name here is "raah", and is thought to be the same with "daah" in Lev 11:14 there translated the "vulture", which has its name there from flying, and here from seeing, for which it is remarkable; see Job 28:7 and the letters and are pretty much alike, and are sometimes changed, but there is another here, in Deu 14:13 mentioned, the "dayah", which is not mentioned in Lev 11:1, though some think it the same with the "ayah", rendered both here and there the "kite"; perhaps it means another sort of vulture, the black vulture, as the Targum of Jonathan. (q) Hist. Animal. l. 8. c. 3.